Paris… The Iron Lady, the Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame… Every visit will keep on charming and fascinating you. And how about trying something new for your next time in the French capital? Discover a new part of the city of lights on a wonderful, yet unusual weekend!
1) Paleontology and Comparative Anatomy Galleries
Inside the Jardin des Plantes, on the 2 rue Buffon in the 5th district of Paris, is a building with an interior architecture that is a pleasure to the eye. And if on top of that you happen to have a special thing for dinosaurs, well, you’re in for a treat! Embark upon a strange yet fascinating journey through 540 million years where skeletons of animals, humans and dinosaurs put on a scientific parade. For those of you who fancy the bizarre and the unusual, do not miss the gallery of oddities.
2) The Catacombs
How about a little thrill to spice up your weekend? Paris also offers jewels unseen in broad daylight. Take a deep breath and go down underground to visit the Paris catacombs and its ossuary. Those were former quarries later used to receive the bones of the Innocent Cemetery by the end of the 18th century. To get more useful information, please visit the website: http://www.catacombes.paris.fr/en/homepage-catacombs-official-website
Abandon hope all ye who enter here!
3) Chinatown in Paris
One city can sometimes hide another one. Through a guided tour with a local inhabitant, discover the history and culture of a typical district of Paris, usually unseen on tourist postcards. Chinatown is a place full of mysteries, myths, and legends, and will dazzle your eyes with shimmering colours and stir your appetite with delightful dishes proposed in countless Asian restaurants. You won’t want to miss out on Chinese New Year and its amazing procession that takes place once a year between January and February. The costumes, the music, and the dragons will awaken the inner adventurer within you.
Book your visit on the website:
http://www.billetreduc.com/108084/evt.htm (French version)
4) Fairground Arts Museum of Paris
A place full of wonders, the Fairground Arts Museum is a portal to another world, one of magic, circus, and fairground arts. The museum is home to a unique collection dedicated to the world of performing arts through the 19th and 20th centuries. It’s a living museum, suitable for young and old, of shows and attractions from another time that you may want to try and find, for a moment, the smiling and laughing child that you once were.
This museum is a rare and precious pleasure that opens up its doors only on a few occasions, so you’d better keep an eye out on the website,http://arts-forains.com/en/, for the visiting dates or you might remain on the front door of a wonderful universe.
5) The Paris Refrigerators
The Paris Refrigerators is a place steeped in history, witness to the transformation of the Tolbiac district since the 18th century. Through time, the purpose of this building has been to store food supplies for the citizens of Paris right after the First World War. Now renovated to host artist workshops, as well as plastic and dramatic art classes, this unmistakable, unusually-shaped building is home to countless art exhibitions and shows of all kinds – an opportunity not to be missed. The doors of this peculiar place open to the general public once a year the at open day, on the first days of spring. Do not miss out on a unique occasion to discover this place!
The Paris Refrigerators, or in French “Les Frigos de Paris” is located on the 19, rue des Frigos, 75013 Paris
6) The Great Mosque of Paris
Located in front of the Jardin des Plantes, on the 6 rue Georges-Desplas of the 5th district of Paris, The Great Mosque of Paris, jewel of the eastern world, offers a haven of peace and serenity, and a fabulous decor to those who enter its doors. After you visited the Mosque and its wonderful gardens, enjoy a delicious couscous, or for those who are not hungry enough, a nice Arabic pastry along with a mint tea, and let yourself drift into an exotic journey full of magic.
7) Street Art in the streets of Belleville
Street Art, or, as we call it in French, “l’Art Urbain”, is a global artistic movement born in the sixties that transforms whole cities into open sky museums. This practice has been on the rise for over a decade, and cities from all over the globe are being passed through the paintbrush of artists whose imagination is flourishing. Paris, the city of the arts, makes no exception.
Dive into the very heart of Paris, so deep that you will feel its heart pounding in the 20th district of Belleville. An hour and a half guided tour will invite you to roam the winding alleys of this popular neighbourhood, and enjoy the impressive murals that cheer up the everyday life of its inhabitants. Book your visit on the website:
https://www.myurbanexperience.com/gb/street-art-tours-paris/36-street-art-tour-paris.html
€15/adult and €7.50/child under 12 years old. Get ready for a two-kilometre walk, and don’t forget to open up your eyes!
8) The Ice Kube Bar
For those who are not daunted by the cold or those who simply just want to take on a unique experience, we suggest you enjoy a delicious cocktail in a bar solely made out of… Ice. No need to go hard on the ice cubes here, you’d better put on your gloves and hat because it’s happy hour time!
Located in the Kube Hotel on the 1 passage Ruelle, in the 18th district, you will be able to extend this ‘fresh’ experience beyond by spending the night in the luxurious Nordik suite with its suspended bed and state-of-the-art interior design.
Link: http://www.kubehotel-paris.com/en/page/ice-kube-bar.6.html
9) Dans le Noir? (In the Dark?)
Willing to do it in the dark? The answer is yes, and better twice than once! But don’t get confused as this restaurant, named Dans le Noir? (understand In The Dark?) offers a brand new experience that will turn what you’ve ever known about food upside down. So, what’s the concept? Clients are set up in pitch black and don’t know what they will be getting on their plates. Blind tasting enhances flavours and enables you to enjoy in a whole different way this simple gastronomy of straightforward design but absolutely marvellous taste.
Menu prices range from €45 to €100 and will excite the finest palates. Open for supper only, except on weekends. Make sure to book before you go, and enjoy your dishes served only by blind persons and visually impaired people.
http://paris.danslenoir.com/en/home/
51 rue Quincampoix, 75004 Paris
10) Montmartre’s Grapevines
Such peculiar scenery should not be missed at the corner between rue des Saules and rue Saint-Vincent, in the 18th district. And needless to say, this is quite a good way to discover the Montmartre area in a different way. As a matter of fact, grapevines are being cultivated up there in order to produce a vintage called ‘Le Clos Montmartre’, granted product 100% Parisian. You’re all welcome to join the grape harvest fair that takes place once a year on the second weekend of October. Enjoy a rural and pleasant atmosphere in the big city.
I aim to share my tips and recommendations for the beautiful country of France. My goal is to help you plan your next adventure, whether it’s a weekend getaway or a once-in-a-lifetime trip. From finding the best hotels and restaurants, to discovering unique activities and sights, I’ve got you covered!
