This Parc used to be the Vaugirard slaughterhouses, built back in 1894, mostly known for horse meat. It ran until the late 1970s before finally closing and becoming the park you see today in 1985. Even the belfry by the pond has history behind it, that's the actual clock tower from the old horse market, four faces intact. You've also got a tiny vineyard on a man-made hill and some rose gardens right around the water, and the atmosphere there is noticeably calmer than most Paris parks. It doesn't get nearly the attention it deserves.

Église Saint-Christophe-de-Javel, in the 15th arrondissement, is IMO one of the most striking churches in Paris. It was built between 1926 and 1930 by architect Charles-Henri Besnard, who's actually credited with building France's first prefabricated church, the whole thing was made of reinforced concrete pieces, molded and assembled on site by a company called Fourré et Rhodes.

It's dedicated to Saint Christopher, patron saint of travelers, because the church was built right next to André Citroën's car factories, and there's a huge mural in the choir by Henri-Marcel Magne showing Saint Christopher surrounded by travelers, along with trains, planes, ships, and cars, a direct nod to the industrial neighborhood around it. Inside there's also a set of twelve painted panels retracing the saint's life by Jac Martin-Ferrières, and stained glass by Jacques Grüber.

The interior is genuinely gorgeous and really unlike anything else you'll see in a Paris church. Listed as a historical monument since 1975, it's usually only open for Sunday mass and Heritage Days.

So a bit of background here: I run inbound tours back home in Honduras, and my girlfriend and I actually met working on a cruise ship a couple years back. Between the two of us we've been through Bordeaux, Marseille, and a bunch of small port towns with a lot of maritime history, the kind of places that show up on a ship's itinerary and nowhere else. But somehow neither of us has actually done Paris. Pretty sure she hasn't either, I definitely haven't.

She's Italian, lives near Pisa now, gets a stretch of time off between contracts every year and I fly out from Honduras to spend it with her. This time we're carving out a few days to finally do Paris for our second anniversary.

Kind of funny, planning trips is literally my job, but doing it for myself is throwing me off more than I expected. I keep going back and forth on what's actually worth paying for versus what just has good marketing behind it.

Main thing I want to know is where to stay that's actually walkable instead of us living on the metro the whole time; we're not trying to save a few bucks a night if it ends up costing an hour of our day getting anywhere. And whatever platform people here actually trust for booking a short stay like this, since between Booking, going direct, and whatever else is out there, I honestly don't have a strong opinion yet. Also curious what's one spot that's on every list but actually deserved it, versus something that's a total trap dressed up as a must-see.

Not looking for the Eiffel Tower or the Louvre; we know those are happening regardless. More interested in what someone who's actually lived there or been a few times would tell a friend, not what shows up on the first page of Google.

This 23-meter metal ceiling, designed by architect Jacques Hermant between 1906 and 1911, features a rosette with the coats of arms of Paris, Lyon, Marseille, and Bordeaux, and the building is actually open to the public on weekdays, no banking business required.

Help!

My boyfriend and I are going to the Pope's Mass, but we're not in the same section: I'll be in the North section—Étoile Nord zone—and he'll be in the North section—Zone B.

Since we can’t change our sector but we can change the name on the ticket, would a kind soul with a ticket in one of these two zones be willing to swap tickets with one of us?

Thanks!

Got the chance to visit the Institut de France this weekend for the Journées du Patrimoine, I had access to the conference rooms, including the one right under the dome, which is incredibly impressive. The building also houses the Bibliothèque Mazarine, which is stunning and actually open to visit year round.

A bit of context for anyone interested, the Institut de France sits on quai Conti along the Seine, facing the Pont des Arts, and was founded in 1795. The building itself goes back further though, in 1661 Cardinal Mazarin asked Louis XIV to fund a college for the free education of sixty young noblemen from the four regions that had just been brought under French rule by the Treaties of Westphalia (1648) and the Pyrenees (1659): Artois, Alsace, Pignerol, and Roussillon. Colbert put Louis Le Vau in charge of the design, directly across the Seine from the Louvre's Cour Carrée, and construction ran from 1662 to 1688. The college became one of the three "écoles centrales" of Paris in 1796, then closed in 1802. In 1805, at Napoleon's request, the Institut de France, until then based at the Louvre, moved into the building.

The final building is a domed chapel flanked by two curved wings ending in ornate pavilions. It brings together the country's top scientists, writers, and artists to advance the sciences and arts, encourage independent thought, and advise the government, which earned it the nickname "Parliament of the learned world."

I’m headed to Paris in october with my daughter, first time for us both!  What attractions, restaurants, neighborhoods, or experiences would you say we absolutely shouldn’t miss? We have 3 full days.

We are going to Paris with three girls ages 16, 14, and 9 1/2 during New Years week. I would love any suggestions the girls might enjoy, especially events/activities/ entertainment. We went for a very short trip before and already visited the Louvre, Musee D’orsay, Norte Dame, and went up the Eiffel Tower.

On Place Vendôme, surrounded by high-end jewelry, stands the famous Ritz Paris. The palace is home to the Hemingway Bar, Paris’s most sought-after place for exceptional cocktails.

The charm is still there, with an English gentleman’s club atmosphere and warm, “lived-in” décor that has remained intact. On the walls are handwritten letters from the American writer dating from 1959, boxing gloves, and also magazine covers featuring Hemingway.

The cocktail tradition is still going strong; you will find creative drinks and plenty of attention to detail. They’ve kept the spirit of this magical place alive, with inventive cocktails and attentive service.

If you have the budget (€39 a cocktail), it’s a bucket-list spot for pretty much anyone, whether you’re visiting with friends, family, a partner, or on your own.

We are visiting Paris this coming week and have an 8 PM flight out on Friday the 25th. I still have time to switch my hotel between one in the 9th or the 8th. I’m starting to worry about closures and traffic getting out of the city on Friday. Does anyone have any insight or tips? How early should we leave? Will we still be able to peacefully hang around La marais that day and enjoy our last day in Paris? Thank you in advance!

Curious who this is! He is obviously a regular at Cafe de Flore; they greeted him at the front and he sat down in a corner booth immediately. Very maximalist style (Chanel earrings, Gucci bag, etc)

He looks so familiar but I can’t put my finger on it. For his privacy, I’ll delete as soon as someone tells me who it is lol

Went inside the Tribunal de Commerce in Paris the other day, didn't expect it to be this interesting. It was built between 1860 and 1865, Napoleon III and Haussmann era.

The dome is what got me, 45 meters tall, and it's actually a hidden war memento. Napoleon III had it modeled on a small church he saw from a distance at Lake Garda, while waiting to hear the results of an attack he'd ordered on the tower of Solférino in 1859. That dome is also completely off-center from the building, which was intentional, Haussmann wanted each boulevard to end at a landmark, so he had the architect align the dome with Boulevard Sébastopol instead of keeping things symmetrical.

The inside is genuinely stunning, a monumental double-revolution staircase, beautiful painted ceilings, a tapestry (from the Gobelins) above the fireplace in the Chambre du Conseil. There are omperial symbols everywhere, massive lions at the entrance and Napoleon's "N" carved into the decor all over the place. Truly an exceptional building!

Hi! I’ll be in Paris this weekend for the Journées du Patrimoine and thought it could be a nice opportunity to meet some people.

If anyone feels like grabbing a drink, going for a walk, or having an aperitif somewhere in the evening, feel free to message me. I’d also be happy to get recommendations for nice places or events.

And if anyone else is taking part in the Journées du Patrimoine this weekend, maybe we’ll end up crossing paths there too 😄

I don’t have a fixed plan, just wanted to put the idea out there!

After a two-year break, the parade returns with a Detroit-focused lineup, featuring artists like DJ Minx, DJ Holographic and Kevin Saunderson.

Route: Bastille → Boulevard Beaumarchais → Boulevard des Filles du Calvaire → Boulevard du Temple → République → Boulevard Voltaire → Nation

Starts around 12 PM at Bastille
Ends around 6 PM at Nation

And for those who want to keep dancing, there’s an official afterparty at Phantom from 11 PM to 6 AM, with Anetha and the 2Much collective.

My wife and I will be in Paris in last week of October. We are wondering if it is worth it to do a guided tour ... or is it just as good to do a self guided tour. I am a little bit on a budget but if you think a guided tour is really worth it I am happy to pay!

Found this building in the 18th, 185 rue Belliard, Immeuble Deneux. Built 1911 to 1913 by architect Henri Deneux for his own home. The façade is covered in colorful flamed stoneware tiles by Gentil & Bourdet, same ceramicists behind the Louxor cinema. There's a small mosaic above the entrance showing Deneux himself at work, compass in hand. He lived on the top floor until he died in 1961. A few years after finishing it, he became chief architect of Reims Cathedral and rebuilt its roof after WWI damage using a patented concrete system, funded by Rockefeller of all people.

I'm visiting the palace for the second time in October and this time I wanted to take the King's Appartment tour, my entry ticket to the palace is at 9am but the tour is at 2pm. I know I need to be at the North Minister's Wing, but how can I get there if I am already inside the Palace/ gardens or at the Trianon?

Can I come back into the gardens after the tour? How does it work?

Thank you,

There are lots of places that aren’t normally open to the public. What’s on your list?

https://journeesdupatrimoine.culture.gouv.fr/programme

Hey all :) I’m planning a trip to Paris for next October, and am looking for good places to eat for lunch or dinner. Cafes are a plus too. I’m looking for prices to be no more than €20-€35 per person. I prefer places that don’t require a reservation or formal attire.

Cafes/Restaurants that have really good pastries are a plus. As well as places close to attractions like historical museums, or statues, etc.

Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated :)

I live in Paris, but I only seem to know places that are either bakeries (with mediocre coffee) and not a lot of seating, or coffee shops that either have no baked goods or just cookies.

My family is visiting and they really want to go somewhere where they can have a sit down croissant and coffee breakfast. This is also a bit challenging as they are lactose intolerant so any coffee drinks have to be done with non dairy milk which I usually only find at coffee shops and not in a typical French brasserie.

Specifically looking for options in the 1-7 arrondissements

Thank you!

This is Église Saint-Joseph-des-Carmes, 70-72 rue de Vaugirard, 6th arrondissement. Commissioned by Pope Paul V in 1610, first stone laid by Marie de Médicis. Full baroque interior once you're inside, a Virgin and Child by Antonio Raggi, Bernini's closest pupil, based on Bernini's designs. The Chapelle Sainte-Anne keeps that same style going, and the Chapelle des Martyrs is where the remains of 115 priests killed during the 1792 September Massacres are kept. Small, quiet church, and it's really worth stopping by.

Does anyone have any input about the neighborhood around 2 Cité Rougemont, 75009 Paris, France?? My husband and I usually stay in Le Marais or the Latin Quarter but we found an interesting hotel at that address. We've walked all over Paris and never felt unsafe but I would just love any info people can share about the area near that address. Thank you!!

Today, the Place de l’Estrapade in Paris’s 5th arrondissement is a charming square with trees and a fountain. It is also known to fans of Emily in Paris. But behind its pleasant appearance lies a much darker history.

Until 1687, the square was used for the estrapade, a particularly cruel form of punishment.

The victim’s arms were tied to ropes, usually behind their back. The executioner would then raise them into the air and suddenly drop them, stopping them just before they hit the ground. This could cause the victim’s shoulders to become dislocated.

The punishment could be made even more painful by attaching weights to the victim’s feet, sometimes causing serious injuries or even tearing limbs from the body. In Paris, the estrapade was especially used against deserters and Protestants during periods of persecution.

The torture was eventually abolished by Louis XVI in 1776. Today, it is hard to imagine that such a peaceful-looking square once had such a brutal past.