So you're going to Paris for the first time? You want to see the city, but you don't want to spend the day in a bus with three dozen other tourists? The price of a private tour is way over your budget? Here's how can you see Paris in depth and appreciate what you're seeing.
Your best resource, even in this age of the internet, is a low-tech one, an old-fashioned tour book. Some tour books feature a number of well thought-out walking tours of Paris. On a recent tour of Paris, we walked some of the tours provided in Frommer's Memorable Walks in Paris. This paperback is well worth the cost, but Frommer's thoughtfully offers online versions of three walks that you can download absolutely free.
Walking tour one features Montmartre. The tour includes the expected Place du Tertre, a kitchy square where faux-artists will sketch a quick (and over-priced) portrait; the white-domed Sacre-Coeur with its panoramic view of the city; the famous Moulin Rouge; and ten other attractions of note. Montmartre is also the home of movie character Amelie Poulain (one of my favorite all-time movies). There's even a website pointing out filming locations where scenes from the movie were shot. Fans of Audrey Tautou can easily spend one full day exploring some of the less visited neighborhoods of Paris.
Walking tour two explores The Latin Quarter. The Sorbonne, the university founded in 1253, is located in this section of Paris. Latin was the language of scholarship in the Middle Ages, and thus the district got its name. The tour takes you through a number of impressive churches as well as the Pantheon, but the real treasure of the tour is the Cluny, the Musee National du Moyen Age. Do not miss The Lady and the Unicorn Tapestry. Laminated pages that describe the symbology of the six tapestries are available. Take the time to find the sheet in your language and read it while viewing the tapestries.
Walking tour three winds its way through the Marais. The district takes its name from the fact that it was originally built on a swamp (marais in French). This is one of the most interesting areas of the city. You will see the Bastille where the French revolution began on July 14, 1789 and the Place des Vosges (pictured to the left). The oldest square in Paris, this is an exceptionally beautiful place to shop, have lunch, and visit the Maison de Victor Hugo, the house of the famed 19th century French writer. The Picasso Museum is also on this tour.
Bonus for readers of Travel Horizons! I have put together a walking tour I call The Heart of Paris. It is an ideal way to spend your first afternoon in Paris ... offering some exercise to keep you awake until after dinner and giving you a general orientation to some of the major sites in the heart of the city. Feel free to download this file and share it freely.
Other links of interest:
what to do in Paris: a top 10 list
Paris on a budget
upscale Paris
If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.
Virtuoso travel agent consultant walking tour Paris Montmartre Place+du+Tertre Sacre+Coeur Moulin+Rouge Amelie Audrey+Tautou Latin+Quarter Sorbonne Pantheon Cluny Lady+and+the+Unicorn tapestry Marais Bastille Place+des+Vosges Picasso Victor+Hugo
Your best resource, even in this age of the internet, is a low-tech one, an old-fashioned tour book. Some tour books feature a number of well thought-out walking tours of Paris. On a recent tour of Paris, we walked some of the tours provided in Frommer's Memorable Walks in Paris. This paperback is well worth the cost, but Frommer's thoughtfully offers online versions of three walks that you can download absolutely free.
Walking tour one features Montmartre. The tour includes the expected Place du Tertre, a kitchy square where faux-artists will sketch a quick (and over-priced) portrait; the white-domed Sacre-Coeur with its panoramic view of the city; the famous Moulin Rouge; and ten other attractions of note. Montmartre is also the home of movie character Amelie Poulain (one of my favorite all-time movies). There's even a website pointing out filming locations where scenes from the movie were shot. Fans of Audrey Tautou can easily spend one full day exploring some of the less visited neighborhoods of Paris.
Walking tour two explores The Latin Quarter. The Sorbonne, the university founded in 1253, is located in this section of Paris. Latin was the language of scholarship in the Middle Ages, and thus the district got its name. The tour takes you through a number of impressive churches as well as the Pantheon, but the real treasure of the tour is the Cluny, the Musee National du Moyen Age. Do not miss The Lady and the Unicorn Tapestry. Laminated pages that describe the symbology of the six tapestries are available. Take the time to find the sheet in your language and read it while viewing the tapestries.Walking tour three winds its way through the Marais. The district takes its name from the fact that it was originally built on a swamp (marais in French). This is one of the most interesting areas of the city. You will see the Bastille where the French revolution began on July 14, 1789 and the Place des Vosges (pictured to the left). The oldest square in Paris, this is an exceptionally beautiful place to shop, have lunch, and visit the Maison de Victor Hugo, the house of the famed 19th century French writer. The Picasso Museum is also on this tour.Bonus for readers of Travel Horizons! I have put together a walking tour I call The Heart of Paris. It is an ideal way to spend your first afternoon in Paris ... offering some exercise to keep you awake until after dinner and giving you a general orientation to some of the major sites in the heart of the city. Feel free to download this file and share it freely.
Other links of interest:
If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.
Virtuoso travel agent consultant walking tour Paris Montmartre Place+du+Tertre Sacre+Coeur Moulin+Rouge Amelie Audrey+Tautou Latin+Quarter Sorbonne Pantheon Cluny Lady+and+the+Unicorn tapestry Marais Bastille Place+des+Vosges Picasso Victor+Hugo
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