Paris Hidden Gems And Cultural Walks – An Insiders Guide To The City's Secrets

Paris is a city of endless discovery, where every cobblestone street and hidden courtyard tells a story. With Paris Hidden Gems and Cultural Walks, we venture beyond the iconic landmarks to uncover the city's best-kept secrets. From the winding alleys of Montmartre to the tranquil gardens of Le Marais, this guide offers curated itineraries that reveal Paris's rich history, artistic legacy, and local charm.

Whether you're tracing the footsteps of literary giants in the Latin Quarter or exploring the Belle Époque arcades of the Right Bank, Paris Hidden Gems and Cultural Walks invites you to experience the city like a true insider. Each walk is designed to immerse you in Paris's vibrant culture, offering a fresh perspective on the City of Light.

The 20 Queens of the Jardin du Luxembourg

Marguerite d'Angouleme in the Jardin du Luxembourg, photo by Mark Craft

The idyllic Jardin du Luxembourg in the heart of the 6th Arrondissement is filled with trees, flowerbeds, tennis courts, fountains, and sculpture. Twenty of the most prominent statues honor queens and other illustrious women from the history of France — from the patron saint of Paris, Genevieve (423-512) to Anne Marie Louise d'Orleans, the wealthiest woman in Europe in 1695.

Let's visit the statues one by one, and learn about these famous queens, saints, and celebrities.

Les Halles Paris: A Market with a New Look

Les Halles Paris today, covered by La Canopée, photo Wikimedia by Zoeuniball

Les Halles Paris is where history meets modernity. Once the city's central marketplace — bustling with sellers, farmers, restauranteurs, and shoppers — it now houses the Forum des Halles, the golden roof called La Canopée, and lush gardens. From shopping to cultural discoveries, this vibrant district offers a glimpse into the evolution of Paris. Visit Les Halles and experience the heartbeat of the city.

Paris Left Bank Literary Promenade

Sylvia Beach and James Joyce in 1925 at the original Shakespeare & Company

After World War I the Left Bank of Paris attracted scores of writers and artists, many of them Americans who become the core of what we know as the Lost Generation. Henry Miller, for example, moved to Paris in 1930 because he thought he could live a more dignified life in poverty here than in the USA. Other literary ex-pats who spent time in Left Bank neighborhoods include Ernest Hemingway, F Scott Fitzgerald, Ezra Pound, James Joyce, and George Orwell.

It's fun to discover these Paris hidden gems and cultural walks among the rues and boulevards, visiting the haunts of these now-famous writers. We've made it easy to do with a literary walking itinerary of the Left Bank.

Rue des Barres In The Marais

Rue des Barres on a map from Paris dating from 1550

Rue des Barres is a short street with a long history. Only 130 metres in length, it takes the walker from near the banks of the Seine into the Marais. Named after the barriers built across the Seine to halt Viking invaders (that's right, Vikings), it was also home to the captain of the Queen's Bodyguards, who famously insulted Louis XIV — with dire consequences.

Three Walks in Montmartre

Place des Tertre at night, photo by Larry Davis

Montmartre, the village on the hill, is a world apart from the rest of Paris, brimming with artistic history and unique character. To help you discover this fascinating quartier, we've created three self-guided walking itineraries, each designed to uncover Paris hidden gems and cultural walks within Montmartre's winding streets.

Explore the iconic Sacré-Coeur Basilica, wander through the Place du Tertre where artists create and display their works, and discover the hidden vineyards and charming cafes that make Montmartre so special. These walks offer a perfect blend of classic landmarks and off-the-beaten-path treasures.

Impressionists In Paris – What They Painted

Claude Monet's painting of the Quai de Louvre, 1867

Impressionism wasn't just about fields and flowers and painting en plein aire — although it was all those things. You may not have known that many Impressionist artists lived in Paris for at least part of the time and painted scenes of the city's daily life. Today, we find it fascinating to travel around Paris and visit the sights that those artists painted — and to try to see the scenes with their eyes.

Come with us on a virtual tourof Paris hidden gems and cultural walks as we visit 10 sites in Paris that the Impressionists saw.

Six Magnificent Architectural Clocks Of Paris

The clock of Musée d'Orsay, seen from inside; photo by Mark Craft

There's so much wonder to behold in Paris that sometimes you can lose a sense of time. Whenever that happens, cast your eye upward and you might be lucky enough to be gazing at one of the magnificent architectural clocks of the city. These are found on historic churches, public buildings, and appropriately, train stations. Let's take a closer look at six of best ways to keep time in a timeless city.

Paris Extremis – The Biggest, Longest, Shortest & Tallest

The Statue of Liberty, at the widest point of the Seine, photo by Mark Craft

Best, loveliest, greatest — these are the superlatives we're used to hearing when we talk about Paris. The loveliest city, the best museums, the greatest trip. But now, let's look at other Paris extremes like tallest, steepest, and even narrowest. Tallest building, steepest street, narrowest sidewalk.

There's a lot to learn about a city with 2,000 years of history, and we've compiled ten more trivial but interesting facts to fill the Paris part of your brain and widen even the narrowest perspectives!

6 Pedestrian Bridges of Paris

The passerelle at Quai Branly, photo by Mark Craft

There are nearly forty bridges crossing the Seine in Paris, but only a handful of them are dedicated to pedestrians. These footbridges — "passerelles" in French — help to create a human-scale connection between areas of the Left Bank and the Right Bank.

The passerelles are often the handiest ways to get between destinations — between Musée Quai Branly (7th Arrondissement) and Palais de Tokyo (16th/8th), for instance. Paris Hidden Gems And Cultural Walks takes you on a stroll along the banks of the Seine to visit a half dozen pedestrian passerelles.

The Waterfalls of Paris

The Grande Cascade waterfall in the Bois de Boulogne, photo Wikimedia by Polymagou

Overall, Paris seems to be a fairly flat city. (That is, if you ignore Montmartre and Belleville.) So, where are the waterfalls? What's more, why are there waterfalls? We'll reveal all — where to find the waterfalls of Paris, and even who built them.

7 English Bookstores in Paris

The Red Wheelbarrow, photo The Red Wheelbarrow

While we love the French language, sometimes we simply want to browse in an English-language bookstore when we're in Paris. These bookshops are more than just places to buy books — they're cultural landmarks that add depth to any Paris Hidden Gems and Cultural Walks itinerary. From the historic charm of the Marais to the literary allure of Saint-Germain.

These bookstores — like The Red Wheelbarrow — are not just places to shop, they're destinations that enrich your Paris hidden gems and cultural walks, offering a literary lens through which to explore the city's vibrant culture and history.

Pont de Bir-Hakeim

Pont de Bir-Hakeim

Connecting the 15th and 16th Arrondissements near the Eiffel Tower is Pont de Bir-Hakeim, an early 20th-century bridge spanning the river Seine. It's another Belle Epoque beauty, with decorated yet functional iron columns, sculptures, and a fabulous view of the Tower.

How this central Paris bridge — with lanes for cars, bikes, pedestrians, and even the Metro — came to be named after a remote watering hole in the Libyan desert is just part of its fascinating story.

Where To See Animals In Paris

A leopard sits on a rock at the Paris Zoo, photo by Mark Craft

The dukes and counts of France enjoyed the wonders of nature; they would send out missions to gather exotic animals of all kinds from every corner of the globe to create their own private ménageries.

The kings and dukes are long gone, but what was once exclusively for the aristocracy is now available to everyone at the city's aquariums, terrariums & zoos. Let's grab our gear and take a safari in the City of Light.

The Arcades of Paris

Galerie Vivienne, photo Wikimedia by Benh Lieu Song

You can make a case that the 18th-century arcades of Paris were the world's first shopping malls — even though they were much more pleasant places to be in than today's. It was due to innovations in technology and the growth of the consumer class that these innovative galleries were able to be built and thrive. There once were 150 shopping arcades in Paris. Today, you can still discover a fascinating bit of hidden Paris history at some of them. Paris Hidden Gems And Cultural Walks explores the top five.

5 Paris Luxury Fashion Boutiques

Lanvin boutique on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré

That Paris became and remains a fashion capital is at least partly due to five people who founded haute couture houses that still retain their names. Christian Dior, Coco Chanel, Jeanne Lanvin, Thierry Hermès, and Louis Vuitton all started out with small shops and boutiques in Paris and left behind a legacy of fashion excellence that carries on to this day. Let's visit their flagships stores, most of them still in their original locations in Paris.

8 Parisiennes Jewelry Designers

Photo Margi Darika Atelier

The fine art of fine shopping is alive and well in Paris with the work and boutiques of these eight jewelry designers. In a city that celebrates the feminine arts it's appropriate that these bijoux artisans are all craftswomen. Let's take a tour of the best one-of-a-kind jewelry, produced by hand, by Parisiennes like Margi Darika.

Six Places In Paris Worth A Detour

The Cinémathèque Française building, designed by Frank Gehry

As you may have discovered in this guide, there's a lot more to the City of Light than famous monuments. Even as a visitor you can feel like an explorer, seeking out little-known sights that deliver a little thrill of pleasure. For instance, there are these 6 out-of-the-way places in Paris you may not have known about, but may just make your time here even more fun.

One of them involves bon-bons — this is going to be fun!

Statues of Liberty in Paris

f A copy of the Statue of Liberty in Sculptures Hall at Musée d'Orsay

Everyone knows that the Statue of Liberty cuts an imposing presence in New York Harbor. But few people know that Paris is home to a handful of replicas and models of this famous statue. It all makes sense when you remember that Paris is where the idea for the statue was conceived and where it was designed and built — with help from none other than Gustave Eiffel himself.

8 Top Furniture Galleries in Paris

Photo Moissonnier Furniture

Paris seems to have everything for the good life, doesn't it? The best food markets & shops, top fashion boutiques, jewelry designers. And that's also true for the things that surround us in our homes, as found at these eight furniture galleries in Paris where you can find some of the best and freshest furniture, including fun updates on traditional French furniture.

Garden Curiosities of Paris

Garden curiosities at Trocadero, photo Google Maps

Paris is a city of green spaces; something like 25% of its area is parkland or gardens of one kind or another. (The large Bois de Boulogne and Bois de Vincennes contribute to this green ratio.) The Jardin des Tuileries and Luxembourg are familiar to almost every one who visits here, but you may not be familiar with the more obscure, but no less interesting, green spaces that we explore in the Garden Curiosities of Paris.

The Rue Monge Quartier

Vin et Whisky in the Rue Monge Quartier, photo by Mark Craft

Cutting through the Latin Quarter between the Pantheon and the Jardin des Plantes, Rue Monge is one of our most-loved districts in Paris. Even though it runs through the oldest area in the city, it teems with modern urban life. It also happens to be where you find our #1 top-rated Paris hotel !

10 Epic Sculptures of Jardin du Luxembourg

Triomphe de Silene, green with age in the Jardin du Luxembourg, photo by Mark Craft

There are many things to discover in this 50-acre park in the center of Paris — ponds, fountains, shaded paths, flower beds, cafes, and lots of sculptures, including these ten interesting works that celebrate famous Parisians, mythology, artists, and writers. Even in a park this well-known you can discover Paris hidden gems and cultural walks. Come on, let's go on a stroll in the garden.

Baccarat's Le Cristal Room In Paris

Photo Baccarat's Le Cristal Room

Part museum, part exhibition space, part restaurant, and part boutique, Baccarat's Le Cristal Room in Paris is an homage to this iconic crystal manufacturer still producing at its factory in the Lorraine. Established by Louis XV in 1764, the Paris HQ of Baccarat has been refreshed with a new design incorporating lots of velvet and jewel tones. And, of course, lots of crystal.

Let's wander through the large private mansion in the 16th Arrondissement, have lunch in the restaurant, and maybe pick out a new chandelier for the foyer. Shall we, darling?

Buly 1803 – The Most Romantic Skin Care Shop in Paris?

The service bar at Buly 1803, complete with stools, photo Buly 1803

In two of the historic quartiers of Paris — Saint-Germain and the Marais — you will find what may be the most romantic skin care shop in the city. L'Officine Universelle Buly, AKA Buly 1803, takes its inspiration from the character in a Balzac novel who was based on an early 19th-century French fragrance tycoon.

While stepping into Buly 1803 is like stepping back in time, the products at this apothecary and boutique offers updated versions of 19th-century beauty products, using natural ingredients from around the globe.

The Dude's Paris

The Dude, or is that just our opinion?

Did you know that Jeff Lebowski — oops, we mean The Dude — has never been to Paris? But, for when he does come, we've created the perfect itinerary of the ten things in Paris the Dude is going to love to do. Let's go bowling and rug shopping and get as high as we can in Paris.

New & Improved Around Montmartre: 2018 Retrospective

The bar and dining room at Hotel Mom' Art Paris

Montmartre seems to be on everyone's list of the top quartiers in Paris, and we were happy to report that the artistic arrondissement saw improvements and additions that make it even more interesting. Musée de la Vie Romantique was showing off its new renovation. Mom'Art Hotel and Hotel Particulier have both had facelifts, and a new ice cream store opened in the neighborhood. Let's take a virtual walk back in time to the village on the hill.

Paris Hidden Gems and Cultural Walks

2,000 years of a complicated and varied history has created a Paris that is deep — there's just so much to see and do and learn and enjoy. In addition to its iconic monuments and buildings and restaurants and parks there are hundreds — thousands — of hidden gems like these that give us great pleasure to discover and joy to visit again. And again.