Off the Beaten Path: 10 Hidden Treasures in Paris
Paris, the City of Light (Ville lumière) is a treasure trove of hidden gems waiting for you to discover. While the Eiffel Tower and Louvre Museum are iconic landmarks you’ll want to explore, many lesser-known spots reveal this enchanting city’s true essence. Stroll along the Seine or wander cobblestone alleyways where you’ll find hidden courtyards and cafes where the locals go. In these secret corners of Paris, you’ll experience the authentic charm, sights and sounds that make this city truly magical.
1. Le Procope
13 rue de l’Ancienne Comédie, 75007 Paris
The oldest café in Paris, Le Procope, has been the gathering place of writers, artists, intellects and politicians since 1686. Along with a traditional French meal, Le Procope will serve you a slice of history as you dine at one of Napoleon’s, Voltaire’s and Rousseau’s favorite spots.
2. Shakespeare & Company
37 rue de la Bûcherie, 75005 Paris
Since opening its doors in 1951, this English-language bookshop on the banks of the Seine is a popular meeting place for writers and readers. Founded by American George Whitman, it was constructed in an early 17th-century building that was originally home to a monastery, La Maison du Mustier.
3. Aux Trois Mailletz
56 rue Galande, 75005 Paris
Around the corner from Shakespeare & Company, you’ll find a piano bar named Aux Trois Mailletz, old French for three hammers. Nestled in a medieval vault in the Latin Quarter, this restaurant also features a cabaret lounge and live music.
4. Musée des Arts et Métiers
292 rue Saint-Martin, 75141 Paris
This museum is home to more than 2,400 inventions, split into seven collections. Described by Smithsonian Magazine as “the best little museum you’ve never visited in Paris,” Musée des Arts et Métiers offers guided and audio tours, unrestricted exploration or a condensed tour of the museum’s 150 “flagship objects.”
5. La Gare Jazz Club
1 avenue Corentin Cariou, 75009 Paris
La Gare, “the train station” is housed in a former Pont de Flandres train station on railway brownfields. If you like jazz, this unexpected venue offers free concerts (with a voluntary contribution) every night of the week.
6. Marché aux Fleurs Reine Elizabeth II
37 Place Louis Lepine, 75004 Paris
This historic flower and bird market first opened in 1809. In June 2014, it was renamed The Queen Elizabeth II Flower Market to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Allied Forces landing in Normandy and to honor Britain’s longest-reigning monarch. Every Sunday, the market transforms into a Bird Market filled with the tweets of thousands of feathered friends. Don’t miss this extraordinary treasure when you explore the Île de la Cité.
7. The Montmartre Windmills
83 rue Lepic, 75018 Paris
Few fledgling visitors know that a slight detour from rue Lepic in Montmartre will lead to two wooden windmills, Moulin Radet and Moulin de Blute-fin. Standing side by side, these windmills were used to press local grapes and grind flour. By the late 1800s, the mills had been transformed into a bar with food and music named Le Moulin de la Galette. Today you can rest your feet and dine like Picasso and Renoir once did. Renoir painted this popular spot in his 1876 masterpiece “Bal du Moulin de la Galette.”
8. Dodo Manège
Jardin des Plantes, Paris 75005
Located beneath the Jardin des Plantes, along the banks of the Seine, a quirky carousel carries a herd of extinct and endangered animals. This extraordinary merry-go-round invites visitors to ride atop the back of a horned turtle, panda, Barbary lion, sivatherium (early giraffe), dodo or aepyornis — an elephant bird.
9. Angelina Paris
226 rue de Rivoli, 75007 Paris
For a delectable and drinkable dessert, stop by Angelina for the Chocolat Chaud, an old-fashioned hot chocolate with a dollop of fresh whipped cream on the side to sweeten it. Founded in 1903, Angelina offers French delicacies, savory classics and afternoon tea.
10. La Promenade Plantée
1 Coulée Verte René-Dumont, 75012 Paris
In 1993, an abandoned viaduct was converted into the world’s first elevated park to create La Promenade Plantée, a breathtaking walkway home to a vast array of plants and trees. Stretching for three miles, the magical Promenade offers panoramic, bird’s-eye views of Parisian streets and rooftops.
From Coq au vin to Chocolat Chaud, windmills to carousels, you’ll surely find that certain je nais sais quoi you’ve been thirsting for in Paris. If you have always imagined the learning adventure of a lifetime, view this collection of upcoming Road Scholar programs in the City of Light.