In Honor of Bastille Day, I Dust off my 10 favorite Destinations in Paris

I’m a Parisphile; guilty as charged. The city is my hobby. In many Arrondissement (districts) I’ve walked every street. There are only a couple of neighborhoods in the city I haven’t ventured to, and those are in the far northeastern part of the city. I try to blend in and not appear too touristy, and I think I’ve done a pretty good job of accomplishing it.

I steer clear of places like the Champs Elysees and boat excursions down the Seine. While I truly love the Eiffel Tower, I never stop to gawk at it, but admire it from afar. My favorite Tower vista is on the Metro line # 6 from Bir Hakeim to Passy. As soon as the train departs Bir Hakeim, look out the right side for a glorious view, especially at night.

I’m constantly asked for tips on what to see and do in Paris. I’ve decided to list my personal Top 10. In no specific order, these are things that have brought me the most enjoyment, and can act as a road map to other treasures in the greatest city in the world. Remember, these are merely destinations. To truly know a city - especially Paris – put your walking shoes on, use the Metro strictly as supplemental transportation, and keep your eyes and ears open as you navigate.

Musee D’Orsey

Everyone, and I mean everyone, mentions the Louve when the question of Paris museums is broached. Truth-be-told, I visited the Louve only to prevent people from questioning my sanity when I divulged that I hadn’t ventured there during my first two trips to Paris. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a fabulous place, overwhelming actually in size and stature. But I prefer the old train station Musee D’Orsey. This was my first destination on my first trip. Didn’t even wait to check into my hotel; dropped my bags at reception and said I’d be back. If you appreciate the French Impressionist movement, this place is not to be missed. Virtually every significant (and not so significant but equally stunning) Impressionist work is housed here. All the others can be seen in the States at either the Art Institute of Chicago and The National Gallery in Washington D.C.

Place De l’Europe

I refer to this as the “Caillebotte location,” but that won’t help you find it. Take the Metro # 13 line to Liege station and take a short stroll to the Place De l’Europe, which you might recognize as the setting for Gustave Caillebotte’s “Paris Street Rainy Day” work from 1877. This is one of the most remarkable paintings from a French artist in terms of both its size and critique. If you stand at the right vantage point you’ll find that not much has changed other than the fact that the streets are no longer cobblestone. Look up the work, commit it to memory or take an image with you. You’ll be amazed. Also, I guarantee that this is not a section of the 8^th Arrondissement you’d happen across unless you have friends or relatives that live near it, or like me, you’re a huge Caillebotte fan.

16^th Arrondissement

This is the toniest neighborhood in Paris; their Beverly Hills, but nowhere near as ostentatious. The district is often referred to as Trocadero, Passy, or Auteuil; the far western edge of the city wedged in between the Seine and the expansive Bois De Boulogne. Start at the Café Kleber, directly in front of the Trocadero Station, then venture up Avenue Kleber till you hit the Arc Du Triomphe. When you reach the Arc you’ll have crossed into the 8^th Arrondissement, but fret not, you aren’t staying. Hang a left down Avenue Foch, the widest boulevard in all of Paris and follow it till you hit the Bois De Boulogne. Hang a left at Boulevard Lannes and stroll till you come across Avenue Victor Hugo. Follow Victor Hugo till you hit Rue Longchamp. Stroll down Longchamp and you’re on your own to divert to any of the side streets you come across. You’re in the safest neighborhood in the city and you’ll find interesting shops, café’s, boulangeries, patisseries abound. Find your way back to Rue Longchamp and stroll down to Avenue Raymond Poincare, which will take you back to the Trocadero Station. Use the Eiffel Tower as a compass, as it can be seen from the entire district. You’ve just taken an incredible walk through a grand neighborhood that nearly every tourist will never see.

Musee Marmottan

Speaking of the hidden gem that is the 16^th Arrondissement, this little-known museum is a hidden gem in the hidden gem. A beautiful old residence has been converted into a very quaint art gallery that houses primarily late works of Claude Monet. Other Impressionist-era artists are also featured including Berthe Morisot, Camille Pissarro, and Alfred Sisley. If you hit this place and the Musee D’Orsey, you’ve seen nearly everything Paris has to offer from a French Impressionist standpoint. If you include a stop at the Orangerie, you’ve seen them all!

Bastille / Marais

Take the Metro to the Bastille Station and marvel at my favorite Paris monument, the Bastille Monument. The Place De La Bastille is filled with restaurants, including the renowned Bofinger and its little sister bistro, Le Petit Bofinger, directly across the street on Rue De La Bastille. Both restaurants are worthy of your attention, though Bofinger will set you back in euros farther than the bistro. Head west down Rue Saint Antoine into the Marais and visit the funky stores of this interesting neighborhood that has gone through countless changes over the past 50 years.

Pere Lachaise

Pere Lachaise cemetery, in the far eastern side of the city, may be the most tranquil spot in the world. Yes, the world. When I first became aware of it I thought why would I want to spend time traipsing through a cemetery where I have no friends or relatives interned? Kind of morbid, non? Midway through my first visit I felt as if I discovered something real special. The cemetery is absolutely gorgeous. Set on 118 acres on a hillside in the 20^th Arrondissement, it feels much more like a park than a cemetery. I figured I’d walk through it quickly and find a local place to grab a jambon and coffee. It turned out I spent close to four hours there. Truth-be-told, I didn’t want to leave. Although there are maps available at the entrances to assist in finding specific graves and tombs, I had a blast moving from site to site reading the markers and being surprised at who I found. The buried is a literal who’s who of French-Parisian history and society: Balzac, Bernhardt, Caillebotte, Calas, Chopin, Corot, Delacroix, Haussmann, Marceau, Melies, Moliere, Piaf, Pissarro, Proust, Seurat, Stein, and Wilde to name only a few. The most macabre site is the final resting place of Jim Morrison. The cemetery actually employs security guards to protect Morrison’s grave from vandals (they don’t do a very good job based upon the amount of graffiti I saw). On the afternoon I visited I witnessed a group of kids actually crying tears over Morrison’s grave. These children were born a good two decades after Morrison died. They genuinely looked distraught. This I understand is a common occurrence, one that I just don’t understand, and I’m a child of the Doors generation. Most of the tombs are incredibly beautiful and unique. My thoughts about death, at least temporarily, were less scary during my visits. Pere Lachaise is a wonderful experience that shouldn’t be missed, especially in the dead of winter (absolutely no pun intended).

Musee Carnavalet

Located in the Marais (4^th Arrondissement), this museum is dedicated to the history of the city of Paris. Enough said. Don’t forgo this place. From the Bastille, stroll down Rue Saint Antoine and hang a right on Rue de Sevigne. You can’t miss it. Enjoy the funky surroundings of the Marais.

Le Mouffe (Rue Mouffetard)

This largely pedestrian street in the 5^th Arrondissement is as lively as it is old, and it’s one of the oldest streets in the city. Lots of shops and places to eat and drink, and a permanent outdoor market at the end of this winding street. Find Place Contrescarpe on a map and you’re there. This is far off the beaten track, but a memorable street to stroll. Not too far from the Latin Quarter, it becomes very lively in the evening as it is a popular place for Left Bank Parisians to meet.

Rue Du Faubourg Saint-Honore

Simply the most fashionable street in Paris if not the world. Swanky hotels, high-line luxury goods boutiques, and a branch of the most decadent patisserie in the city, Dalloyau (the macarons are a religious experience!), can be found on this street in the 8^th Arrondissement. Forget the Champs Elysees that runs parallel a few blocks away, this is where the Parisians and the jet set hoi polloi hang. Start your stroll at Avenue De Friedland and walk it till you hit Rue Royale. If you turn right you’ll be a block from the Place Vendome and if you turn left you’ll be in front of the Madeline (go in each direction; you have the time, you’re in Paris). From the Madeline head in a northeasterly direction on Rue de la Madeline, which will quickly become Boulevard Des Capucines. Follow it to the famed Garnier Opera House (Phantom of the Opera) and continue due north one block to Gallerie Lafayette’s flagship store. It’s impressive. Lots of dining and drinking choices in the area. I recommend one of the oldest in Paris, Café De La Paix, on the corner of Rue Auber and Boulevard Des Capucines. Take a seat either outside or by the window and watch the Parisian world go by. You deserve it; you’ve just walked a couple miles.

Rue St. Dominique / Rue Cler

My favorite neighborhood in the city (7^th Arrondissement) is anchored by Rue St. Dominique, a narrow commerce street that runs from Boulevard Saint Germain on the fringe of the 6^th to the east and ends at the Parc Du Champ De Mars, which is a fancy way of saying the Eiffel Tower. Speaking of the Tower, you can walk down St. Dominique towards it and not even know you’re within a mile of the icon. Then, two steps later the Tower is dramatically in front of you, towering over the entire neighborhood. Gets me every time! No tourists seem to ever venture into this neighborhood from the Eiffel Tower, which I’m definitely not complaining about. This is my #1 “find” in the city and I’m only willing to share it with the chosen few. Great restaurants, boulangeries and fromageries abound. Even the Pharmacies on this street are cool. In a nutshell, you’ll get a real feel for what it would be like to live in Paris by hanging out in this neighborhood. Stroll down St. Dominique towards the Tower and turn left on Rue Cler, one of the classic market streets in Paris. Everyday, the street is closed to traffic as vendors set up everything from fresh fruits and vegetables, baked goods, meats and sea foods, shoes, toys, fabrics, you name it. Very colorful place with characters abound. A typical French elementary and junior high school sit on the corner, which adds to the people watching fun as the schools let out for the day.  Lots of fun, rain or shine. Several cafes to take a load off and watch the goings on. You won’t find this neighborhood in any tourist guide. You can thank me later.

If you follow this guide you’ll have visited seven different districts (actually a few more as, whether you know it or not, you slightly ventured across borders of others), walked enough to have no guilt over the requisite caloric intake of your trip, and hopefully discovered a Paris possibly unseen on prior trips.