Paris needn't break the bank

Some familiar Paris landmarks are seen across the Seine.

Even in a city as pricey as Paris, it's not hard to find lots of things to do that cost only the energy needed to get there. On our recent last-minute trip to France's capital (and most everyone's favorite city), we found plenty of free sites that we could walk to from our hotel in the Marais quartier. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with taking the metro, but the weather was fabulous during our stay and we both love to walk. By the end of the day, though, we are exhausted and can't muster the energy to explore Paris after dark. That's fine ... we're both early-to-bed-early-to-rise kind of people.

Place Vosges is the oldest planned square in Paris.

After our long trek from Gare Montparnasse to our hotel, we just drop our bags, catch our breath, and head to Place Vosges, the city's oldest planned square. If you were hanging out here before 1900, you would have called this beautiful square Place Royale. It's free to visit, but don't bring your dog. On this beautiful afternoon, there are lots of visitors lounging on the lawn and relaxing on benches. The plaza is surrounded by stately red brick buildings, one of which houses Maison Victor Hugo. 

A portrait of Victor Hugo by Alphonse Monchablon
is displayed at Maison Victor Hugo in Paris.

The writer lived here for 16 years between 1832 and 1848.  Hugo's apartment is located on the second floor (that's the third floor if you're American) and includes a half-dozen rooms filled with pieces that document his extraordinary life, both in Paris and when he was in exile in Guernsey. In addition to writing, Hugo is said to have had quite the flair for interior design. The museum is one of 14 museums owned by the City of Paris and thus is free of charge to visit, although there can be a charge for temporary exhibits.

The bed where Hugo died is displayed at Maison Victor Hugo in Paris.

Visitors to the Carnavalet Museum in Paris enter via this newly
designed introductory room.

The wonderful Carnavalet Museum is located just around the corner. I love this museum, filled to the brim with Paris history. Here, we explore Paris from prehistoric times, through the Middle Ages, the French Revolution, Napoleon's reign, and into the 21st century. There's so much to see at this free museum that it's no wonder I visit the Carnavalet nearly every time I'm in town.

The facade of the Lescot Pharmacy was the first storefront to be
acquired by the Carnavalet Museum in Paris.  

Paris's Carnavalet Museum takes visitors from
prehistoric times to today.

Josephine and Napoleon are one of France's most prominent power couples. 

A dignified Marie Antoinette is escorted from the Consiergerie to the
guillotine in this 1885 painting displayed at the Carnavalet Museum in Paris.

Pére-Lachaise cemetery in Paris contains an estimated 1 million graves.

About a half-hour walk from our hotel is the famed and massive (110 acres) cemetery Père-Lachaise. We're running out of steam during our visit, and the map on my phone is too small to read, but we stroll through the tree-lined avenues of the cemetery grounds, admiring the various tombs and gravestones. So many famous people are buried here including Frederic Chopin, Edith Piaf, Balzac, Colette, Proust, Jean de la Fontaine, Maria Callas, Oscar Wilde, and Jim Morrison. Père-Lachaise is not only an open-air museum, but it's also the largest park in Paris. It's free to visit, of course, but I'd recommend getting a printed map if you want to see the graves of anyone in particular. 

Crypts like this one stand along tree-lined avenues at
Pére-Lachaise cemetery in Paris,

The symbol of the 2024 Summer Olympics, the Paris Cauldron
makes a return visit to Tuileries Gardens in the summer. 

Our August 2025 visit coincides with the first return of the iconic Paris Olympic cauldron balloon, now officially called the Paris Cauldron. (Those Olympics folks are pretty strict with branding). After its debut at last summer's Olympic Games, the balloon was technically improved so it could withstand months on display, rather than the original 30 days. Located in the Tuileries Gardens near the Louvre, the balloon re-launched on June 21, the day Fête de la Musique is celebrated here. Each evening (weather permitting) it rises into the air providing a stunning reminder of the city's spirit of the Games. After its three-month stay, the cauldron will be put away again. But there are plans for at least the next two years to bring the Paris Cauldron back between June 21 and Sept. 14. 

The Paris Cauldron is anchored on the site where
French inventor Jacques Charles took his first
gas balloon flight in 1783. 

You never know what you'll see while walking through Paris. From "Joanie on a Pony" to a volleyball match with Paris firefighters, there's so much to take in. 

This gilded bronze statue of Joan of Arc, affectionately known as
'Joanie on a Pony' is located at Place des Pyramids in Paris.

We're fortunate to catch a pompiérs volleyball tournament
at Hôtel de Ville in Paris.

Keep your eyes open for tromp d'œil murals while
strolling in Paris.

Each summer Paris creates a beach along the Seine.

But, even the most intrepid of us need a break, so it's perfect that the Paris Plages are open during our visit here. Located along the Seine, there are comfortable sling-back chairs to lounge upon and umbrellas for shade. After a particularly long morning of walking, we pick up some sandwiches and drinks, find ourselves a couple of nice beach chairs and, for a few hours, watch the world, and about a thousand joggers, go by. Les doux moments de Paris.

The Paris plage is the perfect place to pause and enjoy the day.

Visit these sites for more information about:

Maison Victor Hugo

Musée Histoire de Paris Carnavalet

Père-Lachaise Cemetery

The Paris Cauldron

Simple moments in Paris

Papillons at the Grande Galerie de l'Evolution in the Jardin des Plantes in Paris

I am fortunate enough to have made a half-dozen trips to Paris in the past few years, and thanks to friends and proximity as well as occasional SNCF train ticket bargains, I hope to make many more. No matter how many times I visit, I find myself in unfamiliar neighborhoods and am delighted by new experiences.

A hot-air balloon over the Loire Valley as seen from the train to Paris

I am accompanied on my most recent trip by my friend who grew up in Paris and her two children, and so for part of my visit I share a kids' eye view of the City of Light. I also help myself to some rare "alone time" where I visit nearly empty museums and enjoy a solo stroll halfway across town. Here are some highlights:

Le Musée des Beaux-Arts de la Ville de Paris in the Petit Palais

Bronze statue of Winston Churchill at the Petit Palais in Paris

The Bataclan theater in Paris's 11th arrondissement

Boutiques and workshops line la Coulée Verte, an old railroad viaduct in
Paris's 12th arr.

View from the garden promenade on top of la Coulée Verte in Paris

Wine warehouses were converted into the trendy Bercy Village neighborhood in
Paris's 12th arr. Just after taking this photo, I received a soaking from
the rainwater which had collected in the parachutes above the walkway.  

View from the 2nd-floor balcony of the Grande Galerie de l'Evolution in Paris

Elephants at Grande Galerie de l'Evolution in Paris

Apes at the Grande Galerie de l'Evolution in Paris

Exhibit at the Arab World Institute (Institute du Monde Arabe) in Paris

View of the Seine from Place Louis Aragon at the tip of Ile Saint-Louis in Paris 

Paris with a Parisianne

In the last few years, I have been lucky enough to visit Paris a half-dozen times. Most recently I was treated to a few days in the City of Light with my good friend who was born and raised here.

While here, I finally spend some time at Musée d'Orsay, which surpasses my expectations. And I also enjoy long walks through parts of Paris that I have never been in. These off-the-tourist-track neighborhoods are where real Parisians live, and each holds abundant delights that may be missed by tourists.

Here are some highlights:

Musée d'Orsay

Musée d'Orsay originally was a train station built for Chemin de 
Fer de Paris à Orléans and the 1900 Exposition Universelle. 
It was converted to a museum in the 1980s.

Housed in a former train station, the Beaux-Arts style building houses mostly French art from 1848-1915. My heartbeat quickens with each Renoir, Degas, Seraut, Monet and Manet I come upon. I hadn't realized that the museum also houses a large collection of Art Nouveau furnishings.

The museum is a little confusing to navigate, but we manage to speed through and see the highlights in the short time we're here.

Musée d'Orsay

Reception room inside Musée d'Orsay

Les Nubiens (aka Chasseurs d'alligators) by Ernest Barrias
at Musée d'Orsay

I think this Art Nouveau fountain at Musée d'Orsay could 
fit in my living room, oui?

Surprising streets in the 20th arrondissement

We start our second day with a long leisurely stroll into Paris from where we are staying in the eastern suburbs. We'll walk a lot today — in fact our first metro ride won't be until after dinner in the Latin Quarter.

Soon after we cross over the "périph" we come to an amazing row of houses along rue du Captaine Tarron. Just beyond this street, my friend wants to show me "la Campagne" neighborhood. This area was once part of the former commune of Charonne. When it was annexed by Paris in 1860, a quarry was here. Between 1907 and 1928, 92 homes for low-wage workers were built. Today the homes along rue Camille Bombois and rue Irenaeus Blanc are worth millions of euros. And even at that, good luck trying to buy one as they typically are passed down to family members.

Stately homes hug the hillside near rue du Captaine Tarron in Paris.

These lovely row homes were built in the early 20th century for
low-wage workers.

Check out the detail on this home near rue Camille Bombois
in the 20th arr. of Paris.

I also spy with my little eye ...

Église Saint-Ambroise in the 11th arr. was named after
its neighborhood: the quartier Saint-Ambroise.

The port at the base of Canal Saint-Martin near the Bastille

Place de la République is located on the border of
the 3rd, 10th and 11th arrondissements. It currently serves
as a memorial to the victims of the Nov. 2015 attacks.

Sign-hangers in Montreuil

Instituit de France was established in 1795. The five académies that comprise
the Institute manage foundations, museums and châteaux. The neo-classical
building is located across the Seine from the Louvre.

The cold wind does nothing to dampen my enthusiasm for la belle ville de Paris. And to be here with such a good friend — je suis une dame chance!

Lucky me at Musée d'Orsay

Paris stroll, Tuileries style

Jardin des Tuileries

The oldest garden in Paris wasn't named for a king or queen. Jardin des Tuileries was named for the tile factories which stood on the site when Catherine de Medici built the Palais des Tuileries in 1564. A century later, André Le Nôtre, Louis XIV's gardener relandscaped the garden, creating its formal French style.

On our recent trip to Paris, ma belle-mère and I spend a bit of time in the Tuileries garden, which offers a sunny respite from our visit to the Louvre. (Incidentally, the museum is far from crowded on the September afternoon we are there).

Dotted with comfortable seats and shady snack bars, Tuileries is a popular spot for strolling and relaxing.

Jardin des Tuileries

Snack bar in the Tuileries garden

The garden also offers art lessons en plein air with its many statues and sculptures.

Jules Ferry, prime minister of France (1883-1885)

'Theseus Fighting the Minotaur'

'La Comedie'

'Spartacus'

Julius Caesar

The garden also contains ponds and fountains, and, of course, flowers and trees. The maximum height of Tuileries trees is 2.2 meters, and the trees are carefully shaped to accentuate the axis that runs from I.M. Pei's Pyramid through the Arc de Triomphe to la Defence, 6 kilometers to the west. Each spring and fall, 7,000-square-meters are planted with around 70,000 plants and bulbs from the gardens at Saint Cloud, according to the Louvre website,

Jardin des Tuileries

Jardin des Tuileries

Fountain in Jardin des Tuileries

Fountain in Jardin des Tuileries

Jardin des Tuileries extends from the courtyards of the massive Louvre museum to the Place de la Concorde. Musée de l'Orangerie, which houses eight Monet's Water Lillies murals and other impressionist paintings, is located here, and just outside the garden borders, one can walk along the Seine. Which we do, before saying adieu to le soleil and head back to the Louvre.

Bronze of Rodin's 'Le Baiser" outside Musée de l'Orangerie

Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel

'Joanie on a Pony' gilded statue
adjacent to Jardin des Tuileries