There are so many great reasons to visit Paris and its iconic landmarks like the Eiffel Tower, Champs Élysées, Le Louvre, and all the city’s beautiful architecture. Paris is also world-famous for its food, wines, and colorful nightlife, including Le Moulin Rouge.
While it is wonderful to enjoy all of these during a trip to this amazing city, it can also be great fun to discover some of the unique things to do in Paris. Maybe you prefer to avoid the crowds, you have visited Paris before on multiple occassions, or you have recently moved to Paris and are curious to discover what locals do in Paris.
Here we bring you ten unique things to do in Paris:
1. Relax on a Parisian beach
This may sound strange when you consider the inland location of the French capital, but each summer, the Paris Plages appear along the banks of the Seine, in such locations as Bassin de la Villette.
They are an amazing sight as they have beach chairs on the grass, sun umbrellas, pop-up bars, and ice cream stands. There are even three beaches with swimming pools. You can borrow kayaks and enjoy water sports, and the best news is that all these activities are free. The Paris Plages are usually in operation for two months during the warm weather months from early July to early September.
2. Admire the Bouquinistes along the Seine
If you are going to enjoy a stroll along the Seine, you may have spotted a series of large green locked cabinets by the river. Take a stroll after 11:00, and you will discover that these cabinets have all been opened to reveal that they are packed with numerous antique books, art prints, and posters.
The Bouquinistes of Paris date from the 16th century. The first stalls used to sell all second-hand books, but this was ended in 1949 because the city’s bookshops were losing business.
Within the century, the Bouquinistes had reappeared but were only allowed to sell antique books. Today, the book stalls can be found in many areas on both banks of the Seine, and they are usually open between 11:00 and sunset.
3. Explore the catacombs of Paris
Location: Les Catacombes de Paris, 1 Avenue du Colonel Henri Rol-Tanguy (place Denfert-Rochereau) – near the Metro station Denfert-Rochereau.
Open: Tuesday – Sunday 10:00 – 20:00. Only 200 visitors are given access at a time.
Situated about 20 meters (65 feet) below the streets of Paris is a labyrinth of tunnels and caverns, Les Catacombes de Paris are well worth exploring with a tour guide. The narrow passageways date from the 13th century when they were dug to extract limestone to use for buildings in the city.
View this post on Instagram
By the end of the 18th century, the old quarries were starting to collapse, and the city’s cemeteries were becoming overcrowded, so to solve the problem, the catacombs were created. The catacombs were opened to the public in the early years of the 19th century, and today visiting them is one of the unique things to do in Paris.
When you start the tour of the catacombs, visitors are greeted by an inscription on a large stone declaring: Arrête! C’est ici l’empire de la Mort – meaning Stop! This is the Empire of the Dead. The tour lasts about 45 minutes and is about 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles) in length.
The catacombs contain about six million skeletons. Many of the skeletons and skulls have been arranged into patterns, including one wall with a heart shape made of skulls.
4. Enjoy a unique walk on converted train tracks
The tracks of the old double-track railway that once circumnavigated the city have been completely reclaimed, and a beautifully walkway has been created that follows their route. The walkway is called La Petite Ceinture – which means ‘the small belt’.
Some parts of the track, like in the 15th arrondissement, are now lush green areas that are perfect for walkers and joggers. The route is particularly impressive in the autumn, when you feel like you’re walking on a soft carpet of fallen leaves when the trees change color.
In other areas, a rich diversity of wildflowers has been cultivated that is always of interest to botanists, and more than 70 species of wild animals have been recorded in these parts. The old railway stations along the line have been converted into bars and restaurants.
5. Join a bike tour to see the city’s street art
In addition to being famous for its art galleries, Paris is also well known for its variety of street art, which includes huge colorful wall murals and some interesting sculpture by young and trendy artisans. A great way to explore the art (which is mainly found in the city’s modern neighborhoods) is to join a guided bike tour that lasts 3.5 hours – and includes a coffee break.
6. Visit Paris Point Zero
Situated about 70 meters (200 feet) in front of Notre Dame in the square called Place Jean-Paul II is a geographic marker in the ground called ‘Paris Point Zero’. This octagonal brass plate is one of a number of similar spots found around the world. The spot is considered to be the official center of Paris and is the point from which all distances from Paris to other places are measured.
Paris Point Zero is said to bring good luck in love, and it is the local custom for people to spin on one foot in a complete circle on top of the copper plate as this is said to bring them eternal devotion from their loved one. Often coins are tossed onto the plate as it is said that this will bring good luck.
Although at present, it may not always be possible to stand on Paris Point Zero, because of restoration work on Notre Dame following the 2019 fire. Your visit will not have been in vain as there is an excellent series of display boards that follow the painstaking restoration project and how much of it has already been completed. The illustrated boards are written in both French and English.
7. Visit a bookshop that Hemingway once frequented
Location: Shakespeare and Company, 37 Rue de la Bûcherie
Open: Monday – Saturday 10:00 – 22:00
There is a really quirky bookstore to discover on the left bank of the Seine opposite the Cathedral of Notre Dame and just a short distance from Paris Point Zero. Named ‘Shakespeare and Company’, it was opened back in 1951 by an eccentric American named George Whitman, who wanted to create a focus for all writers visiting Paris.
View this post on Instagram
Over the doorway is the bookshop’s motto: “Be kind to strangers lest they be angels in disguise.” Whitman’s first bookshop opened before the Second World War and was frequented by many writers, including Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and James Joyce. The bookshop opened in its current location in 1951 but was renamed in 1964 to mark the 400th anniversary of the bard’s birth.
You can visit the bookshop for free and it is one of the main stops on a complete walking tour of the artistic Latin Quarter where you can also see the former homes of Hemingway, Decartes and James Joyce and the famous steps features in Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris.
Today, the bookshop is run by Whitman’s daughter, who regularly holds poetry readings and writers’ meetings. The bookshop does get really busy, so it is best to get there early.
What’s unique about this bookshop is that in the evening, all the bookshelves are transformed into beds and used by up to 12 people needing somewhere to stay can sleep there. Whitman referred to these guests as ‘Tumbleweeds,’ and it is said that more than 40,000 people have slept in the bookshop. Bed reservations are made by email.
8. Laugh at the Funhouse Mirrors
Location: Museum of Magic and Curiosity, 11 Rue Saint-Paul, 75004 Paris
Open: Every day between 14:00 – 19:00
Image Credit: Musee de la Magie
If you have had a full itinerary of sightseeing, one of the unique things to do in Paris is to visit the Museum of Magic and Curiosity in Marais. This is the perfect way to relax as you study the exhibition of magical artifacts, including a collection of magic boxes, try to work out the optical illusions, and laugh at the funhouse mirrors.
9. Follow the Arago Medallions
A series of 135 large bronze meridian medallions can be followed through Paris. They have been set into pavements and roads in a straight line that stretches from Gentilly in the south of the city to Port du Clignancourt in the north. The medallions are each 12 centimeters wide. This line is said by many to be one of the most important lines in the world.
In the early 19th century, the astronomer François Arago used a series of old calculations to confirm this global meridian line, which had first been established several hundred years earlier. The Arago meridian line was widely accepted as the ‘zero’ dividing line for the world.
Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons
However, at the 1884 International Meridian Conference, it was determined that the Greenwich meridian line would become the world’s most important meridian line, and over time, the Arago line has become almost forgotten – except for the 135 bronze medallions that cover more than eight kilometers across the city.
10. Take a day trip from Paris
Paris is a fantastic place to explore but is also well placed if you fancy going slightly further afield. There are many day trips to choose from, including the stunning palace and gardens at Versailles, Monet’s famous gardens at Giverny, and some notable châteaux.
The UNESCO world heritage site of Provins is also worth seeing. Provins is a fortified medieval town with some great views. The good news is that all of these are less than one hour from Paris.
