Do You Feel Like…


Do You Feel Like… - Rackcdn.com6164667836ab08b81b8e-42be7794b013b8d9e301e1d959bc4a76.r38.cf3.rackcdn.com...

2 downloads 26 Views 407KB Size

4

CONTENTS    Do You Feel Like ....

Do You Feel Like… ... special places in Paris for flying high and seeing far in the urban jungle, new trends, exotic and fascinating things from all over the world, biking or romantic moments? Discover Paris just the way you like it.

seeing far • Parc André Citroën Float 150m/500 ft high in the Parisian skies in a moored balloon! page 151 “ • Tour Montparnasse Not as crowded as the Eiffel Tower, but with a first class view of the Paris landmark page 259 Sacré-Cœur Breathtaking: sunrise with a view of Paris as it awakens page 302 • Eiffel Tower Sensational view from three platforms at heights of 7, 115  and 276 m (188, 379 and 910 ft) page 321

Do You Feel Like ...    CONTENTS world Cultures • Multikulti-Markt “ Hawkers from the Maghreb turn the weekly market in Belleville into an African souk. page 185 • Chinatown Lemon grass and durians, fortune cookies and fresh dim sum in Europe‘s largest Chinatown page 203 • Falafel Inexpensive snacks in Arabic: The best fried chick pea balls can be bought in Rue de Rosiers in Marais. page 248

FIT & FUN

TREND-SPOTTING ◀◀ Catwalk The capital‘s top designers present their new collections in the Paris Fashion Weeks in March and October. page 120 • Nuit Blanche Performances, concerts, happenings from 7pm to 7am: During the »white night of art« in October Paris becomes an international outdoor stage. page 123 • CentQuatre Exciting modern art of all kinds in open studios page 196

romanCE

• Chic & Charmant “ The colourful Hotel Le Bellechasse, decorated by Christian Lacroix, makes dreams come true. page 72 • Lighted dinner Dine on the Seine on board the nostalgic »Calife« with a three-course meal of French specialties page 156 • Tango under the skies Tout Paris dances and sways on the banks of the Seine on hot summer nights page 221

• Piscine Josephine Baker Seine swimming pool with 25m/80ft lanes. It opens its glass roof for sunbathers. page 316 ◀◀ Vélib Bike comfortably through Paris with one of its sturdy city bikes, which can easily be rented at more than 1,200 rental stations page 152 • Roller & Coquillages Sundays at 2.30pm join the inline crowd and skate through the city. page 155

5

Facts and Figures Special-Titel INSIGHT

15

©

164

TOURS    Getting Around

Tour 1    TOURS

Getting Around in Paris

Royal Paris

In this age of Eurostar and cheap flights a day trip to Paris is possible, of course. But in order to take in the most important sights, to have time for shopping and to enjoy a little of the Parisian »savoir vivre«., you should plan in at least three days. The best way to do this is on foot. Paris is an inviting city for strolling around – and everywhere there are places to rest and watch the world go by: countless pavement cafés, the quays alongside the Seine, romantic corners and secluded gardens. In the centre, everything is much closer together than many visitors might at first expect. Almost all sights can also be reached quickly and easily by Métro. But it’s best not to find yourself alone in the tunnel labyrinth of the Métro late at night – take a bus or a taxi instead. A car is unnecessary in Paris. There are traffic snarlups everywhere, parking spaces are extremely scarce and for those caught parking illegally the fines are exorbitant. Instead you can take a Vélib, a public rented bicycle, easily procured by credit card from one of 1200 bicycle stations across the city. And one of the nicest ways of seeing Paris is by taking a cruise along the River Seine.

Start and finish: from Île de la Cité to Place Vendôme Duration: 1 day

A boat trip on the Seine is always an event

Tour 1

This walk traces the history of Paris and at the same time encounters many of the city’s highlights, including a first impression from the tower of the venerable Notre-Dame cathedral.

Starting point is the Cité Métro station on e M M Ile de la Cité, the geographic as well as historic centre of Paris. This was the heart of ancient Lutetia and the birthplace of the French royal power. The island is also the location of the world famous crowd-puller, the Gothic rM M cathedral of Notre-Dame. To avoid too much congestion you should start out early and aim to be Highlights of Tour 1 in the cathedral by 9am. Make sure you also go up the tower, take a walk ▶▶ Île de la Cité with Notre-Dame Cathedral and in the church garden and visit the Ste-Chapelle crypt of Notre-Dame. To the north of the cathedral a plaque at 10, Rue Chanoinesse recalls two famous lov- ▶▶ Louvre the world’s biggest art museum ers, Abélard and Héloïse/Pierre Trimouillat [Ed: CHECK: I think only plaque to Trimouillat at this ad- ▶▶ Champs-Elysées dress??). The island’s second highshopping and champagne light is the two-storey tM M SainteChapelle with its amazing stained ▶▶ Arc de Triomphe glass windows. The uM Conciergermagnificent views from the top ie was where Danton, Robespierre and Marie-Antoinette were held captive during the French Revolution, before being led to the guillotine. Another Parisian gem is the little Flower Market on the Île de la Cité, which on Sundays is transformed into a bird market. Now you deserve a little break: the little Quai-Quai seafood restaurant at the westernmost tip of the island does delicious tuna ratatouille, garlic lobster and grilled calamari on fennel complete with a view over the Seine (74, Quai des Orfèvres, Tel. 01 46 33 69 75, www.quaiquairestaurant.com, AA). Cross the oldest and probably most beautiful of the bridges over the Seine with the misleading name of i M Pont Neuf to the right bank (rive droîte), passing the bouquinistes, the antiquarian booksellers of Quai du Louvre, who sell old tomes and arty postcards.

165