Living in the city, I didn’t always appreciate what it had to offer, I’m trying to make it justice with everything there is to love about Paris.
Life is not all pink in the city of love despite what the song La vie en rose might tell you, but the French capital has its charm.
Discover below my insight as a local.
1. Museums: What I love about Paris the Most
They had to take pole position in this list, Parisian museums have no match in this world.
I might be overdoing it, I haven’t been everywhere after all. But from what I’ve seen, the French capital has no equivalent in the diversity and richness of culture and museum offering.
The best part is that around 30 of them are free for Europeans until 26 years old. I feel so privileged to have been able to access this type of culture.
There’s nothing like going to the Louvre at the end of a workday to discover a new exhibition. It certainly beats scrolling down Instagram all night.
If you’re visiting Paris you should check out the Louvre, decide beforehand what you want to see. The audioguide has 36-hour long footage which gives you a rough idea of how much there is to see.
From antiquity to contemporary art, there is something for everyone. My favourite part are the imperial apartments, they hadn’t heard of less is more back then, and it’s a masterpiece from floor to ceiling.
Some other museums to consider:
- The Orsay museum (it’s in an old train station and it often hosts interesting temporary exhibits)
- The museum of the Orangerie (not a fan of all of it but there are a few rooms with immense Monet paintings all around, it’s breathtaking)
- Arc de Triomphe (great view of the Champs-Élysées, the Eiffel Tower and all of the city)
- Sainte-Chapelle (sublime paintings and decor)
- Les Invalides (Napoléon’s tomb is one impressive piece for such a small individual)
2. Beautiful and Fashionable
The city of love, of fashion, the most beautiful city in the world. I’m not sure if any of those are true. Some neighbourhoods don’t exactly scream romance if you ask me, see my post about the different arrondissements in Paris to know places to avoid.
Not many cities are as refined when it comes to fashion and style. This is not necessarily a bad thing, it can get pretty superficial and materialistic. But it’s certainly a unique trait of Paris.
If you’re on a shopping spree or want to work on your wardrobe, there is no better place. For the bigger budgets, there are of course Rue de Rivoli and Avenue Montaigne.
You might not be able to afford Louis Vuitton or Dior, but if you still want some high-end shops, check out Rue des Francs Bourgeois in the Marais neighbourhood, or the Galeries Lafayette in the 9th arrondissement.
If none of that is available to you, don’t despair. There are many independent shops with all the French good taste. But I would stick to the city centre or to Montmartre to have the Parisian picture-perfect experience.
3. Rich in History
Paris has been around for millenniums.
It has seen it all.
Antiquity, middle ages, renaissance, industrial ages, the belle époque, war and peace, emperors, kings, revolutions.
I personally am fascinated with history and the city doesn’t disappoint in the department with its antique arenas, more recent castles, and even its catacombs for the more original tastes.
I hope if you come to visit you don’t skip Versailles. I would pass on the Eiffel Tower before I pass on Versailles.
The palace is the jewel in the crown of France. Everything about it is luxurious, and it’s an exceptional opportunity to see how the richest among the privileged used to live.
You can see the development of the building throughout the years as the kingdom grew and you learn some fun facts.
One such fact that stuck with me is the reason behind their uncommonly short beds. Sure people back then were shorter but that’s not why. They were actually choosing to sleep seated because lying down was the position of death and they were afraid to die in their sleep.
The palace’s gardens are not shy in comparison to the interiors. They are magnificent, and you could spend an entire afternoon admiring fountains and sculptures.
4. Food as an Art
All the walking around the city whets one’s appetite. You’re in luck because one thing to love about Paris is its food.
French people love their long meals and their fancy wines.
You don’t just eat to be done with it and move on. You appreciate your food in France, you savour it and you talk about it.
I feel like food as a common topic of conversation is somewhat specific to French people. But we know our stuff and we are very proud of it. We overdo it sometimes and then it becomes arrogance, we would benefit from some humility. Especially when everyone else says Italy has the best food.
Nevertheless, if you’re in Paris, try Privé de Dessert, it’s an unconventional restaurant where all the savoury dishes are made to look like desserts and vice-versa. It’s a show for your eyes and your taste buds.
5. Public Transport
In all honesty, if any Parisian were to read about me praising public transports, they would have a good laugh.
They are not the most reliable. In particular, if some strikes are going on.
Nevertheless, if you forget the daily management of it, the network in itself is a piece of wonder.
You can’t walk for five minutes without finding a subway stop. Every neighbourhood is covered in the city centre.
If you want to go further out, the suburban lines will take you East to Disneyland and West to Versailles.
That’s not far enough? We have almost as many regional trains as there are letters in the alphabet.
And if you have to, there are plenty of buses to get around the city. However, with all the traffic, I wouldn’t rely on them. Especially if you want to be somewhat on time.
Bonus to Love About Paris: The Weather
What a joke. If you had told me a year ago I would come to appreciate Paris weather, I would have cracked up.
That would have been after living a Canadian winter and an Australian summer. I wouldn’t have considered the weather one of Paris’s strong suits.
But I’m writing these words from Ireland. After almost a year, I’ve come to realise that this country has only one season and it’s grey.
Therefore, I want to highlight the French capital weather as positive.
It has four distinct seasons with a colourful Autumn, a snowy Winter, a Spring full of flowers, and a Summer sky as blue as can be.
I haven’t always seen eye to eye with the city. But the longer we’re apart the more I realise everything there is to love about Paris.
