Built in 1783 to resemble a farm in Normandy, the Hameau de la Reine is a lesser-visited site in the Versailles gardens that is well worth the extra hike. With thatched roofs, farm buildings, and a fishing tower around a beautiful pond, [more...]

Twenty-nine meters between the rue de la Huchette and the quai Saint Michel make up the most narrow street in Paris. The rue du Chat qui Pêche (the "street of the fishing cat") has been around since the 16th century and is a curiosity [more...]

According to some people interested in the off-beat and occult, the 16th-century Saint Merri Church in the Marais is filled with strange and unusual symbols you wouldn't expect to see in a holy place. A bizarre statue of a sort of [more...]

If you find yourself wandering down the busy rue Mouffetard, catch your breath and turn onto the charming Passage des Postes. This tiny little pedestrian street connects rues Mouffetard and Lhomond, just below the rue de l'Epée de [more...]

According to hagiographical texts, as a young woman Saint Genviève saved the city of Paris from a 5th-century attack by the Huns. The remains of the saint are housed in a shrine in the Saint Etienne du Mont church, just behind the [more...]

The Musée Carnavalet houses all sorts of artifacts that relate to the history of Paris. Over 100 rooms in two beautiful old mansions (the 16th-century Hôtel Carnavalet and the 17th-century Hôtel Le Peletier de Saint-Fargeau) tell the [more...]

In stark contrast to the surrounding 17th-century buildings, the modern columns by Daniel Buren are scattered around the cours d'honneur in a display of contemporary conceptual art. It's worth a detour if you're wandering around the [more...]

Formerly the Church of Sainte Genviève, the Revolutionary leaders and subsequent regimes made this Neo-Classical holy place into a Pantheon dedicated to the "great men" of the nation. It is the final resting place of these secular [more...]

This Old Regime building is as much a part of the French History Museum as the artifacts and documents held inside. The 15th-century Hôtel de Soubise was renovated in the 17th and 18th centuries and has housed the National Archives [more...]

Built in 1886, the American Cathedral is an interesting spot to stop and breathe after a walk in the bustling Champs-Elysées neighborhood. An example of Gothic revival architecture, the cathedral also houses many interesting artifacts, [more...]

Two centuries ago, before the advent of electric lighting, Parisian architects designed glass-covered passages throughout central neighborhoods. These "galleries" continue to shine and are well worth an afternoon of romantic strolling [more...]

Go exploring the Vincennes park to find and odd structure – a Buddhist temple sitting right by the lake. One building, a Cameroun-style pavilion, was built for the 1931 colonial exposition, but saved and reconverted into a place of [more...]

Take a peek at the Maison Loo (Loo’s House), a true Chinese pagoda that appears as if out of nowhere between other regular old Paris buildings. It was built by a Chinese antiquities importer in the 1920s, and today still serves as the [more...]

There’s a medieval wall (most recent parts dated 1220!) going through Paris, but it’s almost invisible if you don’t go looking for it. Many parts of it are now walls of buildings, but here and there, you can find a piece. To go [more...]

If you’ve never had a reason to stop there before, check out the metro station Arts et Métiers in the 3eme, which is decorated to look like you’re on the inside of an old-fashioned submarine, or maybe just a giant machine (look up [more...]

Art Nouveau lovers? Some trekking through Paris streets provides the best museum of the genre. There’s of course the classic metro signs (stations Saint Michel, Abbesses, etc), but there are also amazing pieces of architecture – for [more...]

The neighborhood of Montorgueil is perfect for an afternoon stroll of window-shopping (lots of hip new designers), lunch and exploring. Check out the gorgeous all-wooden Passage du Grand Cerf or the Eglise St Eustache.

Go stroll the Places des Vosges, one of the most beautiful and regal plazas in Paris. It’s in the Marais area, so there’s plenty of interesting streets (both for shopping and architecture) nearby, if you want to take a walk and [more...]

Technically, it’s been disproved after hundreds of years of this belief that the Nicolas Flamel house is the oldest in Paris, but with 1407 as its birthdate, nobody’s really counting. Not only that, but it was the home of the famous [more...]

Check out the tiniest house in Paris! This skinny little front is easy to miss if you don’t have the address: 3 rue Chateau d’Eau, metro Republique. The bottom floor is a store, but it’s fun just to see it from the outside – you [more...]