See Paris for free
Posted by Admin 18.07.2010 | 0 Comments
A GREAT VIEW OF PARIS
You don’t need to fork out to get to the top of the Eiffel Tower for une bellevue. Try the view from the top of shopping mecca Galeries Lafayette (take the escalator to the top floor and walk up the single flight of steps to the viewing terrace) or Le Printemps (level 9). Why not take a picnic and stay up there all day? For more information visit www.galerieslafayette.com and www.printemps.com
GLORIOUS GARDENS
There are dozens of beautiful green spaces around the city, perfect for a stroll, a picnic or just a breath of fresh air. And all for free! One of our favourites is the little Jardin de Shakespeare in the Bois de Boulogne – the five miniature gardens contain flowers, plants and herbs mentioned in the bard’s plays, and play host to open-air productions of his works in the summer. (Métro – Porte Maillot).
MARKETS
Paris is famous for its markets, and you needn’t cough up a euro to enjoy the colour, smells and atmosphere. The huge Puces de Montreuil flea market (open on Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays. Métro – Porte de Montreuil) is perfect for a day’s browsing, while the historic flower market on place de la Madeleine (open every day except Monday. Métro – Madeleine) is a riot of colour.
WALKING TOUR
Take in all the sights with a free walking tour with Sandemans New Europe tour company (www.newparistours.com). The tours take three and a half hours and start daily at 11am, 1pm and 4pm in front of the fountain at place Saint-Michel in the Latin Quarter (Métro – Fontaine Saint-Michel). They are officially free (although the guides will expect a tip).
BOOKS
Bookworms will love the famous Shakespeare & Co. bookshop on the rue de la Bûcherie on the left bank (www.shakespeareco.org. Métro – St Michel). You could easily spend a month’s salary on the thousands of books stacked up on all sides, but it costs nothing to spend a morning browsing or curling up in one of the shop’s ancient armchairs with a good romance.
PARISIANS AT WORK
If you want to delve a little deeper into Parisian life, you might be interested in the ‘Meet Parisians at work’ visits organised by the Paris tourist office. Most involve a small fee, but you can join a visit to the bakers at Poilâne for free. For more information visit www.parisinfo.com
FREE MUSIC
You can find free music performances all over the city, from churches to jazz clubs to bandstands. For some angelic singing and playing, you can’t get better than the regular free concerts at Notre-Dame (www.musique-sacree-notredamedeparis.fr) or for big, classical numbers try the free concerts laid on by Radio France in venues throughout Paris.
ROMANCE
Mur des je t’aime (the ‘I love you’ wall) is a modern take on the emotion Parisians know best. Standing in its own little garden in quirky place des Abbesses (Métro – Abbesses), the wall is covered in the words ‘I love you’ written 1,000 times in more than 300 languages and is a mecca for romantic couples visiting the city.