Getting Off the Beaten Track in Paris

Is this not your first trip to Paris? Have you been to the Louvre, the Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower and are wondering if Paris has got anything more to offer? Or are you just not in the mood for walking the all-too beaten path along the Champs d'Elysées? Here's a few "other things to see in Paris" - some slightly more out-of-the ordinary things and lesser monuments that are still absolutely worthwhile:

The Paris Opera

There are two main opera buildings in Paris. One is a historic-style building known as the Palais Garnier, which stands at Place de l'Opéra, near metro station Opéra. It is an impressive building dating from the late 19th century and was the main opera building of the city until 1989. In that year, the Opéra Bastille was opened, a modern opera building on the Place de la Bastille, former site of the Bastille train station and the famous Bastille fortress and prison that was stormed during the French Revolution. The Opéra Bastille is currently the official venue of the Parisian National Opera Company, but opera's are still held in both venues, as well as in other smaller venues around the city.

The Pont des Arts

The Pont des Arts is a pedestrian bridge over the Seine, just West of the Ile de la Cité its Pont Neuf. It crosses the river to the Louvre and gives a beautiful view of the river and the scenery of the city in both directions. The bridge serves as picnic site, site for art exhibitions and is frequented by painters and photographers due to its magnificent views.

The Catacombs

If you want to try to something really unusual when you visit Paris try the Catacombs. The catacombs are a network of connected underground tunnels underneath Paris that are the remains of old underground stone quarries and which have been in use as a depository of bones and skulls since 1788. Toward the late 18th century, cemeteries in Paris were getting so full that they started posing a health risk, causing diseases amongst the people who lived around them. In an effort to solve this, several new cemeteries were created outside of the city limits, amongst which was Pere Lachaise, now the largest cemetery within the city center. As another solution to the health threat, a plan was formed to discretely remove the bones of the dead from the overcrowded cemeteries and re-deposit them in the underground stone quarries to the South of the city's border. These are now known as the Paris Catacombs. (The actual network of stone quarries underneath the city of Paris is even larger and is sometimes universally referred to as the Catacombs.) The walls of the Catacombs are literally lined with bones and skulls, neatly stacked in deliberate patterns, and some of the walls are covered in graffiti dating back to the 18th century. There are many secret entrances to the Catacombs scattered throughout Paris although using these unofficial entrances is strictly forbidden as it can be dangerous. You can take a guided tour through the place via the official entrance. The entrance building is a small dark building door located on the other side of the street when exiting the metro station Denfert-Rochereau. The sign above the actual entrance to the bone-lined tunnels reads "Stop - Here is the empire of death".

The Orsay Museum

The Orsay Museum (Le Musée d'Orsay in French) holds French art from 1848 to 1915, including works of famous impressionist and subsequent painters, among whom Monet, Renoir and Vincent Van Gogh. It also holds the painting "Whistler's Mother" by James Whistler, more well known to Americans. The museum itself is housed in a former train station from the year 1900, the Gare d'Orsay, and is an interesting piece of architecture in itself. The museum is not as extensive as the Louvre but still quite impressive and definitely worth the visit.

The Centre Pompidou

The Centre Pompidou is a large modern complex in the 4th arrondissement, close to the center. It houses several public institutes, including a large public library and the National Museum of Modern Art. If you like modern art, you may enjoy this (don't be surprised when you stumble upon the signed toilet bowl from an early 20th century artist, displayed as a ground-breaking piece of modern art).

The Père Lachaise cemetery

If you have some spare time, perhaps during a second or third visit to Paris, and you feel like getting into the slightly more unusual attractions of the city, you may want to consider a trip to Père Lachaise. It was named for the home of Father Francois de la Chaise on the estate, confessor to King Louis XIV during the 17th century. The largest cemetery within the Périphérie, Père Lachaise is located on a large hillside piece of land in the eastern part of the city center. Having long been a property of religious significance, the area was a designated as a cemetery about 200 years ago and quickly gained popularity as the remains of notable French citizens were transferred there from other cemeteries in an effort to lead burials away from older cemeteries in the densely populated heart of the city. Since then the cemetery has become a famous last resting place of numerous French, and also foreign, celebrities, including Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde, Edith Piaf, Maria Callas and Frédéric Chopin. The cemetery is laid out more or less as an extensive garden with three metro station at various points along its edge, i.e. Philippe Auguste, Gambetta and Père Lachaise.

The Hotel de Ville

Near the Centre Pompidou, and on the way to the Pont Neuf and the Notre Dame, in the 4th arrondissement, stands the city hall, known in French as the Hotel de Ville. The building has functioned as the headquarters of city administration since 1357. One of its sides stands on the Rue de Rivoli, so you can also walk over there from the Louvre on your way to the Notre Dame or Centre Pompidou. It is an impressive piece of architecture and stands on a large square (where Parisians used to gather for executions way back when).

The Arche de la Défense

The Arche de la Défense or Grande Arche was built as a modern counterpart of the Arc de Triomphe in honor of humanity and humanitarian ideals (as opposed to the Arc de Triomphe which was a victory monument for French soldiers). The design of the monument was picked from a design contest originated by French President Mitterrand, and which was won by a Danish architect. The monument was completed in 1990 and stands in a straight line with the Arc de Triomphe, the Obélisque on the Place de la Concorde, the Louvre Museum, the Hotel de Ville and the Opéra Bastille on the Place de la Bastille, the line spanning over half the diameter of the city center. Metro station: Défense.

The Galeries Lafayette and Le Printemps

If you like shopping, the Boulevard Haussmann is home to a number of major prestigious department stores, such as Le Printemps and the Galeries Lafayette. From relatively simple commodities to luxurious (and expensive) designer items, you can find it here. Even if you don't like shopping, it's still an interesting site to see and is sort of a part of the "Paris experience". The area is right behind the Opera (Le Palais Garnier). You can take the metro stations Opera or Havre-Caumartin to get there.

The Hotel des Invalides

The Hotel des Invalides, Hotel National des Invalides or simply "Les Invalides" is a complex of buildings founded in 1671 by Louis XIV as a hospital and retirement home for war veterans. The complex is an impressive structure, with the main building featuring a large, distinct golden dome, underneath which you will find the tomb of Napoleon. Part of the estate still houses a retirement home and various medical facilities for disabled war veterans - additionally there are two military museums and the Museum of Contemporary History (covering 1870 - present).

Summary

There is a great deal to see and enjoy during your Paris break, whether it is your first visit - or you come every year. Try some of the places above and you can be sure of a new experience, and new memories to take home with you.