Europe Travel Guides

Activities

Those languid Parisians are now real fitness freaks (although they still manage to balance things out with a fine respect for indulgence). Gyms and fitness clubs are a penny a barrel, the parks are rife with cardio bunnies and adventure sports are trés chic.

boating

On an airy summer's day get onto the cool of the water - float down the Seine (or the Marne, the Oise or any of the city's canals) in a canal boat. Rentals are available year-round.

skating

Paris has a thing for skating - hire some inlines and join the crowds in the city's parks. In winter the Patinoire du Parvis de la Défense and Patinoire de l'Hôtel de Ville bring ice skating into the public arena.

bowling

One of the best bowling alleys in Paris, Bowling de Paris, can be found in the Bois de Boulogne.

gym

Yes, the work-out craze has hit even tobacco-stained Parisians; there's now a gaggle of gyms in every neighbourhood.

swimming

Public swimming pools abound in Paris - for large-scale splashing check out the Aquaboulevard water park.

Points of interest

Le Villaret

Parisians who know about such things come from all over the city to this simple but buzzing bistro for its daily-changing menus featuring French classics, such as succulent leg of lamb and crispy roast chicken, accompanied by a strong wine list.

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Crêperie Bretonne

Authentic down to its crisp-at-the-edges buckwheat galettes and perfectly buttered sweet crêpes (with salted butter, of course), this place is filled with emotive photos of Brittany, and, joy of joys, serves brut Val de Rance cider. Yec'hed mat (that's Breton for cheers)!

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Stohrer

Opened in 1730, this beautiful patisserie's pastel murals were added in 1864 by Paul Baudry, who also decorated the Palais Garnier's Grand Foyer. All of the cakes, pastries, ice cream and savoury delicacies are made on the premises; with specialities including baba rhum (rum-drenched brioche) and puit d'amour (cream-filled, caramel-topped puff pastry).

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Café Marly

The glittering views of IM Pei's glass pyramid, and of the French movers, shakers and stars who frequent this cafe, make drinking and/or dining here a classic Parisian experience. The perfect spot to refresh the senses during a day at the Louvre.

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Maison Berthillon

Berthillon is a glacier (ice-cream maker) that makes what is arguably Paris' most delicious ice cream. Along with its famous fruit flavours, the chocolate, coffee, marrons glacés (candied chestnuts), Agenaise (Armagnac and prunes) and nougat au miel (honey nougat) are wonderfully rich.

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Godjo

Although its name means 'humble farmer's house', the woven wall-hangings, carved timber artefacts and paintings at this Ethiopian restaurant make eating here something like dining in an art gallery (but a buzzy, informal one). It's a great option for vegetarians, with a slew of meatless dishes to choose from.

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Le Relais Gascon

Climbing the wooden staircase to this narrow townhouse's 1st-floor dining room rewards with rooftop views of Montmartre. The solidly French menu includes seafood and meat dishes, but locals pack the communal tables here to tuck into one of Gascon's gargantuan salads, served in giant bowls with thin-sliced fried potatoes sautéed in garlic.

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Au Rocher de Cancale

Rue Montorgueil was the oyster market of the old halles, and this timber-lined restaurant opened in 1846 is its legacy. Virtually unchanged since the days of the markets, there's a choice of three plats du jour plus two chef's suggestions, alongside oysters from Cancale, Brittany's foremost oyster port. Everything here, including the wine, is great value.

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Chez Marianne

There's often a wait for a table at Chez Marianne's black-and-white-tiled restaurant space, but the phenomenal mix-and-match platters, with choices including olives, hummus, eggplant and much more, are worth every minute. Otherwise you can pack a picnic from the deli to take to the place des Vosges, or pick up felafel sandwiches from the takeaway window.

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Le Loir dans la Theiere

One of Paris' best spots to spend a languorous Sunday is Le Loir dans la Theiere (The Dormouse in the Teapot) a wonderful old space filled with retro toys, comfy couches and free wi-fi. Its farm-style wooden tables are laden at brunch, which is served here on both Saturday and Sunday, starting around noon and lasting as long as you like.

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Eiffel Tower

Built for the 1889 Exposition Universelle (World Fair), held to commemorate the centennial of the Revolution, the Tour Eiffel was the world's tallest structure at 320m (1050ft) until Manhattan's Chrysler Building was completed. Initially opposed by the city's artistic and literary elite the tower was almost torn down in 1909.

The tower's salvation came when it proved an ideal platform for the antennas needed for the new science of radiotelegraphy. Just southeast of the tower is a grassy expanse that was once the site of the world's first balloon flights and is now used by teens as a skateboarding arena and by activists bad-mouthing Chirac.

When you're done peering upward through the girders, three levels are open to the public. There are elevators to the top but they have long queues. You can avoid the queues by walking up the stairs in the south pillar to the 1st or 2nd platforms. Guided visits are also available.

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Musée Rodin

When he died, the renowned sculptor Auguste Rodin (1840-1907) left his magnificent 18th-century residence and a huge body of work to the state in lieu of rent. One of the most tranquil spots in the city, the Musée Rodin is also many visitors' favourite Paris museum.

Rooms on two floors of the house display extraordinarily vital bronze and marble sculptures, including casts of some of Rodin's most celebrated works: The Hand of God, St John the Baptist, Balzac, Cathedral and The Kiss.

Also on display are works by Rodin's model and lover, Camille Claudel (1864-1943), whose more gentle talent was overwhelmed by Rodin's prodigious genius (and his matching temperament). She spent the last 30 years of her life in an asylum on Île St-Louis, unable to work. L'Age Mûr (Maturity) is a reflection of her torturous relationship with Rodin; the old woman is his wife.

The delightful English-style rose garden (the third-largest private garden in Paris) is filled with shade trees and sculptures, including the original version of the work everyone comes to see, The Thinker.

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Musée du Louvre

The Louvre may be the world's greatest art museum - but it's also the one most avoided by visitors to Paris. Daunted by its size and overwhelming richness, many people head to smaller galleries. But if you have even the merest interest in the fruits of human civilisation from antiquity to the 19th century, then visit you must.

The former fortress began its career as a public museum in 1793 with 2500 paintings; now some 30000 are on display. The most famous works from antiquity include the Seated Scribe, the Jewels of Rameses II and the armless duo - the Winged Victory of Samothrace and the Venus de Milo. From the Renaissance, don't miss Michelangelo's Slaves, Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa and works by Raphael, Botticelli and Titian. French masterpieces of the 19th century include Ingres' La Grande Odalisque, Géricault's The Raft of the Medusa and the work of David and Delacroix.

The Grand Louvre project has rejuvenated the museum with many new and renovated galleries now open to the public. To avoid queues at the pyramid, buy your ticket in advance and/or enter through the underground shopping mall.

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Sainte Chapelle

The most exquisite of Paris' Gothic gems, Sainte Chapelle is tucked away within the walls of the Palais de Justice. The chapel is illuminated by a veritable curtain of luminous 13th-century stained glass (the oldest and finest in Paris).

Consecrated in 1248, Sainte Chapelle was built to house what was believed to be Jesus' crown of thorns and other relics purchased by King Louis IX. The chapel's exterior can be viewed from across the street, from the law courts' magnificently gilded 18th-century gate, which faces Rue de Lutèce.

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Cathédrale de Notre Dame

If Paris has a heart, then this is it. Notre Dame de Paris is not only a masterpiece of French Gothic architecture, but has also been Catholic Paris' ceremonial focus for seven centuries. The cathedral's immense interior, a marvel of medieval engineering, holds over 6000 people and has spectacular rose windows.

Although Notre Dame is regarded as a sublime architectural achievement, there are all sorts of minor anomalies, the result of centuries of aesthetic intervention. These include a trio of main entrances that are each shaped differently, and are accompanied by statues that were once coloured to make them more effective as Bible lessons for the hoi polloi. The interior is dominated by a 7800-pipe organ that was restored but has not worked properly since.

It's well worth the effort of climbing the 387 steps of the north tower. This will bring you to the top of the west facade and face to face with many of the cathedral's most frightening gargoyles, which enjoy a spectacular view of Paris.

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Basilique du Sacré Cœur

The Basilica of the Sacred Heart, perched at the very top of Butte de Montmartre (Montmartre Hill), was built from contributions pledged by Parisian Catholics as an act of contrition after the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71. Construction began in 1873, but the basilica was not consecrated until 1919.

Although the basilica's domes are a well-loved part of the Parisian skyline, most of its architecture is not very graceful. It's always dark in the nave, and the enormous mosaic of a plainly angry Christ over the main altar does little to dispel the gloom.

A 234-step climb up narrow spiral staircases takes you up to the dome, which affords one of Paris' most spectacular panoramas. It is, however, outside on the steps where the action takes place - lovers, buskers, locals and foreigners all converge to take in the vistas and each other.

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Catacombes de Paris

In 1785, Paris decided to solve the problem of its overflowing cemeteries by exhuming the bones of the buried and relocating them to the tunnels of several disused quarries, leading to the creation of the Catacombes. Visitors to this disturbing 'attraction' will find themselves 20m (65ft) underground, working their way along corridors stacked with bones.

During WWII, the tunnels were used as a headquarters by the Resistance. People over 60 can get in for free, which says a lot about the French sense of humour.

The route through the Catacombes begins at a small, dark green belle époque-style building in the centre of a grassy area of av Colonel Henri Roi-Tanguy, the new name of place Denfert Rochereau. The exit is at the end of 83 steps on rue Remy Dumoncel, 700m southwest of place Denfert Rochereau, where a guard will check your bag for 'borrowed' bones. Indeed, so-called cataphiles looking for cheap thrills are often caught roaming the tunnels at night (there's a fine of 60 Euros).

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Bateaux Mouches

Bateaux Mouches runs the biggest tour boat company on the Seine. Cruises depart from and return to the Pont de l'Alma and pass the Statue of Liberty and Eiffel Tower in the west, and Île St-Louis in the east. The night time spectacle of Paris shimmering off the Seine on a summer evening is an unforgettable experience.

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Arc de Triomphe

The Arc de Triomphe is the world's largest traffic roundabout and the meeting point of 12 avenues. Commissioned in 1806 by Napoleon to commemorate his imperial victories, it was not completed until 1836. From the viewing platform at the top (284 steps up), you can see the avenues - many named after illustrious generals - radiating toward every part of Paris.

Since 1920, the body of an unknown soldier from WWI taken from Verdun in Lorraine has lain beneath the arch, his fate and that of countless others like him commemorated by a memorial flame rekindled each evening. France's national remembrance service is held here annually on Nov 11th.

Tickets to the platform are sold in the underground passageway - the only sane way to reach the base of the arch - that surfaces on the even-numbered side of Ave des Champs-Élysées.

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Centre Pompidou

The Pompidou Centre, also known simply as Beaubourg, is all about modern and contemporary 20th-century art. Thanks in part to its vigorous schedule of temporary exhibitions, it's the most visited cultural site in Paris. Two floors are dedicated to some of the 40000-plus works of the Musée Nationale d'Art Moderne, the country's collection of 20th-century art.

The design of the Pompidou has drawn critical comment since construction began in 1972. To keep the exhibition halls uncluttered, the architects put the building's 'insides' on the outside, with each duct, pipe and vent painted in its own telltale colour: elevators and escalators are red, electrical circuitry yellow, plumbing green and air-conditioning blue.

After a massive renovation during 1998-99 the centre has a stunning reworked facade on the west side, an expanded exhibition space, and a new cinema, restaurant and cybercafe - plus new facilities for dance, theatre, CD and video.

The top floors have a magnificent view of Paris, while place George Pompidou below attracts street performers, musicians and artists.

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German Embassy

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Carrousel du Louvre Mall Tourist Office

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Italian Embassy

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New Zealand Embassy

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Irish Embassy

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Canadian Embassy

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Australian Embassy

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Belgium Embassy

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Gare de Lyon Tourist Office

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Eiffel Tower Tourist Office

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Hôtel Chopin

The Chopin, dating back to 1846, is down one of Paris' most delightful 19th-century passages couverts (covered shopping arcades). It is a great deal for its location which is right off the Grands Boulevards.

This 36-room hotel may be a little faded, but it's still enormously evocative of the belle époque and the welcome is always warm. It is a sprawling place - think of the film The Shining - and may take a bit of getting used to at first. We love the shopfront lobby with its piano and portraits of namesake Chopin and of George Sand. From here walk a few steps up past the pretty breakfast room to the lift that serves the other floors. Because the hotel stands above the passage, there are great views over the roofs of Paris from the top floors and some of the hallways have windows. Guestrooms are simply, but tastefully, furnished with pastels and folk motifs dominating. After the arcade closes at 22:00 , ring the sonnette de nuit (night doorbell).

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Hôtel du 7 Art

This themed hotel on the south side of rue St-Antoine is a fun place for film buffs - le septième art, or 'the seventh art', is what the French call cinema - and boasts a B&W-movie theme throughout, right down to the tiled floors and the bathrooms.

Posters, prints and other movie-related memorabilia compete for every square inch of wall space in both the public areas and the guestrooms. The mostly Hollywood collection has become more eclectic over the years, although it does include scenes from great French films here and there. The 23 guestrooms over five floors - there is no lift - are sizeable and quite different one from the other. Particularly desirable are Nos 41 and 42 on the 3rd floor, both of which have two windows facing in different directions. Behind the lobby is City Light, a catering space that functions as a bar, tearoom and, in the morning, a breakfast space.

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Hôtel Saint-Jacques

This very stylish 38-room hotel has rooms at the corner with balconies overlooking the Panthéon. The singles are relatively spacious, but not all the rooms have toilets. The comments book in the lobby is a welcome touch.

Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant, who filmed some scenes of Charade here in the early 1960s, would commend the mod cons that now complement the original 19th-century details. These include trompe l'oeil ceilings done up to look like cloud-filled skies, iron staircase and so on. We especially like the faux marble walls inside the little lift, the cabaret-themed breakfast room in the basement, complete with Victrola and player piano that still works and some (if not all) of the belle époque murals in both the public areas and some of the guestrooms. The rooms are large and comfortable - if a bit flouncy at times. If you don't feel like travelling far, choose the very blue room No 38 or the equally red No 39 on the ground floor.

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Hôtel des Grandes Écoles

This wonderful 51-room hotel just north of Place de la Contrescarpe has one of the loveliest situations in the Latin Quarter, tucked away in a courtyard off a medieval street with its own private garden.

Choose a room in one of three buildings: the main building, the right wing or the garden annexe. Our favourites are those in the last building, especially the five that are on the ground floor and have direct access to the garden (Nos 29 to 33), which can be used until 22:00 . The rooms are done up in soft pastel colours with reproduction 18th-century wallpaper. They're slightly Laura Ashley à la française and provincial which is quite unique in Paris. If the weather isn't suitable to have breakfast in the garden, you'll enjoy the old- fashioned breakfast room with its gilt mirror and old piano almost as much. The welcoming owners will make you feel at home. There are both nonsmoking and wheelchair accessible rooms available.

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Hôtel Jeanne d'Arc

This cosy, 36-room hotel near lovely Place du Marché Ste-Catherine is a great little base for your peregrinations among the museums, bars and restaurants of the Marais, Village St-Paul and the Bastille.

Due to its location just off a quiet square filled with mulberry trees, the 'Joan of Arc' has almost a provincial feel to it. Guestrooms are of a decent size and boast large windows allowing the light to fill even the back rooms. There's a lovely light-filled breakfast room in front and original fixtures abound - from the old wooden staircase to the ancient door frames - but we also like the modern touches, such as the heated towel racks. About the only thing wrong with this place is that everyone knows about it, so you'll have to book well in advance. And do not confuse this two-star place with the two-star Grand Hôtel Jeanne d'Arc in the unlovely 13e.

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Hôtel des Grands Hommes

This 31-room hotel is in a lovely 18th-century building, which rather chauvinistically makes reference to the 'great men' in the Pantheon across the square (Marie Curie is also in the crypt and has been since 1995), was given a complete overhaul in 2002 and is now more opulent than ever.

The style is Empire - stamped fabric and plaster medallions, canopy beds and large lamps in the shape of urns. There are rooms with balconies on the 2nd, 5th and 6th floors all with full views of the Pantheon. But if you want to see things farther afield go for a room on either side of the last two; on a clear day you'll see all the way to Montmartre and Sacré Coeur. There's a pleasant (though under-utilised) bar just off the lobby and behind it room 1, one of the longest guestrooms in town, which stretches from the street to the little leafy 'courtyard' in back and is wheelchair accessible. The hotel is air-conditioned throughout, and Internet access via wi-fi is available in the lobby.

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Familia Hôtel

This very welcoming and well-situated family-run hotel has attractive sepia murals of Parisian landmarks in its 30 rooms and is one of the most attractive 'almost budget' options this side of the Seine.

Signature features in the Familia and its sister-hotel the Minerve include exposed beams, rough (and original) stone walls and murals throughout; we especially like the ones of great Impressionist artists painted on the courtyard walls and the folk motifs hand-done on the guestroom doors. Eight rooms have little balconies, from which you can catch a glimpse of Notre Dame. 14 rooms have bathrooms with tubs while the rest have showers; a few bathrooms have windows looking on to the courtyard. The flower-bedecked windows make the front of the hotel one of the most attractive in the quarter.

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Hôtel de Danemark

Hôtel de Danemark, a positively scrumptious boutique hotel southwest of the Jardin du Luxembourg, has 15 very tastefully furnished rooms and eclectic contemporary decor contrasting with ancient stone walls.

Public areas such as the reception and its corner rooms are full of vibrantly coloured furniture and objects that match and contrast. The guestrooms, well soundproofed and generously sized for a boutique hotel in central Paris, contain original artwork - though not all of it is museum-quality. Some of the rooms, which are somewhat bigger on the top floor, gaze onto Henri Sauvage's Carreaux Metro, an Art Nouveau tiled apartment building designed in 1912 and a masterpiece of modernity. Internet access is via wi-fi throughout the hotel. Higher priced rooms have jacuzzis in the bathrooms. Montparnasse, with all its bars, brasseries and cinemas, is a short stroll away.

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L'Hôtel

With 20 rooms and tucked away in a quiet quayside street, this place with the most minimal of names is the stuff of romance, Paris myths and urban legends. There are rooms set aside for nonsmokers and the hotel has air-con and wi-fi throughout.

Rock- and film-star patrons alike fight to sleep in room No 16 where Oscar Wilde died a century ago, now decorated in green with a peacock motif; or in the Art Deco room (No 36) of legendary dancer Mistinguett with its huge mirrored bed. This was also a home away from home for the Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges (1899-1986), who stayed here many times in the late 1970s and early '80s, but it seems he may have been too sombre to have a room devoted to him. Rooms give on to a large circular atrium; the public areas include a fantastic bar and restaurant under a glass canopy designed by über-designer Jacques Garcia. In the ancient cellar is a very modern swimming pool and a fumoir (smoking room).

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Hôtel de Nice

This is an especially warm, family-run place with 23 comfortable rooms. Some rooms have balconies high above busy Rue de Rivoli. Reception is on the 1st floor. It's a very personal hotel, with the owners tastes apparent throughout.

Every square inch of wall space is used to display old prints, covers of the Petit Journal magazine and the odd 19th-century painting. Both the public areas and the guestrooms are full of Second Empire-style furniture, their parquet floors covered with kilims and Indian carpets. There are balconies off guestrooms on three of the five floors, some of them quite long, but the best to our mind are the tiny ones on the top mansard floor from which you can see Notre Dame, the Tour Montparnasse, Hôtel de Ville and the Centre Pompidou. Unfortunately there is no lift between the ground and 1st floors but the fabulous old staircase takes your mind off the climb.

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Kenzo

While Kenzo himself retired from designing in 1999, Sardinian Antonio Marras has brought a new joie de vivre to the label. The Pont Neuf flagship store is a tantalising temple to fashion and beauty. The building also houses the Philippe Starck-designed Kong bar.

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Le Printemps

One of Paris' most spectacular grands magasins (department stores), Le Printemps is actually three separate stores - de la Mode (women's fashion), de l'Homme (for men) and de la Beauté et Maison (for beauty and household goods) - offering a staggering display of perfume, cosmetics and accessories, as well as established and up-and-coming designer wear.

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Fauchon

The most famous food store in Paris: six departments sell the most incredibly mouthwatering (and expensive) delicacies, from foie gras (duck or goose liver) to confitures (jams). The fruit - the most perfect you've ever seen - includes exotic items from southeast Asia, including mangosteens, rambutans and jackfruit. Fauchon also has several eat-in options.

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Marché aux Fleurs

Since 1808, blooms have been sold at this flower market, making it the oldest market of any kind in Paris. This is Paris, so buy some roses and find someone to give them to. On Sunday it transforms into Marché aux Oiseaux, a twittering bird market, so if the flowers aren't enough buy your beloved a peacock.

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Alexandra Sojfer

Parapluies and ombrelles (parasols and umbrellas) don't come more elegant than these creations handmade by Alexandra Sojfer, whose beautiful shop is devoted exclusively to them. If nothing catches your fancy, have one custom-made.

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Cacharel

Another mid-20th century label undergoing a revival, Cacharel (named for a bird from Provence's Camargue region) was founded in 1960 and unlike many fashion houses, remains a private company. It's best known for its floral-printed silk georgette dresses and perfumes like the airy orange blossom, rose, lily and jasmine-scented Anaïs Anaïs.

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agnès b

Style and photography guru agnès b excels in extremely wearable, durable and comfortable (yet sometimes quirky) clothes. She also happens to be one of the more affordable Parisian designers. The basics are excellent; the rest has somewhat lost its cachet of late. On the same street you'll find her men's and children's stores.

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Guerlain

Guerlain is Paris' most famous perfumerie, and its shop, dating from 1912, is one of the most beautiful in the city. With its shimmering mirror and marble decor, it's a reminder of the former glory of the Champs Élysées. You can shop for its perfumes (including its address' namesake Champs-Élysées), or take a decadent beauty treatment at its heavenly spa.

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Shakespeare & Company

Fossicking through this 'wonderland of books' (as Henry Miller described it) unearths bargains, but Shakespeare & Co is best known for nurturing writers. In addition to its legendary tea parties and readings, legends-in-the-making include travel writing workshops and an open-to-all-comers writers' group on Saturday afternoons.

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Colette

If you want to know what's hot, this Japanese-inspired concept store is the ultimate thermometer. Not just a selection of exquisite clothes and accessories, Colette has books, art, music and beauty products. Their famous sales see huge reductions on their designer stock, while the basement Water Bar features still and sparkling waters from around the world.

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Chez Prune

The original Parisian boho hangout, this canal-side cafe has arty mosaic-tiled wrought iron tables, wood-framed glass doors with views over the bridges, an outdoor terrace and a lively, still earthy vibe. The perfect rendezvous for transforming an afternoon coffee into an evening drink.

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Le Select

No mention of Montparnasse, once at the centre of Paris' artistic endeavours, would be complete without Le Select. Opened in the mid-20s, it was the first of the area's grande dame cafes to open late into the night and still draws everyone from beer-swigging students to whisky-swilling politicians.

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China Club

A huge bar with high ceilings greets you on the ground floor, setting the Oriental gentleman's club theme. Upstairs is the fumoir (smoking room), complete with glowing fire, for cigar aficionados. The Sing Song jazz club (styled like Shanghai circa 1930) occupies the cellar.

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Le Batofar

The bateau (boat) is an incongruous and much-loved red-metal tugboat mostly known for its edgy, experimental music policy and electro-oriented live performances. There's a rooftop bar that's great in summer, while the club underneath provides memorable underwater acoustics between its metal walls and portholes.

The bateau (boat) is known for its edgy, experimental music policy and electro-oriented live performances, but also incorporates other sounds like hip hop, new wave, rock, punk or jazz.

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Andy Wahloo

This postmodern place peaks during happy hour when its candy-flavoured cocktails are half-price. Its name means 'I have nothing' in Arabic, but its eye-popping, tutti-frutti decor and ear-splitting house music owe a greater debt to its almost-namesake, Andy Warhol.

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Au Lapin Agile

This rustic cabaret venue in Montmartre was favoured by artists and intellectuals in the early 20th century and chansons (songs) are still performed here. Poetry is read six nights a week and admission includes a drink. The name derives from Le Lapin à Gill, a mural of a rabbit jumping out of a cooking pot, by caricaturist André Gill.

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Kong Bar

With its Philippe Starck-designed postmodern decor like iridescent champagne-coloured vinyl booths and garden gnome stools, Kong fills at night with Paris' glam young set, who swill Dom Pérignon and dance badly. But the best time to visit this bar/restaurant/club atop the Kenzo building is at sunset, when you have magical views of the river.

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Le Limonaire

This little wine bar, tucked far away from the big commercial cabarets off rue Bergère, is one of the best places to listen to traditional French chansons (songs). The crowd can be convivial or almost reverential, depending on the night. Singers perform on the small stage nightly. It's free, with cheap food available so be generous when the hat comes around.

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New Morning

New Morning is a well-regarded auditorium that hosts jazz concerts as well as blues, rock, funk, salsa, Afro-Cuban and Brazilian music three to seven nights a week, with the second set ending almost at closing. Tickets are available at the box office, but can also be bought at the door.

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Café Baroc

Normally a chilled little place, Baroc is lined with old cinema seats and serves beers with a twist of syrup like lemon and peach. However come Wednesday and Thursday nights the bar staff crank up fabulously camp 80s tunes and the locals leave their chic at the door. Downstairs there's a shoebox-size basement with vintage sofas.

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Events

Most museums and shops are closed on France's jours fériés (public holidays). When a holiday falls on a Tuesday or Thursday, expect to see a lot of shuttered storefronts on that Monday or Friday as well. The doors of banks are good places to check for announcements of long holiday weekends.

France's national day, 14 July, commemorates the 1789 storming of the Bastille prison, the event that kicked off the French Revolution. Across the country, the holiday is celebrated with serious abandon, especially in Paris, where the day ends with a massive fireworks display and throngs of people in the streets.

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