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Walk: the heart of Paris
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Walk 1: The heart of Paris
We start at the 'Madeleine' metro station and pay a visit to this special church. Take the Boulevard de la Madeleine to go to the Opéra Garnier. You will see the famous Olympia theatre on your left. This is where most singers started their careers in the second half of the previous century.
You can go into the Opéra itself to take a look at its impressive steps. The opera house also includes a small museum. Outside the building, don't forget to walk to the rue Auber to see the prestigious coach entrance.
We continue through the rue de la Paix to the Place Vendôme. Many renowned diamond merchants are based on this street.
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At the Place Vendôme go straight ahead, and then turn right onto the rue du Faubourg St.-Honoré. This is where you find most haute couture shops. With any luck you will also see some exclusive cars and their waiting drivers. We follow the road and cross the rue Royale. To your left you will see the Palais de l'Elysée. The presidential palace can be recognised by its bodyguards.
After the Palais de l'Elysée we turn left towards the Avenue Champs-Elysées. At the other side of the square you see the Grand and Petit Palais. We don't cross the Champs-Elysées and go left in the direction of the Place de la Concorde. We pass the American Embassy and other important buildings. Eventually we arrive at the extremely luxurious Hotel Crillon at the Place de la Concorde.
Take your time to walk to the other side of the Place de la Concorde. Cross the bridge over the Seine. You are now at the Assemblée Nationale, France's lower house.
At the other side of the Seine, we go left towards the Musée d'Orsay. If you are interested in art, pay this museum a visit. It is one of the best in France and it is huge. A two-hour visit is only possible if you make a clear selection in advance.
After the visit, we continue our walk along the Seine to the Pont Carrousel and then across the Seine again. We go through the gates of the Louvre. On your left hand side you see two gardens behind it: the Jardin du Carrousel and the Jardin des Tuileries.
On your right you see the Louvre's Cour Napoléon and its well-known pyramid. The pyramid serves as the main entrance to the biggest museum in the world. You can only see a small selection of the museum in one visit, which can be quite difficult to make. If you want to see everything, even an entire week will not be enough.
After your visit, we retrace our steps and return to the Seine to a gorgeous stone bridge, the Pont Neuf.
We cross this bridge, but after the first section we take an immediate left (Quai de l'Horloge). We are now on Ile de la Cité, where Paris originated. Walk along the Conciergerie, which is part of the Palais de Justice or court house. In the Conciergerie you can still visit the cell where Marie-Antoinette awaited her execution. Many well-known and lesser-known men and women came to their deaths here during the first years of the Revolution.
Go right onto the Boulevard du Palais. Go through the gate and visit the famous and extraordinarily beautiful Sainte-Chapelle.
After our visit we return to the Boulevard du Palais and go left to the Marché Neuf, which leads you to the cathedral of Notre-Dame, which is certainly worth a visit.
With your back to the cathedral's main entrance, go straight to the rue d'Arcole and cross the Seine towards the Hôtel de Ville or Paris City Hall. The Parisian mayor lives in the right section of the building.
At the other side of the square, go left onto the rue de Rivoli. A few yards onwards, you can already see the Tour St.-Jacques on your left hand side.
Go right onto the Boulevard de Sebastopol and then right again onto the rue de Aubry le Boucher. Our walk ends at the cultural heart of Paris, the Centre Pompidou.
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Picture: © iStockphoto.com/Michel Mory
Text: GVDV - © AT-Europe bvba
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