PARIS
If we could choose one place on Earth to have endless city walks, it must be PARIS! Our plan for the fall was to visit the most romantic city in the world just to admire art, enjoy French food and drink coffee in little Cafés with tables spilling onto the sidewalks. At least this is what we marked completed during our three day stay there in October 2024. When the city still had the unique autumn atmosphere, days were warm and perfect for all day long stroll. So let’s have a walk with us then, enchanté!
We stayed in the 16 district, one of the city’s largest and wealthiest one, near to Roland-Garros Stadium. From this part of the Paris we were able to get everywhere we needed with metro easily and convenient. No wonder on our first day we headed straight to see the Eiffel Tower. The Paris’s most iconic landmark was built in 1889 by engineer Gustave Eiffel, standing 330 meters tall, it was once the tallest structure in the world and it offers breathtaking views of Paris from its observation decks. Although we decided not to wait in the long queue and just took a walk around the landmark headed to Champ de Mars gardens. This is the perfect spot for photos, picnics, or simply lying on the grass with the tower view. On warmer season that would be enough to just pack a baguette, cheese, and wine and have picnic there. Having in mind October temperatures are not so high anymore, we decided to find some lovely café near the tower to enjoy quick break in the sun and have some coffee with the croissant. In the meantime check out three days trip in Paris with below map.
Fueled with coffee we decided to have a walk to the Champs-Élysées in order to admire the beauty of the Paris architecture and see what we can discover by the way. It turns out to be just the best idea to explore this part of the city that way. Going along the Seine promenade we make it to the Pont Alexandre III, the most stunning bridge in Paris with sculptures, lamps, and grand views of Les Invalides and the Eiffel Tower. This spot is also a museums destination, we discovered there free museum entry to the Petit Palais. Museum filled with beautiful paintings and insanely beautiful hidden garden. Only a perfect Parisian stroll could end this way!
After that we headed straight to the Champs-Élysées. Paris’s most famous avenue, stretching from the Place de la Concorde to the Arc de Triomphe. Lined with trees, luxury boutiques and cozy bistros, so we decided to step by for some lunch on French onion soup (soupe à l’oignon). This is one of Paris’s most beloved traditional dishes. It’s made with slowly caramelized onions, simmered in a rich beef broth, and topped with a slice of toasted baguette covered in melted Gruyère or Comté cheese. To make this day even more special we took crème brûlée (classic French dessert) that perfectly balances elegance and comfort. It’s a rich vanilla custard base, baked gently until silky smooth, then topped with a thin layer of sugar that’s caramelized with a flame into a crisp, golden crust. There is also a perfect spot to find French macaroons, the colorful meringue-based cookies that have become a symbol of French patisserie. Two crisp shells made from almond flour and sugar, sandwiched with a flavored buttercream or jam. Legendary Parisian pâtisseries like Ladurée or Pierre Hermé serve them in elegant boxes, perfect for tasting on the spot or as a gift.
With that we could explore the most luxury boutiques in the world, headed straight to the Arc de Triomphe is one of Paris’s most iconic monuments, standing proudly at the top of the Champs-Élysées. Commissioned by Napoleon in 1806 to honor the French army. Visitors can climb to the top for a sweeping 360° view of Paris, with the Eiffel Tower on one side and the Champs-Élysées stretching out below, and so we did!
No surprise, as we started the second day of our trip with some butter croissant and black coffee. The schedule was quite intense as we headed to Louvre Museum. It is probably the place where you could lost yourself for the whole day, but we had some more places to visit this day as well. The Louvre Museum is the world’s largest art museum, where masterpiece from all around the world can be found. Even the building and gardens around itself are remarkable, especially well known the modern glass pyramid in its courtyard and the garden.
We were looking for the Leonadro da Vinci masterpiece the Mona Lisa. Her mysterious smile and the lifelike softness of her features, created through Leonardo’s technique of sfumato, have fascinated viewers for centuries. Indeed, the crowd to see the paining was so wide that finally the better experience was just to find exposure randomly in other part of the museum – the other Leonardo paining of the lady with magnetic smile.
We came a long way to see Delacroix’s Liberty Leading the People that embodies the spirit of French revolution, a dramatic symbol of freedom. There was also extensive collection of the Dutch artists like Vermeer’s The Lacemake this Dutch masterpiece that offers a quiet and intimate moment of concentration. What is more, in Louvre we could find the Napoleon III Apartments showcasing the lifestyle of the French Empire, with glittering chandeliers, gilded salons and extensive collection of crowns that made enormous impression on us! Visiting the Louvre in our case was less about seeing everything (quite impossible in a single day) and it was more about discovering its halls with highlights and soaking in centuries of human creativity. Many checks on our masterpieces to see list marked completed as well! The clock was ticking and we decided to have some lunch nearby.
If there is one restaurant that we cloud recommend that have unique Parisian Belle Époque style and serves French cuisine it would be Le Grand Colbert. Insanely beautiful design of the restaurant with the high ceilings, ornate mirrors and globe lamps that creates an elegant atmosphere straight out of early 20th-century Paris. We tasted there again the onion soup (just perfect for the fall days) and for the first time the frog legs (cuisses de grenouille) – traditional French delicacy, especially associated with classic French cuisine, often prepared à la provençale with garlic, butter, and parsley. Another French cuisine delicates are snails (escargots). They’re typically prepared by removing the snails from their shells, cooking them with garlic, butter, parsley, and herbs, then placing them back in the shells for serving.
The day was still young, so we decided to take our walk alongside the Seine where you can find spots with posters and postcards with unique VOGUE covers. Vogue Paris was founded in 1920 and from this point it set the tone for French elegance and global style. Nearby can be found The Notre-Dame Cathedral. Another Paris’s greatest landmark, built between the 12th and 14th centuries, masterpiece of French Gothic architecture, famous for its rose windows, flying buttresses, and twin towers. Well-known from the Disney movie produced in late 90’s based on the Victor Hugo’s The Hunchback of Notre-Dame novel. It was heavily damaged by the 2019 fire and restoration was still underway.
With that we crossed the river to have a stroll in the Latin Quarter near the Sorbonne University, one of the oldest and most prestigious centers of learning in Europe. Highlights of this neighborhood include the Panthéon and Luxembourg Gardens with hidden squares where intellectual and bohemian Paris come alive. It’s a favorite spot for Parisians—children sail toy boats on the central fountain, locals play chess and tennis, while others simply relax on the iconic green chairs. We have to admit, there is no place like Paris to found people just reading and enjoying the warm weather, eating French pancakes to takeaway. At the heart of the Luxembourg Gardens can be found the elegant Medici Fountain (La Fontaine Médicis), one of Paris’s most romantic spot, making it one of the best places to pause and breathe in the heart of Paris.
With thousands steps already done, we entered the third day in Paris. This one come with the beautiful sunny weather and we still had some places to see, so there was no time to waste! Near the Eiffel Tower there is one special stop to see the Statue of Liberty. It is smaller replica of the New York original—that symbolize the historic friendship between France and the United States. It stands on the small island on the Seine River near the Grenelle Bridge. Gifted by American residents of Paris in 1889, it faces west toward its “sister” in New York.
From this point we headed to the Pont de Bir Hakeim bridge, the one of Paris’s most beautiful and cinematic bridges. From this bridge we get one of the best perspectives of the Eiffel Tower, especially from the central pedestrian walkway, as it is two-level structure—cars and pedestrians below, and the Paris Métro running above on green iron arches. The beautiful pedestrian walk alongside the Seine River was also the marathon route that day, so the best decision was to just head on the public transportation and run away from the crowded city center. This led us to the Montmartre neighborhood, the hilltop village that once was home for artists like Picasso or Van Gogh. It remains tied to bohemian Paris, where painters still set up easels in an open-air gallery. The romantic atmosphere, artistic legacy, and lively nightlife, especially around the Moulin Rouge at its base, which makes this place unique on the Paris maps.
Montmartre peak rises the white-domed Sacré-Cœur Basilica, overlooking the city with breathtaking views, where people garther on the sunsets and enjoy golden hour with firends. This day there was additionally food&wine market The Fête des Vendanges de Montmartre. One of Paris’s most colorful and joyful festivals, celebrating the grape harvest from Montmartre’s tiny vineyard, the Clos Montmartre. Visitors gather in the cobbled streets, tasting regional wines and specialties like all kinds of cheese and oysters, and just enjoying live music with the spectacular view on the city.
That evening was the perfect closure of our Parisian trip, wasn’t it? After all we were left with one feeling after this trip, if you have been in Paris, you have seen everything.
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