Itinerary
Discover the unusual albeit in one of the most renowned Paris area. Ideally from the late afternoon to the end of the evening, let’s find some weirdness in the City of Light.
This itinerary might only have 7 stops, but you will need the full 6 hours to do everything, including having dinner in the most unusual place.
Without dinner, you’ll need only half as many hours. Even less if you skip visiting the Centre Pompidou.
The best would be to begin, from Tuesday to Saturday, at around 4.30pm. This will give you time to visit the Doll Museum. Then you’ll have time to enjoy Beaubourg before going to dinner.
You will be brought to the Paris of the tourists, but you won’t be like the others at all. Quite the contrary in fact : you’ll see lesser known places and you’ll be having unusual experiences.
So, are you ready ?
7 stops
1. Hôtel de Ville
The big (and stunning) City Hall of Paris (l’Hôtel de Ville) was build in the XIXth century from blueprints by architects Théodore Ballu and Édouard Deperthes.
Its neo-renaissance facade is largely inspired by the one of the previous palace, build between 1533 and 1628 – although Paris’s administration has been located at this spot since 1357 – but destroyed by fire during the Paris Commune in May 1871.
The Place de Grève, now called Place de l’Hôtel-de-Ville (since 1803) is a pedestrian square since 1982. It is here that Nicolas Pelletier, the first ever convict to be executed with a guillotine, found his death on April 25, 1792.
The Hôtel de Ville is the largest City Hall in Europe. Visits are only possible during the Journées du patrimoine.
2. Saint-Merri (or Saint-Merry) Church
This church, located nearby the Centre Pompidou, was most likely named after Saint-Médéric, who died in 700, then canonized and renamed Saint Merri. His remains are still lying in the church’s crypt.
The gothic-only church has a layout similar to Notre-Dame’s.
3. Paris Doll Museum
Located not far form Beaubourg, in a dead-end (impasse Berthaud), the museum showcase about 500 dolls since 1994, some dating back to 1800. Events are organized all-year for childrens and adults.
4. The Defender of Time
Not far from the Pompidou Center, tucked away in an passageway called Quartier de l’Horloge (Clock Quarter), is the reason why the place is named that way : a strange mechanized clock by French artist Jacques Monestier.
A man on a rock, with a sword and a shield, fights every hour from 9am to 10pm, since 1979, one of three animals : a bird, a dragon and a crab, which symbolize the sky, the earth and the sea. The man’s opponent is chosen randomly by the clock mechanism.
What happens at 12am, 6pm and 10pm ? We won’t tell you…
5. Centre Pompidou
How can you miss it ? Since its opening in 1977, the Centre Pompidou has had over 150 million visitors.
It houses a vast public library, the Musée National d’Art Moderne which is the largest museum for modern art in Europe, and IRCAM, a centre for music and acoustic research.
Because of its location, the Centre is known locally as the Beaubourg. It is named after Georges Pompidou, the President of France from 1969 to 1974 who decided its creation.
The Centre was designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano; British architect Richard Rogers; and Italian architect Gianfranco Franchini.
The Place Georges Pompidou in front of the museum is noted for the presence of street performers, such as mimes and jugglers. In the spring, miniature carnivals are installed temporarily into the place in front with a wide variety of attractions: bands, caricature and sketch artists, tables set up for evening dining, and even skateboarding competitions.
Source : Wikipedia contributors, “Centre Georges Pompidou“
6. Dans le noir ?
The idea : plunging into darkness. Guided by a visually handicapped person, you’ll dine in the dark, tasting various flavors and you may even try a surprise menu. Be aware of the fact that it’s not cheap, however.
Such places exist also in other large cities, such as Barcelona or New-York.
7. Arts-et-Métiers Subway Station
Among the few Paris subway stations that are worth the look, this one, part of line 11, has been redecorated in 1994 by François Schuiten, the belgian comic book artist responsible for “Les Cités Obscures” (published in English as “Cities of the Fantastic”). One is under the impression of being in a submarine.
RiddlesUnusual
Map, navigation, practical information, extra pictures and more are available on the Paris Parcours app.