Little-known sights of Paris

But I'm going to tell you about the little-visited places. Paris on the other side. No less interesting.

 

In the city center, the feet are often carried to Notre Dame Cathedral and for a reason. As a traveler from Russia, I am attracted by Gothic buildings, which are practically absent in my homeland, Gothic is a highlight that I want to see with my own eyes.

 

 

 

But Notre Dame is not the only Gothic cathedral. Not far from it, on the left side of the Seine is the inconspicuous church of Saint-Julien-les-Pauvers. It was built in the XIII century. and is still valid today. At first it seems that this church is incredibly small, unremarkable from the outside and also looks like a colonnade of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, but when you go inside you are amazed at how beautiful it is. The windows are decorated with bright stained glass windows, high ceilings with carved colonnades are impressive. I wonder how in such a small room you feel a huge space. Also at the church there is a small courtyard, hidden from the eyes of passers-by, where you can sit in solitude.

 

But do not forget about Notre Dame de Paris. Most tourists see only the front of the cathedral with its upper galleries. On the right side there is an imperceptible entrance to the square of Jean XXIII. Small, cozy, it lures both tourists and residents of the city for gatherings with the whole family. Under the chestnut crown there is a string of benches, and at the entrance for the convenience of parents there is a small playground. So when parents rest and admire the cathedral colonnade, the children play under supervision.

 

As for museums, the most visited are the Louvre and the Musée d’Orsay. To be honest, the Louvre didn’t impress me. A huge number of people, a giant space, classical works of art, which are sometimes already boring. And the Mona Lisa is easier to see on the laptop screen. It can be seen better and longer, while the Louvre is full of tourists taking selfies.

 

So my goal was to visit a completely different museum. You think the Pompidou Center? But no.

 

 

The Great Perfume Museum. It is radically different from the Fraganar perfume museum in its modernity. What struck me was the lack of people. I walked around the halls with an audio guide, which was included in the price of the entrance ticket. The museum consists of several huge rooms spread over three floors, half of which are focused on your touch.

 

 

You will be able to go under the lamps-flowers and guess the smells, smell balloons-flasks with aromas and learn about the elements that are included in the perfume composition, expand the horizons of consciousness about the boundless world of spirits. Information on scoreboards and posters in French and English upsets tourists with poor language skills, but the interactive venues provide audio files in six languages, including Russian.

 

Another interesting place to visit is the catacombs. They are on the outskirts of Paris in the XIV arrondissement. Initially, there were quarries on this site, but in XVIII it was decided to place an ossuary there because of the ban on burials in Paris. The length of the tunnels reaches more than 150 km, but only 2 of them are open to tourists. It is possible to visit the catacombs in groups with a guide and follow only him because it is really easy to get lost there. When you go down, there is a little fear: dimmed lighting, empty eye sockets look at you from all sides.

 

But this place is really worth a visit, especially because it is endangered. Groundwater is gradually eroding the limestone, and many galleries are already flooded.

 

 

If you are near the Eiffel Tower, it is worth a stroll along the long street of Commerse, starting from the metro of the same name and ending with Mont Piqué Avenue. Here you can see the tower from different sides. Sufran Avenue will show you the peak of the tower among the picturesque chestnuts, which are especially beautiful during the May flowering.

 

Wrapping on Bosque Avenue, you will be able to make excellent shots of this attraction, hidden among residential buildings. Following Mont Piqué Avenue and passing through the small Esplanade Park, you go out to the promenade of Orsay.

 

Walking along the embankments, you can run into a store or cafe, grab a couple of croissants with coffee and have a small picnic near the Seine. One of the convenient places to relax is the promenade opposite the Chatelet Theatre. This is the most popular promenade among the French. You can lie on the grass and soak up the sun while watching runners and cyclists.

 

Despite the fact that this promenade is quite crowded, there is still a sense of calm. In the evenings, the French like to sit on the promenade of Orleans opposite Notre Dame. There are big companies gathering and casually chatting, drinking wine. If you want to practice languages, then you should go there and make new acquaintances.