The Guardian » Paris holidays
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The Guardian » Paris holidays
2d ago
From Monet to Degas, the luminosity of Paris has inspired countless artists. As the city celebrates 150 years of impressionism it’s still shining bright
Paris is called the City of Light, possibly because of its early adoption of gas street lighting. But that would not explain why, as I approach Gare du Nord on Eurostar during daytime, I experience a soft dazzle, similar to when I see a pebbly beach. This is not a meteorological phenomenon; the weather in Paris is only slightly better than London’s. Instead, the luminosity owes something to the buff or light-grey limestone of the old ..read more
The Guardian » Paris holidays
3w ago
From Seville to Venice to Amsterdam, Europe is learning to improve locals’ lives by curbing tourists’ enthusiasm
Originally built for the grand Ibero-American Exposition of 1929, Seville’s flamboyant neo-Moorish Plaza de España has for nearly a century been one of the city’s major attractions, an ornate showcase for Spanish architecture and decorative tiling.
But the several thousand visitors from around the world who throng the plaza every day, on foot or in horse-drawn carriages, may soon have to pay for the privilege, with proceeds from a planned entry fee going towards its u ..read more
The Guardian » Paris holidays
1M ago
I’d only ever scratched the surface of the French capital, preferring to travel to exotic places further away. But now I’m back – and I’m blown away
Joy is the city that surprises you – that was my verdict as I wrapped up a recent long weekend in Paris. More than a decade had passed since I’d first visited the French capital, and I can recall very little from that two-day sojourn, just scattered memories of intimidatingly dressed women shopping in Saint-Germain-des-Prés and a trip to Notre Dame Cathedral, which remained clad in scaffolding because of the terrible 2019 fire.
Back then, Europe’s ..read more
The Guardian » Paris holidays
2M ago
Not only did we find much cheaper accommodation outside Paris but we discovered a whole new area to explore
Plus four more ideal towns for ‘commuting’ to European capitals
We wanted to pack a lot into our few days in Paris: Inventing Impressionism at the Musée d’Orsay (until 14 July), and, for my techie husband, the new Maison Poincaré maths museum near the Sorbonne (monoglot polymaths can relax: it’s bilingual). We’d been too late to book for Serge Gainsbourg’s house on the Left Bank (already sold out for 2024!) but the new Quai de la Photo floating contemporary photography museum was showing ..read more
The Guardian » Paris holidays
2M ago
The long-running series in which readers answer other readers’ questions on subjects ranging from trivial flights of fancy to profound scientific and philosophical concepts
I returned to Paris recently – where I have previously had countless encounters with Gallic rudeness – to find that everyone was very friendly. Why are Parisians nice now? Darwin Clay, Mansfield
Post your answers (and new questions) below or send them to nq@theguardian.com. A selection will be published next Sunday ..read more
The Guardian » Paris holidays
3M ago
We pick top sites in the French capital that show off the great engineer’s genius. And who knew that it’s thanks to him the Statue of Liberty didn’t fall into New York harbour?
Gustave Eiffel, who died 100 years ago today, is best known for Paris’s most famous landmark, the tower that bears his name. But over a long and prolific career, the Dijon-born civil engineer also built dams, bridges and lighthouses as far afield as Russia, Senegal, Vietnam and Brazil. He worked on an early attempt at building a Panama canal, and while there was charged with misuse of funds and imprisoned (though later ..read more
The Guardian » Paris holidays
4M ago
New must-see exhibitions and canalside boutiques and indie stores make the French capital the perfect place for an autumn getaway
The opening of a new hotel, a new gallery and two compelling exhibitions in two of my favourite galleries made a pre-Christmas Eurostar dash to Paris irresistible. The draw of the 91-room Bloom House Hotel & Spa, which opened in September (new beds, new everything equals no bedbugs!), is that you can get off the Eurostar at Gare du Nord after a stress-free journey and be having lunch in their courtyard garden oasis 10 minutes later. A green-tiled pond is the foc ..read more
The Guardian » Paris holidays
5M ago
Going on holiday solo is a rare opportunity to call all the shots, remind yourself what you like and learn to enjoy your own company
I got my first glimpse of Paris in almost 20 years on a sunny afternoon stepping out of the Métro at Pont de l’Alma. I could see the Eiffel Tower through the trees and, despite the jet lag, my luggage was the only thing stopping me from heading towards it. Once offloaded, it was the first thing I did. I spent less than 10 minutes in the hotel after 21 hours travelling, but off I went. When you’re on your own, you can do just that.
In the lead-up to going on holid ..read more
The Guardian » Paris holidays
5M ago
Couturiers, spirit-makers and neon-sign merchants are among the 600 artisans opening their ateliers next month to showcase their traditional trades
Stepping into the Brûlerie de Belleville in Paris’s 19th arrondissement feels like entering an old-fashioned apothecary. Floor-to-ceiling dark wooden shelves filled with glass jars, tins of roasted coffee beans and a huge variety of coffee makers line the walls; bar counters are topped with wine-coloured marble where you can sip on freshly made espresso.
The Brûlerie is one of Paris’s oldest quality coffee roasters and one of the artisans taking pa ..read more
The Guardian » Paris holidays
6M ago
Forget Paris in the spring … autumn is the best time of year to enjoy the city’s parks, gardens and forests. A local garden expert picks her favourites in the fall
Coming from New England, which is famous for its fall colours, I was disillusioned by the sheer multitude of brown, crumpled horse-chestnut leaves on display in Paris in autumn. So I began my quest for hints of gold, amber, russet and scarlet and have been richly rewarded ..read more