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1 The Best of

Discovering the City of Light and making it your own has always been the most compelling reason to visit Paris. If you’re a first-timer, everything, of course, will be new to you. If you’ve been away for awhile, expect changes: Taxi drivers may no longer correct your fractured French, but address you in English—tantamount to a revolu- tion. More Parisians have a rudimentary knowledge of the language, and France, at least at first glance, seems less xenophobic than in past years. Paris, aware of its role within a united Europe, is an international city. Parisians are attracted to foreign music, videos, and films, especially those from America, even though most French people violently disagree with the political dictates emerging from George Bush’s Washington. Though Paris is in flux culturally and socially, it lures travelers for the same reasons as always. You’ll still find classic sights like the Tour Eiffel, Notre-Dame, the , Sacré-Coeur, and all those atmospheric cafes, as well as daringly futuristic projects like the de La Défense, the Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie, the Cité de la Musique, and the Bibliothèque François-Mitterrand. Don’t forget the parks, gardens, and squares; the Champs-Elysées and other grand boulevards; and the river Seine and its quays. Paris’s beauty is still overwhelming, especially at night, when it truly is the City of Light.

1 The Most Unforgettable Travel Experiences • Whiling Away an Afternoon in a purée of sweetened chestnuts and Parisian Cafe: The cafes are where meringue. The grandest Parisian tea passionate meetings of writers, artists, salon is Angélina, 226 , philosophers, thinkers, and revolu- 1er (& 01-42-60-82-00; Métro: Tui- tionaries once took place—and per- leries or Concorde; p. 138). haps still do. Parisians stop by their • Strolling Along the Seine: Such favorite cafes to meet lovers and painters as Sisley, Turner, and Monet friends, to make new ones, or to sit in have fallen under the Seine’s spell. On solitude with a newspaper or book. its banks, lovers still walk hand in For ourCOPYRIGHTED recommendations, see sec- hand, MATERIAL anglers cast their lines, and tion 6, “The Top Cafes,” in chapter bouquinistes (secondhand-book deal- 7, “Where to Dine.” ers) peddle their mix of postcards, • Taking Afternoon Tea à la Française: 100-year-old pornography, and tat- Drinking tea in London has its charm, tered histories of Indochina. For but the Parisian salon de thé is unique. more details on the sights and Skip the cucumber-and-watercress moments of Paris, see chapter 8, sandwiches and delve into a luscious “Exploring Paris.” dessert like the Mont Blanc, a creamy 05_007478 ch01.qxp 7/27/06 11:09 PM Page 4

4 CHAPTER 1 . THE BEST OF PARIS • Spending a Day at the Races: Paris St-Honoré; today, the quarter is boasts eight tracks for horse racing. home to stores catering to the rich, The most famous and the classiest is particularly on rue du Hippodrome de Longchamp, in the St-Honoré and avenue Montaigne. , the site of the Prix Even if you don’t buy anything, it’s de l’Arc de Triomphe and Grand Prix great to window-shop big names like (p. 229). These and other top races Hermès, Dior, Laroche, Courrèges, are major social events, so you’ll have Cardin, and Saint Laurent. If you to dress up (buy your outfit on rue du want to browse in the stores, be sure Faubourg St-Honoré). Take the to dress the part. See chapter 10, Métro to Porte d’Auteuil and then a “Shopping,” for the lowdown on bus from there to the track. The rac- these boutiques. ing newspaper Paris Turf and weekly • Exploring Ile de la Cité’s Flower entertainment magazines have details Market: A fine finish to any day about race times. (Mon–Sat) spent meandering along • Calling on the Dead: You don’t have the Seine is a stroll through the to be a ghoul to be thrilled by a visit to Marché aux Fleurs, place Louis- Europe’s most famous cemetery, Père- Lépine (p. 268). You can buy rare Lachaise (p. 226). You can pay your flowers, the gems of the French respects to the earthly remains of Riviera—bouquets that have inspired Gertrude Stein and her longtime com- artists throughout the centuries. Even panion, Alice B. Toklas; Oscar Wilde; the most basic hotel room will feel Yves Montand and Simone Signoret; like a luxury suite once you fill it with Edith Piaf; Isadora Duncan; Abélard bunches of carnations, lavender, and Héloïse; Frédéric Chopin; Marcel roses, and tulips. On Sundays, the Proust; Eugène Delacroix; Jim Morri- area is transformed into the Marché son; and others. The tomb designs are aux Oiseaux, where you can admire intriguing and often eerie. Laid out in rare birds from around the world. 1803 on a hill in Ménilmontant, the • Going Gourmet at Fauchon: An cemetery offers surprises with its exotic world of food, Fauchon bizarre monuments, unexpected (p. 177) offers more than 20,000 views, and ornate sculpture. products from around the globe. • Checking Out the Marchés: A daily Everything you never knew you were Parisian ritual is ambling through one missing is in aisle after aisle of coffees, of the open-air markets to buy fresh spices, pastries, fruits, vegetables, food—perhaps a properly creamy rare Armagnacs, and much more. Camembert or a pumpkin-gold can- Take your pick: Tonganese mangoes, taloupe—to be eaten before sun- Scottish smoked salmon, preserved down. Our favorite market is on rue cocks’ combs, Romanian rose-petal Montorgueil, beginning at rue Ram- jelly, blue-red Indian pomegranates, buteau, 1er (Métro: Les Halles). Dur- golden Tunisian dates, larks stuffed ing mornings at this grubby little with foie gras, dark morels from cluster of food stalls, we’ve spotted France’s rich soil, Finnish reindeer’s some of France’s finest chefs stocking tongue, century-old eggs from China, up for the day. For more details, see and a creole punch from Martinique “Food Markets” in chapter 10. reputed to be the best anywhere. • Window-Shopping in the Faubourg • Attending a Ballet or an Opera: In St-Honoré: In the 1700s, the wealth- 1989, the Opéra (p. 277) iest Parisians resided in the Faubourg was inaugurated to compete with the 05_007478 ch01.qxp 7/27/06 11:09 PM Page 5

THE BEST SPLURGE HOTELS 5 grande dame of the music scene, the Paris might have arrived with a copy Opéra Garnier (p. 277), which then of Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast was used solely for dance and soon and, taking the author’s endorsement closed for renovations. The Opéra to heart, headed for Harry’s Bar at Garnier reopened a few years ago, “Sank roo doe Noo.” Harry’s is still and opera has joined dance in the around but now draws an older, more rococo splendor created by Charles conservative clientele. Today’s chic Garnier, beneath a controversial ceil- younger expats head for Willi’s Wine ing by Chagall. The modern Opéra Bar, 13 rue des Petits-Champs, 1er Bastille, France’s largest opera house, (& 01-42-61-05-09; Métro: Bourse, with curtains by designer Issey Palais Royal, or Pyramides; p. 288). Miyake, has opera and symphony Here, the longhaired young bar- performances in four concert halls tenders are mostly English, as are the (its main hall seats 2,700). Whether waitresses, who are dressed in Laura for a performance of Bizet or Tharp, Ashley garb. The place is like an infor- dress with pomp and circumstance. mal club for Brits, Australians, and • Sipping Cocktails at Willi’s: Back in Yanks, especially in the afternoon. the early 1970s, the first-timer to Some 300 wines await your selection.

2 The Best Splurge Hotels • Hôtel Ritz (15 place Vendôme, 1er; Louis XIV tapestries worth millions. & 800/223-6800 or 01-43-16-30-30; See p. 98. www.ritzparis.com). This hotel, which • Hôtel Meurice (228 rue de Rivoli, gave the world the word “ritzy,” mean- 1er; & 01-44-58-10-10) has been ing posh, occupies a magnificent restored to its former glory. It reigned palace overlooking the octagonal bor- as the queen bee hotel of Paris in the ders of one of the most perfect squares 19th century and has made a come- in the world. The decor is pure opu- back to preside over post-millennium lence. Marcel Proust wrote parts of Paris as well. From its Winter Garden Remembrance of Things Past here, and to its sumptuous bedrooms that shel- the world’s greatest chef, Georges- tered kings, this one is a winner. See Auguste Escoffier, perfected many p. 84. of his recipes in the Ritz kitchens See • Hôtel Pershing Hall (49 rue Pierre p. 85. Charron, 8e; & 01-58-36-58-00; • Four Seasons Hotel George V (31 www.pershing-hall.com) is not as well av. George V, 8e; & 800/332-3442 known as the previous hotels, but it or 01-49-52-70-00; www.fourseasons. too ranks among Paris’s pockets of com). Humorist Art Buchwald once posh. Converted from an elegant town wrote, “Paris without the George V house of the 19th century, it was dras- would be Cleveland.” The swanky tically altered by Andrée Putnam, one address has long been a favorite of of France’s most celebrated modern celebrities in every field, including designers, into this citadel of fine liv- Duke Ellington, who once wrote in ing. Built for the Comte de Paris and his memoirs that his suite was so big his mistress, it was the Paris headquar- that he couldn’t find the way out. Its ters for General John Pershing in public and private rooms are deco- World War I—hence, its name. It’s rated with a vast array of antiques and lavish, lush, and luxurious. See p. 100. 05_007478 ch01.qxp 7/27/06 11:09 PM Page 6

6 CHAPTER 1 . THE BEST OF PARIS • Plaza Athénée (25 av. Montaigne, 8e; evocative of a visit to a classy private & 866/732-1106 or 01-53-67-66-65; home, filled with tasteful, beautifully www.plaza-athenee-paris.com) is still decorated bedrooms and intimate the favorite lunchtime hangout for public salons with baronial furnish- Parisian couturiers. It’s also a lot more ings evocative of the era of Louis XV. than that, providing luxurious accom- You can sleep under a ceiling with modations for the likes of the Rocke- exposed beams in a canopied bed. See fellers and super-wealthy Brazilians. p. 111. This swanky citadel is graced with pot- • L’Hôtel (13 rue des Beaux-Arts, 6e; ted palms, crystal chandeliers, and ele- & 01-44-41-99-00; www.l-hotel. gant furnishings—you name it: Louis com) is precious—just precious—the XV, Louis XVI, Regency, whatever. Its Left Bank’s most charming little town ivy-covered courtyard is a slice of house hotel. And, yes, this former heaven. See p. 101. fleabag was where the great Oscar • Hôtel d’Aubusson (33 rue Wilde died, disgraced and penniless. Dauphine, 6e; & 01-43-29-43-43; That was Glenn Close or Robert De www.hotelaubusson.com) lies in the Niro you saw walking through the heart of St-Germain-des-Prés and is lobby, but not Elizabeth Taylor, our favorite boutique hotel in Paris. It because the rooms were too small for takes its name from the original her luggage. The hotel is a triumph of Aubusson tapestries gracing its ele- Directoire architecture, and the gant public rooms. Antiques and lux- ambience is oh, so seductive. See urious accessories make a stay here p. 111.

3 The Best Moderately Priced Hotels • Axial Beaubourg (11 rue du Temple, hotel on this island, we’d choose this 4e; & 01-42-72-72-22; www.axial restored 18th-century town house. We beaubourg.com) is a winner in the like the abundance of fresh flowers and increasingly fashionable Marais dis- the fireplace in the cellar bar. The trict, convenient to the Picasso rooms are a bit small, but this is one of Museum and the . the city’s greatest locations for a hotel, Parisian fashionistas have made this a and that should count for something. favorite nesting place. The old archi- See p. 94. tecture, including time-worn stones • Hôtel Saint-Louis (75 rue St-Louis- and exposed beams, has been en-l’Ile, 4e; & 01-46-34-04-80; respected; otherwise, the place is as www.hotelsaintlouis.com). Like Hôtel up-to-date as tomorrow. A member des Deux-Iles, this cozy nest, a of the staff jokingly suggested to us restored 17th-century town house, that this sophisticated rendezvous is occupies a “world apart” on a tiny “not for virgins.” See p. 93. island in the middle of the Seine. The • Hôtel des Deux-Iles (59 rue St-Louis- rooms may be petit, but the charm en-l’Ile, 4e; & 01-43-26-13-35; of the place compensates, with its www.deuxiles-paris-hotel.com). There exposed ceiling beams, wooden exists no more platinum real estate, at Louis XIII furnishings, and modern least in our view, than the Ile St-Louis, bathrooms. Opt for a fifth-floor bed- Paris’s most beautiful isle in the Seine. room for a panoramic view over the For a charming, yet unpretentious, rooftops of Paris. See p. 94. 05_007478 ch01.qxp 7/27/06 11:09 PM Page 7

THE MOST UNFORGETTABLE DINING EXPERIENCES 7 • Galileo Hôtel (54 rue Galilee, 8e; • Hôtel de l’Abbaye Saint-Germain & 01-47-20-66-06; www.galileo- (10 rue Cassette, 6e; & 01-45- paris-hotel.com). In the super-expen- 44-38-11; www.hotel-abbaye.com). sive 8th Arrondissement, site of the For those who’d like to stay in the heart Champs-Elysées and France’s most of the Quartier Latin in the 5th expensive street, avenue Montaigne, Arrondissement, this charming bou- this is a holdout since it’s actually tique hotel, originally a convent in the affordable to many visitors. In the 1700s, has been restored with a certain epicenter of Paris, this restored town grace and sophisticated flair. Brightly house is imbued with Parisian ele- painted rooms with traditional French gance and charm. Though under- furnishings are inviting and comfort- stated, the bedrooms are tastefully able, and the maintenance is first-rate. furnished and most comfortable, and Grace notes include a courtyard with a a few choice ones have glass-covered fountain, along with flowerbeds and verandas. See p. 102. climbing ivy. Try for the upper-floor • Hotel Trocadéro La Tour (5 bis rue room with a terrace overlooking Paris. Massenet, 16e; & 01-45-24-43-03; See p. 112. www.trocadero-la-tour.com). In a • Residence des Arts (14 rue Git-le- tony district known for its well- Coeur, 6e; & 01-55-42-71-11; heeled bourgeoisie and upscale www.arts-residence-paris.com). If rents, this restored late-19th-cen- your own “studio” in Left Bank Paris tury town house charges reasonable has always been a dream, you can rent prices—for Paris, that is. Subdued one here, or else a tastefully decorated elegance and refined comfort are suite or apartment—all at an afford- just part of its allure, along with its able price. In the heart of the view of the in the dis- Quartier Latin, this hotel was carved tance. From its tree-filled courtyard from a former apartment building to to its elegant, tastefully decorated which two upper floors were added in bedrooms, this one is a winner and 1998. Some of the units come with not as well known as it should be. kitchenettes, and a bistro and restau- See p. 104. rant are on-site. See p. 115.

4 The Most Unforgettable Dining Experiences • Le Grand Véfour (17 rue de Beaujo- • Aux Lyonnais (32 rue St-Marc, 2e; lais, 1er; & 01-42-96-56-27). & 01-42-96-65-04). Paris’s bistro of Seductively and appropriately time- bistros has been taken over by Alain worn, this dining room is where Ducasse, the six-star Michelin chef sat wooing Joséphine. Its and self-proclaimed “greatest in the Louis XVI–Directoire interior is a world.” In spite of that takeover, Aux protected historic monument. With Lyonnais remains the quintessential its haute cuisine, it has been the Parisian dining choice for Lyonnais haunt of celebrities since 1760. Its specialties. As any city dweller of cuisine, mercifully, is even better than Lyon will tell you, that city is the gas- ever, because it insists on hiring only tronomic capital of France. The mar- the world’s leading chefs. This monu- ket-fresh produce is as new as the ment to the past still tantalizes 21st- 1890s bistro is old, with its backdrop century palates. See p. 134. of potted palms, etched glass, and 05_007478 ch01.qxp 7/27/06 11:09 PM Page 8

8 CHAPTER 1 . THE BEST OF PARIS globe lamps in the best of the Belle Although we’ve enjoyed much of the Epoque style. See p. 139. innovative cuisine of Alain Solivères, • Au Pied de Cochon (6 rue Coquil- we are also grateful that he’s kept that lière, 1er; & 01-40-13-77-00). For airy, sausage-shaped lobster soufflé on years it’s been a Paris tradition to stop the menu. See p. 152. off at this joint in Les Halles for the • Carré des Feuillants (14 rue de Cas- famous onion soup at 3 o’clock in the tiglione, 1er; & 01-42-86-82-82): morning after a night of revelry. The Chef Alain Dutournier presides over true Parisian also orders the restau- this temple of haute gastronomy, rant’s namesake—grilled pigs’ feet thrilling diners with his take on new with béarnaise sauce. You can also do French cuisine. As always, deluxe as your grandpa did and wash down a ingredients are prepared with one of dozen different varieties of oysters at the most finely honed techniques in the time-mellowed bar—along with all of Paris. This chef knows the value champagne, but of course. See p. 175. of simplicity touched with inspira- • Chez Jo Goldenberg (7 rue des tion. See p. 131. Rosiers, 4e; & 01-48-87-20-16). • Lasserre (17 av. Franklin D. Roose- “The Street of Rosebushes” (its name velt, 8e; & 01-43-59-53-43): Each in English) no longer wafts with the new generation discovered this ele- smell of flowers, but instead the scent gant bastion of chic for itself. A tradi- of hot pastrami. This is the heart of tion since the late 1930s, Lasserre has the old medieval Jewish ghetto of seen the faces of the Golden Age Paris, and traditions are long in (everyone from Marlene Dietrich to dying. The memory of Nazi soldiers Audrey Hepburn) but also welcomes hauling off 75,000 Jews to the con- the stars of today, tempting them centration camps will never be for- with sublime cuisine both modern gotten here, but Jewish cuisine is still and traditional. See p. 149. respected and even showcased at this • Crémerie-Restaurant Polidor (41 rue modest but famous restaurant. You Monsieur-le-Prince, 6e; & 01-43-26- don’t even have to be Jewish to enjoy 95-34). A longtime favorite of stu- the chopped liver, the gefilte fish, the dents, artists, and the literati such as steaming borscht, and the apple James Joyce and Jack Kerouac, this strudel. See p. 143. bistro in St-Germain-des-Prés has been • Taillevent (15 rue Lamennais, 8e; around since 1845. We’ve been such & 01-44-95-15-01). Forget about regulars that our favorite waitress used sending the kids to college, and to store our linen napkins in a wooden instead enjoy one of the most memo- drawer for use on another night. One rable meals of your life at what is con- habitué we met here claimed he’d been sistently hailed as Paris’s temple of dining at Polidor 2 or 3 nights a week haute cuisine. Named after a 14th- for half a century. The pumpkin soup, century chef to the king and the the boeuf bourguignon, the blanquette author of the first French cookbook, de veau—yes, the same recipes that this restaurant comes as close to per- delighted Hemingway are still served fection as any in the world. In all of here. See p. 170. our years of dining here, the chef has • L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon (5–7 rue never had a bad day. This is a true de Montalembert, 7e; & 01-42-22- temple of grand cuisine with one of 56-56). What a discovery. When Joël the world’s top 10 wine lists. Robuchon retired in the mid-1990s, 05_007478 ch01.qxp 7/27/06 11:09 PM Page 9

THE BEST THINGS TO DO FOR FREE (OR ALMOST) 9 he was hailed as the greatest chef in • La Petite Chaise (36 rue de Grenelle, France, which may as well mean the 7e; & 01-42-22-13-35). Even on the world. Bored with retirement, he most rushed of visits to Paris, we made a more modest comeback with always drop in here for one of the this 7th Arrondissement delight. His best prix-fixe menus at the more innovative dishes are far less elaborate affordable restaurants in Paris. “The than they were in days of yore, but he Little Chair” (its English name) first still makes the best mashed potatoes opened as an inn in 1680, when it the world has ever known, along with was used for both food and its bed- other market-fresh concoctions that rooms upstairs, where discretion for will win your heart. We’re talking the afternoon dalliances was virtually likes of such dishes as caramelized assured. The time-honored cuisine is quail glazed with a shallot-perfumed as French as Charles de Gaulle—and sauce. See p. 172. that is as it should be. See p. 174.

5 The Best Things to Do for Free (or Almost) • Meeting the Natives. There is no • Trailing les Américains. At 35 rue de page number to which you can turn Picpus, a few blocks from the place de for guidance here. You’re on your la Nation, is a spot over which the own. But meeting the Parisians, and Stars and Stripes have flown for more experiencing their cynical metropoli- than a century and a half. It lies in a tanism, is one of the adventures of small secluded cemetery, marking the traveling to Paris—and it’s free. Tol- grave of the Marquis de Lafayette— erance, gentleness, and patience are the man who, during the American not their strongest points; they don’t Revolution, forged the chain that has suffer fools gladly, but adore linked the two countries ever since. eccentrics. Visitors often find Col. Charles E. Stanton came here to Parisians brusque to the point of utter the famous words, Lafayette, rudeness and preoccupied with their nous voila! (“Lafayette, we are here!”) own affairs. However, this hard- to announce the arrival of the World boiled crust often protects a soft cen- War I doughboys on French soil. At ter. Compliment a surly bistro owner the pont de Grenelle, at Passy, you’ll on her cuisine, and—nine times out find the original model of the Statue of ten—she’ll melt before your eyes. of Liberty that France presented to Admire a Parisian’s dog or praise a the people of the United States. One window display, and you’ll find a of the most impressive paintings in loquaciously knowledgeable compan- the Musée de l’Armée (p. 197) shows ion for the next 5 minutes. Ask about the Battle of Yorktown, which—how- the correct pronunciation of a French ever you learned it in school—was a word (before you mispronounce it), combined Franco-American victory. and a Parisian may become your lan- Throughout the city, you’ll keep guage teacher. Try to meet a Parisian coming across statues, monuments, halfway with some kind of personal- streets, squares, and plaques com- ized contact. Only then do you learn memorating George Washington, their best qualities: their famed Benjamin Franklin, Presidents Wilson charm, their savoir-faire—and, yes, and Roosevelt, Generals Pershing and believe it or not, the delightful cour- Eisenhower, and scores of lesser Yan- tesy that marks their social life. kee names. 05_007478 ch01.qxp 7/27/06 11:09 PM Page 10

10 CHAPTER 1 . THE BEST OF PARIS • Attending a Free Concert. Summer Marais. Our favorite gallery in the brings a Paris joy: free concerts in Marais is La Maison Rouge, the red parks and churches all over the city. house at 10 bd. de la Bastille, 12e Pick up an entertainment weekly for (& 01-40-01-08-81; Métro: Quai de details. Some of the best concerts are la Rapée). It displays an ever-chang- held at the American Church in ing array of the “hottest” work—and Paris, 65 quai d’Orsay, 7e (& 01-40- the most avant-garde—of Parisian 62-05-00; Métro: Invalides or Alma- artists. The more traditional galleries Marceau; p. 277), which sponsors are found in St-Germain-des-Prés, free concerts from September to June with Galerie Adrien Maeght, 42 rue on Sunday at 5pm. You can also attend du Bac, 7e (& 01-45-48-45-15; free concerts at Eglise St-Merry, 78 p. 255) being the market leader. rue St-Martin, 4e (& 01-42-74- • Seeing Paris from a Bus. Most tours 59-39; Métro: Hôtel-de-Ville; p. 277). of Paris are expensive, but for only These performances are staged based 1.30€ ($1.56) you can ride one of on the availability of the performers, the city’s public buses traversing some from September to July on Saturday at of the most scenic streets. Our 9pm and again on Sunday at 4pm. favorite is no. 29, which begins at his- • Hanging Out at the Place des toric Gare St-Lazare (Métro: St- Vosges. Deep in , place des Lazare), subject of Monet’s painting Vosges is more an enchanted island La Gare St-Lazare at Musée d’Orsay. than a city square. This serenely Featured in Zola’s novel La Bête lovely oasis is the oldest square in Humaine, the station also has a bus Paris and the most entrancing. Laid line. Aboard no. 29, you pass the out in 1605 by order of Henry IV, it famous Opéra Garnier (home of the was the scene of innumerable cava- Phantom) and proceed into the liers’ duels. In the middle is a tiny Marais district, passing by Paris’s park where you can sit and sun, listen most beautiful square, place des Vos- to the splashing waters of the foun- ges. You end up at the Bastille dis- tains, or else watch the kids at play. trict, home of the new opera. What On three sides is an encircling we like about this bus is that it takes arcaded walk, supported by arches you along the side streets of Paris and and paved with ancient, worn flag- not the major boulevards. It’s a close stones. Sit sipping an espresso as the encounter with back-street Paris and day passes you by. It’s our all-time a cheap way to see the city without favorite spot in Paris for people- commentary. watching. See p. 67. • Strolling the World’s Grandest • Viewing Avant-Garde Art. Space is Promenade. Pointing from place de too tight to document the dozens of la Concorde like a broad, straight art galleries that abound in Paris, but arrow to the Arc de Triomphe at the the true devotee will find that not all far end, the Champs-Elysées (the great art in Paris is displayed in a main street of Paris) presents its museum. There is a tendency, how- grandest spectacle at night. Guide- ever, for owners to open galleries book writers to Paris grow tired of around major museums, hoping to repeating “the most in the world,” lure the art lovers in. This is especially but, of course, the Champs-Elysées is true around the Musée Picasso and the world’s most famous promenade. the Centre Pompidou, both in the For the first third of the stroll from 05_007478 ch01.qxp 7/27/06 11:09 PM Page 11

THE BEST MUSEUMS 11 , the avenue is garden was laid out as a royal pleasure hedged by chestnut trees. Then it ground in 1564, but was thrown open changes into a double row of palatial to the public by the French Revolu- hotels and shops, movie houses, office tion. Filled with statues, fountains, and buildings, and block after block of mathematically trimmed hedges, it’s a sidewalk cafes. The automobile show- bit too formal for English gardeners rooms and gift stores have marred the who like their green spaces a little Belle Epoque elegance of this stretch, wilder. Its nicest feature is a series of but it’s still the greatest vantage point round ponds on which kids sail from which to watch Paris roll by. armadas of model boats. Stand on the • Cooling Off in the Jardin des Tui- elevated terrace by the Seine, enjoying leries. Right Bank Parisians head to panoramic views over Paris, including the Tuileries Gardens to cool off on a the Arc de Triomphe and the Cour hot summer day. The park stretches on Napoléon of the . The sculp- the Right Bank of the Seine from the tures by Rodin aren’t bad either. Food place de la Concorde to the doorstep of stands or cafes with refreshing drinks the Louvre. This exquisitely formal await you.

6 The Best Museums • Musée du Louvre (34–36 quai du with sculptures and decorative Louvre, 1er; & 01-40-20-53-17). objects whose designs forever The Louvre’s exterior is a triumph of changed the way European artists French architecture, and its interior interpreted line, movement, and shelters an embarrassment of art, one color. In case you didn’t know, d’Or- of the greatest treasure troves known say is also where Whistler’s Mother sits to Western civilization. Of the Lou- in her rocker. See p. 201. vre’s more than 300,000 paintings, • Centre Pompidou (Place Georges- only a small percentage can be dis- Pompidou, 4e; & 01-44-78-12-33). played at one time. The museum “The most avant-garde building in maintains its staid dignity and time- the world,” or so it is known, is a lessness even though thousands of citadel of modern art, with exhibi- visitors traipse daily through its corri- tions drawn from more than 40,000 dors, looking for the Mona Lisa or the works. Everything seemingly is Venus de Milo. I. M. Pei’s controver- here—from Calder’s 1928 Josephine sial Great Pyramid nearly offsets the Baker (one of his earliest versions of grandeur of the Cour Carrée, but it the mobile) to a re-creation of Bran- has a real functional purpose, as you cusi’s Jazz Age studio. See p. 204. will soon see. See p. 199. • Musée Jacquemart-André (158 bd. • Musée d’Orsay (1 rue de Bellechasse, Haussmann, 8e; & 01-45-62- 7e; & 01-40-49-48-14). The spidery 11-59). The 19th-century town glass-and-iron canopies of an aban- house, with its gilt salons and elegant doned railway station frame one of winding staircase, contains the best Europe’s greatest museums of art. small collection of 18th-century dec- Devoted mainly to paintings of the orative art in Paris. The building and 19th century, d’Orsay contains some its contents were a bequest to the of the most celebrated masterpieces by the late Mme of the French Impressionists, along Nélie Jacquemart-André, herself an 05_007478 ch01.qxp 7/27/06 11:09 PM Page 12

12 CHAPTER 1 . THE BEST OF PARIS artist of note. To her amazing collec- inherited the fortune of a J. P. Mor- tion of rare French decorative art, she gan, the event would not have been added a rich trove of painting and more startling. Exhibited here is the sculpture from the Dutch and Flem- painting, Impression: Sunrise, that ish schools, as well as paintings and named the artistic movement. See objets d’art from the Italian Renais- p. 206. sance. See p. 206. • Musée Picasso (in the Hotel Salé, • Musée National du Moyen Age/ 5 rue de Thorigny, 3e; & 01-42-71- (in the Hotel de 25-21). Deep in the heart of the Cluny, 6 place Paul-Painlevé, 5e; Marais, this museum has been hailed & 01-53-73-78-00). This is an in the press as a repository “for enchantress of a museum, housing Picasso’s Picassos.” The state acquired some of the most beautiful medieval the world’s greatest collection in lieu art still in existence. The museum of a $50 million inheritance tax: 203 occupies one of the two Gothic pri- paintings, 158 sculptures, 16 col- vate residences left from Paris in the lages, 19 bas-reliefs, 88 ceramics, and 15th century. Dark, rough-walled, more than 1,500 sketches and 1,600 and evocative, the Cluny is devoted engravings. The work spans 75 years to the church art and castle crafts of of Picasso’s life. See p. 208. the Middle Ages. It is more cele- • Musée Rodin (in the Hotel Biron, brated for its tapestries—among 77 rue de Varenne, 7e; & 01-44-18- them the world-famed series of The 61-10). Auguste Rodin, the man Lady and the Unicorn, gracefully dis- credited with freeing French sculp- played in a circular room on the sec- ture from classicism, once lived at, ond floor. Downstairs you can visit and had his studio in, this charming the ruins of Roman baths, dating 18th-century mansion across from from around A.D. 200. See p. 207. Napoleon’s Tomb. Today, the house • Musée Marmottan-Claude Monet and its garden are filled with his (2 rue Louis-Boilly, 16e; & 01-44- works, a soul-satisfying feast for the 96-50-33). On the edge of the Bois Rodin enthusiast. In the cobbled de Boulogne, this once rarely visited Court of Honor, within the walls as museum is now one of the most fre- you enter, you’ll see The Thinker quented in Paris. It was rescued crouched on his pedestal. The from obscurity on February 5, Burghers of Calais are grouped off the 1966, when the museum fell heir to left; and, to the far left, the writhing more than 130 paintings, watercol- Gates of Hell can be seen, atop which ors, pastels, and drawings of Claude another Thinker once more medi- Monet, the “father of Impression- tates. In the almost-too-packed ism.” A gift of Monet’s son Michel, rooms, men and angels emerge from the bequest is one of the greatest blocks of marble, hands twisted in art acquisitions in France. Had an supplication, and the nude torso of old widow in Brooklyn suddenly Balzac rises from a tree. See p. 208.

7 The Best Neighborhoods for Getting Lost • . Striding a hill atop Utrillo, and painted, sketched, Paris, Montmartre used to be a village sculpted, and photographed by of artists, glorified by masters such as 10,000 lesser lights. Today, it’s overrun 05_007478 ch01.qxp 7/27/06 11:09 PM Page 13

THE BEST NEIGHBORHOODS FOR GETTING LOST 13 by tourists, building speculators, and including the vaguely defined maze nightclub entrepreneurs who moved of streets north of place de la Bastille, in as the artists moved out. However, known as Le Marais, or “the marsh- a few still linger and so does much of land.” During the 17th century, this the villagelike charm. Of all the was a region of aristocratic mansions, places for wandering the cobbled which lost their elegance when the streets of old Paris, Montmartre, fashionable set moved elsewhere. The especially in its back streets and alley- houses lost status, but they remain ways, gets our vote. The center point standing and restored today, as the is the , where you can once-decaying Marais has been gen- head out on your journey of explo- trified. Today, it’s one of the most ration. Gleaming through the trees fashionable districts in Paris, home to from here is the Basilica of Sacré- funky shops, offbeat hotels, dozens of Coeur, built in an oddly Oriental bistros, hot bars, and “gay Paree.” See neo-Byzantine style. Behind the p. 66. church and clinging to the hillside • Ile St-Louis. A footbridge behind below are steep and crooked little Notre-Dame leads to another streets that seem—almost—to have enchanting island on the Seine, a survived the relentless march of world of tree-shaded quays, town progress. Rue des Saules still has houses with courtyards, and antiques Montmartre’s last vineyard. The rue shops. This smaller and more tran- Lepic still looks—almost—the way quil of the Seine islands has remained Renoir, the melancholic Van Gogh, much as it was in the 17th century. and the dwarfish genius Toulouse- Over the years, many illustrious Lautrec saw it. See p. 70. French have called St-Louis home, • Quartier Latin. Over the Seine on none more famous than Voltaire. the Left Bank, the Latin Quarter lies Sober patrician houses stand along in the 5th Arrondissement and con- the four quays, and the feverish beat sists of streets winding around the of Paris seems 100 miles away. This is Paris University, of which the Sor- our favorite real estate for wandering bonne is only a part. The logical in the whole city. See p. 66. starting point is place Saint-Michel, • Ile de la Cité. “The cradle of Paris,” right on the river, with an impressive where the city was born, is actually an fountain. From here you can wander island shaped like a great ship in the at leisure, getting lost as you discover middle of the Seine. Home to the doglegged cluster of alleys adjoin- France’s greatest cathedral, Notre- ing the river—rue de la Huchette, rue Dame, it invites exploration and de la Harpe, rue St-Séverin. Each wandering. Home to French kings generation makes discoveries of its until the 14th century, Cité still has a own, and everything is new again. curiously medieval air, with massive End up by strolling along Boulevard gray walls rising up all around you, St-Germain, lined with sophisticated relieved by tiny patches of parkland. cafes and some of the most avant- The island is home to Sainte- garde fashion shops in Paris. See Chapelle and the . After p. 67. these stellar attractions, save time for • Le Marais. Very few cities on earth wandering about and discovering boast an entire district that can be Cité’s secrets, such as the square du labeled a sight. Paris has several, Vert Galant. See p. 66. 05_007478 ch01.qxp 7/27/06 11:09 PM Page 14

14 CHAPTER 1 . THE BEST OF PARIS • Les Halles. Emile Zola called the site Halles. The old streets of Paris, in of the great marketplace “the belly of spite of the long-gone market, are still Paris.” That market has moved on to left to explore and get lost in as you more modern quarters today, but the wander about. Somewhere in your charm and enchantment of this Right walk, drop in to visit Eglise de St- Bank district remain. Le trou (the Eustache, former stamping ground of hole), site of the former marketplace, Richelieu, Molière, and Mme de was filled with an underground shop- Pompadour. See p. 66. ping mall known as the Forum des