Walk from the Palais Royal to the Pompidou

1. La Comédie Française, Place Colette 2. Le Palais Royal, Place du Palais Royal 3. Jardin du Palais Royal, 6, rue de Montpensier 4. Verjus, 47, rue de Montpensier

5. Bibliothèque Nationale, 58, rue de Richelieu 6. Galerie Vivienne, 5, rue de la Banque 7. La Bourse, Palais Brongniart, Place de la Bourse 8. Sentier District

9. Frenchie, 5-6, rue du Nil 10. Rue Montorgueil 11. Experimental Cocktail Club, 37, rue Saint-Sauveur 12. Pâtisserie Stohrer, 51, rue Montorgueil 13. Aux Tonneaux des Halles, 28, rue Montorgueil 14. Au Rocher de Cancale, 78, rue Montorgueil 15. L’Art Source, 6, rue Marie Stuart 16. Passage du Grand Cerf, 8, rue Dussoubs 17. Rue Saint-Denis

18. Eglise Saint-Eustache, rue du Jour 19. Forum des Halles

20. Fontaine Stravinsky 21. Centre Pompidou, rue Saint- Martin 22. Place Georges Pompidou

On this walk, you’ll travel through parts of Exit onto rue de Montpensier and turn right, the 1st and 2nd Arrondissements as you then continue until the end of the street, meander through the royal gardens, where you’ll find a small but wonderful wine bar, 4. Verjus (47, rue de Montpensier). beautiful covered passageways, historic Enjoy a selection of seasonal small plates with churches and museums, with, of course, wines to match from a friendly and many wonderful spots at which to eat along knowledgeable American couple. Or reserve the way. Allow at least three hours to enjoy in advance for an exceptional full-course meal this tour at a leisurely pace. in the dining room upstairs.

The tour begins with Paris’s oldest theatre Exit on rue de Beaujolais and turn left onto company, the 1. Comédie Française (Place rue Vivienne and take a quick right onto rue Colette), which was founded in 1680. It des Petits Champs. Halfway down the street originally performed at the Odéon but moved on your left, you’ll see the beautiful 5. Galerie to this location, near the Palais Royal, in 1799. Vivienne (5, rue de la Banque), adjacent to Most major French actors have performed the Galerie Colbert. Walk on the gorgeous here and still do. Expect to see classics from mosaic tiles and feel yourself transported to Victor Hugo, Molière, and Shakespeare. the 1800s, when these covered passageways were built. They were designed to protect Just across rue de Richelieu is the 2. Palais well-coiffed Parisienne shoppers from both Royal (Place du Palais Royal). The building the weather and carriage debris. You’ll find was originally created in 1634 for Cardinal every Parisian delight here, including books, Richelieu and then passed through several flowers, wine, a bistro and the pièce de royal families before it fell into ill repute in résistance, a Jean Paul Gaultier shop. the 19th century, with ladies doing some unladylike things. It was eventually burned After you walk all the way through Galerie down and restored by the current occupants, Vivienne, you’ll find yourself in front of the the Ministry of Culture and the Conseil d’Etat. 6. Bibliothèque Nationale (58, rue de Walking into the courtyard, you’ll see what Richelieu). Louis XIV originally housed may appear to be out-of-place columns of manuscripts here in the 1660s when the various sizes, but these were created in 1980 Louvre couldn’t take them. As more by Daniel Buren. documents were moved here, the library needed to expand. In addition to important Walking through the courtyard, away from papers, you can also find medals, coins and the Louvre, you’ll find the 3. Jardin du Palais antiques, but the library is currently Royal (6, rue de Montpensier), providing a undergoing a major renovation, so some nice oasis in the middle of the bustling city. areas might be closed during your visit. Grab a bench and enjoy some quiet time, or dive into some upscale shopping at the arcade Continue right on rue de Richelieu until you surrounding the garden. From perfume to reach rue du Quatre Septembre, and then bags to designer clothes, you’ll find it all right turn right. Shortly on your left, you’ll see the here. 7. Bourse (Palais Brongniart, Place de la Bourse), Paris’s stock exchange. Stock trading has had many homes throughout Paris,

Copyright 2012 Girls' Guide To Paris and Doni Belau. All Rights Reserved. 4 Walk from the Palais Royal to the Pompidou including the Louvre and the Palais Royal, but beautiful enough, there are also croissants, it landed at this location in 1826. You can tour pastries, salads and Stohrer’s claim to fame, the Bourse with an advance reservation. the baba au rhum. Be sure to visit on an empty stomach. Continue down rue Réaumur. To the north of this street you’ll find the 8. Sentier district, There are many great spots to enjoy a glass of where much of the wholesale clothing wine or a bigger meal. The Montorgueil industry is based. While it’s not open to the classic 13. Aux Tonneaux des Halles public, you can still wander through and see (28, rue Montorgueil) has a wonderful duck the reams of colorful cloth, ribbons and confit, and there’s the 19th-century literary accessories. hang 14. Au Rocher de Cancale (78, rue Montorgueil). Turning left on rue des Petits Carreaux and right on to the small alley of rue du Nil, you’ll Turn down rue Marie Stuart and you can see one of Paris’s top and toughest tickets in quench your thirst for great wine and tapas at town, the restaurant 9. Frenchie (5–6, rue du 15. l’Art Source (6, rue Marie Stuart). At the Nil). A crowd starts forming outside before end of this street is the gorgeous 16. Passage 7 p.m. to find out if there are any day-of du Grand Cerf (8, rue Dussoubs). This bright cancellations. There will also be a line of passage was created in 1825 and used as a people directly opposite the restaurant, in point in the royal mail coach service. Now you front of its namesake wine bar, which is can find trendy designer and workmen’s equally as good, and where seats are on a shops selling unique and interesting personal first-come, first-served basis. and home items.

Head back to rue des Petits Carreaux and If you exit at the other end, you’ll be on make a left, following it until it turns into the 17. rue Saint-Denis. While this street’s pedestrian- and food-friendly 10. rue reputation has improved, you’ll still find Montorgueil. Enjoy all the specialty food ladies of the evening working here, as well as shops selling everything from fish to meat, other semi-seedy types around the neon-lit cheese and wine. Farther down the street, sex shops. there are some fun and funky clothing boutiques as well as interesting art and Turn right on rue Saint-Denis and move jewelry shops. quickly through the street, then make another right onto rue de Turbigo and follow it until Explore some of the side streets, like rue you dead-end at the behemoth construction Saint-Sauveur, where you can step into site that currently is les Halles. Before you 11. Experimental Cocktail Club (37, rue fully dive in, take a right on rue Rambuteau Saint-Sauveur), a hip, happening cocktail and walk until you come to the beautiful lounge, for some late-night fun. 18. Eglise Saint-Eustache (rue du Jour). Construction on the church began in 1532, Another notable stop along rue Montorgueil and it’s a mix of Gothic and Renaissance is 12. Pâtisserie Stohrer (51, rue styles. The church boasts an 8,000-pipe Montorgueil). Founded in 1730, it’s the oldest organ, and most Sundays you can catch a free pâtisserie in Paris. As if the decor wasn’t concert here.

Points of Interest Addresses Turning back to face the beast that is the 19. Forum des Halles, you’ll have to picture 1. La Comédie Française, Place Colette it as it once was—a bustling, commercial 2. Le Palais Royal, Place du Palais Royal market selling food and produce to Paris’s big 3. Jardin du Palais Royal, 6, rue de Montpensier buyers. When the market was moved out of 4. Verjus, 47, rue de Montpensier, 01 42 97 54 40 town to ease congestion, the area never quite 5. Galerie Vivienne, 5, rue de la Banque recovered. There’s a string of chain stores in 6. Bibliothèque Nationale, 58, rue de Richelieu the massive, constructed mall, along with a 7. La Bourse, Palais Brongniart, Place de la Bourse complex web of transportation underground. 01 49 27 14 70 Most people avoid it by night, or even by day, 8. Sentier District but attempts are being made to restore the forum to a more consumer-friendly area. 9. Frenchie, 5–6, rue du Nil, 01 40 39 96 19 Time will tell, though, if this lofty goal will be 10. Rue Montorgueil achieved. 11. Experimental Cocktail Club, 37, rue Saint-Sauveur 12. Pâtisserie Stohrer, 51, rue Montorgueil After crossing through the Forum des Halles, 13. Aux Tonneaux des Halles, 28, rue Montorgueil, exit on rue Berger and turn left, walking 01 42 33 36 19 toward the Centre Georges Pompidou, but 14. Au Rocher de Cancale, 78, rue Montorgueil, before going in, admire the 20. Fontaine 01 42 33 50 29 Stravinsky behind it. The collection of playful 15. L’Art Source, 6, rue Marie Stuart, 09 82 55 00 49 water decorations sprays, squirts and 16. Passage du Grand Cerf, 8, rue Dussoubs delights those heading into the Pompidou. 17. Rue Saint-Denis 18. Eglise Saint-Eustache, rue du Jour You can see the exterior of the 21. Centre 19. Forum des Halles Pompidou (rue Saint-Martin) from many 20. Fontaine Stravinsky places throughout Paris, given its bold, bright 21. Centre Pompidou, rue Saint-Martin primary colors and “inside-out” architecture 22. Place Georges Pompidou featuring large pipes and tubes protruding from the building. The Centre Pompidou, aka Beaubourg, was designed by architects Renzo Piano, Richard Rogers and Gianfranco Franchini and is home to the largest modern- art collection in Europe. It was built in 1977 and is a unique, vast building with five stories of art and panoramic views from the top. Many notable exhibitions rotate through the temporary spaces, so check the schedule to plan your visit.

As you leave the building, join the masses in the 22. Place Georges Pompidou to watch street performers, artists and tourists enjoy the activity and sights in this bustling square.