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| RendezvousFrance.com | |
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Paris
with kids
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Paris is not only a city for grownups, for serious people trekking from one three star restaurant to an endless succession of paintings in big museums. Paris is also a wonderful place for those who look at it with the eyes of a child - small children or "big" children. Here are the 20 greatest things - we think, at least - you can do in the city. It is also an alternative way for everyone to look at the city of lights. |
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Grande Galerie de L'Evolution In the Jardin des Plantes created by Buffon, the Sun King's botanist, the museum of natural history, renovated just a few years ago, is truly spectacular. You can follow the evolution of life from the ground floor to the fourth floor and its temporary exhibitions are always fascinating. You can also go across and visit the hall where giant minerals are on exhibit. 36, rue Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire. 75005. Open daily (except Tues), 10am-6pm. Thu. until 10pm Metro: Jussieu. website |
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Cité de la Musique First, there is the building designed by Christian de Portzamparc, Pritzker prize winner, the "architecture Nobel". Then, there is the wonderful collection of musical instruments, paintings related to music, sculptures and other artifacts. Plus, there is a good chance you'll hear a concert. Children also can learn how to make small instruments. The museum is part of the national school of music. The museum also has very interesting exhibitions and events, like "La Voix du Dragon", about music in China. Cité de la Musique. 221, ave Jean-Jaures. 75019. Metro: Pte de Pantin. Tel: 01 44 84 44 84. www.cite-musique.fr |
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La
Cité des sciences et de l'industrie
If
you are in this part of town, you might as well spend the rest of the
day in La Villette. The former slaughter house was converted into a science
museum. Set in the wonderful 110 acre public park (where you are encouraged
to walk on the grass...) with the canal de l'Ourcq cutting it in half,
it could contain three times the Pompidou Center. The Explora center houses
20 different exhibitions - the universe, water, the earth, etc. The Cité
des Enfants is a science village for children 3-12. You can also go to
the Geode, the silver dome with the IMAX system to view films 10 times
larger than normal, or visit the Argonaute, a real submarine. If none
of the above interest you, head for the dragon and slide down his 30 foot
tongue. This strange slide cum dragon has become one of the most successful
playgrounds in the capital. 30, ave Corentin Cariou. 75019. Tel: 01 40
05 80 00. www.cite-science.fr.
Metro: Pte de La Villette. |
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A
journey on the canal Saint-Martin (better for
8 years old and up). |
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Fée Electricité You can spend a good deal of an afternoon looking at Raoul Duffy's celebration of electricity. This totally wonderful painting, entitled La Fée Electricité - The Electric Fairy - is said to be the world's largest painting. It occupies a huge room in the Museum of Modern Art of the city. Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris. 11, ave du Pdt Wilson. 75016. Metro: Iéna or Alma Marceau. Tel: 01 53 67 40 00. Tues-Sun, 10am-7pm |
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Travel
back in time
The hotel of the abbots of Cluny, the Musée National du Moyen Age, is one of our favorite destinations. First, there are the newly designed gardens inspired by the Books of hours, by tapestries and paintings of the Middle Ages. The garden is a series of smaller gardens, each one with a theme: medicinal herbs, love, food, etc. It is best to enter the garden by the Boulevard Saint-Michel entrance in the spring and summer. Then, you have the monumental Roman baths. But the pièce de resistance is the series of red tapestries of the Dame à la Licorne (Lady with the Unicorn) in its special room. 6, place Paul-Painlevé. 75005. Tel: 01 53 73 78 00. Open daily except Tues., 9:15am-5:45pm. website |
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Travel
to Africa
Take the metro to Porte Dorée and you'll be on another continent. The Musée des Arts d'Afrique et d'Océanie is a splendor. Built in 1931 for the Colonial Fair, the bas-relief shows all the riches France was getting from its colonies. Inside, apart from the tropical aquarium, the exhibitions show the culture of Asian Pacific nations, Black Africa, North Africa. 293, ave Daumesnil. 75012. Metro: Porte Dorée. Tel: 01 43 46 51 61. website The little Musée Dapper, in the elegant 16th arrondissement, has just been renovated. Its collection of African art is one of the richest and most interesting in France and the museum offers many workshops for children as well as concerts, tales and lectures. Workshops from the 9-12 year olds every Wed 9:30-11:30am and Folk tales Wed. 3pm-4pm Musée Dapper. 35 rue Paul Valery. 75116. Tel: 01 45 00 01 50 |
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Marmottan
museum Monet, Water Lillies, etc. To see Monet paintings for the first time is always a wonderful experience. The little Marmottan museum, in the wealthy enclave of the Ranelagh, has the largest collection of Monet paintings anywhere in the world (100) and some of the most beautiful water lilies. Free under 8 years old. Guided visits with reservations. 2, rue Louis Boilly. 75016. Metro: La Muette. Tel: 01 42 24 07 02 Daily except Mon 10am-5pm Website |
| Opera The museum-library of the Paris opera presents the history of the great operas and ballets staged in the house built by Napoleon III. You can see the decors and costumes created by George Braque, Utrillo, Fernand Leger, Delacroix. The opera has also an important collection of all the models created for the different operas from the 19th century up to now. Really enchanting. Palais Garnier. Place de l'Opera. Metro: Opéra. Tel: 01 47 42 07 02 |
| Deyrolles
You can spend hours in this taxidermist shop in the heart of Saint-Germain. The maison Deyrolles has been opened for 100 years. You'll roam around elephants, horses, lions, boars, dogs, moose as well as minerals and hundreds of butterflies and insects. ItÕs free and completely enchanting. It is a store where you can buy anything but employees don't mind asking all the questions you might have about the animals and the art of taxidermy. 46, rue du Bac. 75007. Metro: Bac. Tel: 01 42 22 30 07 |
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Films
It's raining? Centre Pompidou. "niveau -1", 01 44 78 44 22. Mo. Les Halles, Chatelet. www.centrepompidou.fr |
| Musée
de la Monnaie de Paris This is the royal mint, where the kings money was made and then the Republic. You can visit the workshops where French money and now the Euro, the new European currency is made. Splendid medals and coins tell the rich history of France from the Roman times. There are also special presentations for children. 11, Quai Conti. 75006. Metro: Saint-Michel or Pont Neuf. Tel: 01 40 46 55 35. Free on Sun website |
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nature in Paris If you push the door of the Saint-Vincent garden, you will step back in time. The garden was given to the city decades ago under one condition: that it remained as it was. Today visitors find species of plants and flowers which used to grow in Paris when Jean-Jacques Rousseau was around. It is an enchantment. Visit on Mon 4-6pm and Sat 1:30-6pm. Rue Saint-Vincent. 75018 The 30 acre Bercy park is another magical public garden. Built along the Seine, in the 12th arrondissement, in the former wine warehouse district of the city, it starts with a big prairie. Then it becomes a series of gardens each with a theme - spring, fragrance, vegetable, etc. The garden is a stunning success in a neighborhood in complete transformation, right across from the Bibliothèque Nationale de France. One plus: visitors can see the only Frank Gehry building in France. The architect of the Bilbao Guggenheim designed the building for the American Center which went bankrupt. But a Gehry building is always interesting. The Jardin Atlantique is the most unexpected garden in Paris. Built above the terminally ugly Montparnasse train station, the garden is a completely magic space with wild grass, great water fountains where kids play naked in hot summer days. The garden is an oasis completely unexpected in the city. To get to the garden, walk into the station and take the staircase on the extreme left. It will quickly lead you to this haven. Metro: Bercy or Cour Saint-Emilion (take the new automatic subway) |
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swimming The Nikko hotel has one of the great and affordable swimming pools in Paris. The view over Paris is great and the roof opens as soon as the weather is warm enough. 10 euros. Club Nikko. 61, quai de Grenelle. 75015 Paris. Tel: 01 45 75 25 45. Mon-Sat 10am-9pm. Metro: Grenelle |
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Go Rollerblading - Place Vendome, surrounded by jewelery stores and 18th century buildings. - Place du marché Saint Honoré, because it is covered when it rains. - The Louvre, around the big pyramid. The best open space in the heart of the city. - The "quais rive droite". On Sunday morning, when it is closed to traffic, you can rollerblade along the river. For more information about rollerblading see our Paris Sports page. |
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Tropics
Leave the Western hemisphere and enter the tropics. It is easy, head for the greenhouses in Auteuil, in the southwestern part of Paris. The steel structures are extraordinary and underneath them, over 400 species of palm trees. Birds of paradise think they are home and make a divine music. It is like being back in Eden. Serres d'Auteuil. 3, ave de la Porte d'Auteuil. 75016. Tel: 01 40 71 76 07. Daily 10am-5pm. |
| Musée
du Louvre The most wonderful thing about the Louvre, apart from its works of arts and the Egytian wing, are the foundations of the old château. The foundations were discovered when U.S. architect I.M. Pei redid the museum. You can walk underground around the huge stone walls. It is an awesome experience. Musée du Louvre. 99, rue de Rivoli. Metro: Palais Royal (have a look at this funny subway station which looks like a Barbie set). Tel: 01 40 20 51 51. |
| Musée
de la Marine The maritime museum, in the art deco building in the Trocadero, facing the Eiffel Tower, is full of ships -Napoleon's barge, the Sun King's boat, submarines, models, paintings, films. The museum is an enchantment for both girls and boys. On Wed, special events for kids. Palais de Chaillot. Place du Trocadero. 75016. Metro: Trocadero. Tel:01 53 65 69 69. Daily, except Tues 10am-6:45pm |
| Maison
de Balzac You can visit the house Balzac's novels built, in the upscale neighborhood of Passy. The house with its little garden is a wonderful visit. 47, rue Raynouard. 75016. Metro: Passy or La Muette. Tel: 01 55 74 41 80. Daily except Mon, 10am-5:40pm |
| The
sewage system Every day, Parisians use 1.2 million m3 or water. When you step into the "egouts", the network of the sewage system (it does not smell), you can see what happens with our refuse. It is a fascinating process which gives us a better understanding of how precious water is. Les égouts de Paris. Place de la Rˇsistance, corner of the Alma bridge and quai d'Orsay. Metro: Alma Marceau. Tel: 01 53 68 27 81. Open daily 11am-5pm, except Thu and Fri. |
| Guinguette
Pirate Embark on a beautiful Chinese junk moored on the Seine, near the Bibliothèque nationale de France (do go and have a look at the extraordinary "forest" planted in the middle of the four towers). Young visitors can watch shows especially created for them: dancers, tales, magicians, puppeteers. Kids are hired to help for the show. Truly magicla. La Guinguette Pirate. Quai Francois Mauriac. 75013. Metro: Quai de la gare. Tel: 01 45 84 58 08. Wed. and Sat. 3-5pm |
