Paris Apartment

LOCAL INFORMATION FOR YOUR PARIS APARTMENT

SCROLL DOWN TO FIND INFORMATION ON:
PARIS ATTRACTIONS NEAR YOUR PARIS APARTMENT

PARIS MUSEUMS TO VISIT FROM YOUR PARIS APARTMENT

PARIS FLEAMARKETS TO VISIT FROM YOUR PARIS APARTMENT

BIKE HIRE FROM THE VELIB SERVICE

FREE WIFI ACCESS POINTS

RESTAURANTS YOU CAN WALK TO FROM THE STUDIO

PARIS ATTRACTIONS

ARC DE TRIOMPHE
The Arc De Triomphe is one of the most memorable sights in Paris. The monument is noted for its impressive size, which focuses attention on both the Place Charles de Gaulle and the Champs-Elysées. It was erected in honor of the armies of Napoleon.
o Adorning the sides of the Arc are four dramatic friezes a (La Marseilles (actually named the Departure of Volunteers of '92), the Resistance and Peace (both by the same artist), and the Triumph).
o A memorial to the "Unknown Soldier" is found at the monument's base, along with an eternal flame commemorating all soldiers who have died fighting for freedom.
o You can take a lift (fee) to the top of the Arc for a good view of the twelve avenues that converge at the Arc.
o To reach the monument, use the underground pedestrian access from the north side of the Champs Elysées.

TOUR EIFFEL: The Eiffel Tower literally towers over the Champ de Mars in the smart seventh arrondissement. The top (third) floor offers a sweeping panorama of Paris. From directly underneath there is a fascinating view of the delicate ironwork of Gustave Eiffel, commissioned to build the tower for the Exposition Universelle in 1889, the Revolution's centenary.

Champ de Mars, 7th
Tel: (01) 44 11 23 45 or (01) 44 11 23 23 (recorded information). Fax: (01) 44 11 23 22.
Web site: www.tour-eiffel.fr
Transport: Métro Bir-Hakeim/RER Champ de Mars-Tour Eiffel
Opening hours: 1 Sep-10 Jun 0930-2300; 11 Jun-31 Aug 0900-0000 daily.

CATHEDRALE DE NOTRE DAME: The stocky Notre-Dame Cathedral, on the Ile-de-la-Cité, could not be more different from the filigree Eiffel Tower. Bishop Maurice de Sully began construction in 1163 to outshine the new abbey at St-Denis; work was completed in 1345. The result is a Gothic masterpiece, with three stunning rose windows.

Place du Parvis-Notre-Dame, 4th
Tel: (01) 42 34 56 10 or 44 32 16 70 (towers).
Transport: Métro Cité; RER St-Michel-Notre-Dame.
Opening hours: Cathedral 0800-1845 daily (closed Sat 1230-1400). Towers (entrance at north tower) 1000-1815 daily.
Admission: Cathedral free;

SACRE COEUR: A long, wide series of steps lead to the snowy-white, domed Sacré-Coeur, which dominates Montmartre. A mishmash of styles, the Catholic church was built between 1870-1919 to atone for the 'sins' of the Commune. The interior is bright with neo-Byzantine mosaics and the domed tower offers a spectacular Paris view.

Parvis du Sacré-Coeur, 18th
Tel: (01) 53 41 89 00.
Transport: Métro Abbesses or Anvers.
Opening hours: Crypt and dome Oct-Mar 0900-1800 daily; Apr-Sep 0900-1900 daily.

MUSEE NATIONALE DU LOUVRE: The Louvre first opened to the public in 1793 following the Revolution, a showcase of the art treasures of the kings of France. The museum is organised into three wings on four floors: Richelieu (along rue Rivoli), Sully (around cour Carrée) and Denon (along the Seine). The vast permanent collection includes Greek, Etruscan, Roman, Egyptian and oriental antiquities, French and Italian and northern European sculpture and nineteenth-century objets d'art. The painting collection is the strongest, with French, Italian, Dutch, German, Flemish and Spanish chefs d'oeuvres right up to the mid-nineteenth century. Most famed French works include David's Coronation of Napoléon, Ingres' The Turkish Bath, Géricault's depiction of disaster Raft of the Medusa and Delacroix's ode to revolution Liberty Leading the People. The Mona Lisa, in a bulletproof case, will be given its own room by 2001/2.

Excavations have exposed traces of the medieval Louvre, now on display along with the history of the Louvre under the cour Carrée in the entresol level in the Sully wing.

Pyramide-Cour Napoléon, 1st
Tel: (01) 40 20 50 50. Fax: (01) 40 20 54 42.
E-mail: info@louvre.fr
Web site: www.louvre.fr
Transport: Métro Palais Royal-Musée du Louvre.
Opening hours: Permanent exhibitions 0900-1800 Mon, Wed-Sun (open until 2145 Mon (selected rooms only) and Wed).
Temporary exhibitions, medieval Louvre and bookshop 1000-2145 Mon and Wed-Sun.
Advance tickets can be bought by telephone (tel: (01) 49 87 54 54), from branches of FNAC, and on the internet. Tickets allow same-day readmission.

MUSEE RODIN : Auguste Rodin (1840-1917) lived and worked in this eighteenth-century hôtel particulier. Now the Rodin Museum, his sculptures populate the interior and the gardens. Indoors, The Kiss portrays eternal passion frozen in white marble while The Hand of God gives life to creamy white, half-formed figures. Works of Rodin's mistress and pupil Camille Claudel, and paintings by Van Gogh, Monet, Renoir and Rodin himself, are also on display. The gardens are graced by the monumental bronze The Thinker, whose godly physique contrasts sharply with the decrepitude of the writhing figures of The Gates of Hell, and the controversial final portrait of Balzac, once described as 'a block that disgraces its author and French Art'.

77 rue de Varenne, 7th
Tel: (01) 44 18 61 10. Fax: (01) 45 51 17 52.
Web site: www.musee-rodin.fr
Transport: Métro Varenne.
Opening hours: 0930-1700/1745 Tues-Sun.

MUSEE D'ORSAY: The strength of this large museum, housed in a former train station by the Seine, lies in its collection of Impressionist and Post Impressionist art. The collection, covering the decisive 1848-1914 period, is arranged chronologically, beginning on the ground floor, jumping to the third, then descending to the middle level. Among the most famous works are Manet's Déjeuner sur l'Herbe, rejected from the Salon of 1863, five of Monet's paintings of Rouen cathedral, and the recently acquired realist work, L'Origine du Monde by Gustave Courbet, whose graphic depiction of the female sex continues to shock.

1 rue de la Legion d'Honneur, 7th
Tel: (01) 40 49 48 14 or (01) 45 49 11 11 (recorded information).
Web site: www.musee-orsay.fr
Transport: Métro Solférino; RER Musée d'Orsay.
Opening hours: 1000-1800 Tues-Sat (until 2145 Thurs); 0900-1800 Sun.

MUSEE NATIONAL PICASSO: Paris-based Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) owned most of this collection, the largest worldwide, housed in a seventeenth-century mansion in the Marais. All phases of his art are represented, with preparatory sketches and paintings covering the blue period, rose period, Cubism, Classicism, Surrealism, and sculptures ranging from a huge plaster head to a small cat. Memorable works include the blue period self-portrait Paolo as Harlequin, the surreal Nude in an Armchair and poignant paintings of Marie-Thérèse. Photographs are displayed alongside the works they inspired and African masks with Picasso's 'primitive' wood carvings. There is also a glimpse of the artist's personal taste in paintings, with his Matisse and Cézanne paintings displayed.

Hôtel Salé, 5 rue de Thorigny, 3rd
Tel: (01) 42 71 25 21. Fax: (01) 48 04 75 46.
Transport: Métro Chemin Vert or St-Paul.
Opening hours: 0930-1800 Mon, Wed-Sun (until 2000 Thurs).

CENTRE GEORGES POMPIDOU: Considered outrageous in 1977, the Pompidou Centre, designed by Piano and Rogers, has become part of the Parisian landscape, primary coloured tubes and all. Although only just over twenty, the building is already being revamped and extended to cope with the huge numbers visiting its expanding collection of contemporary art and its multimedia library. The renovation period which began in October 1997 is due to reach completion for the eve of the Millennium, although this deadline may prove unreachable. While the permanent exhibition is closed, temporary exhibitions continue to take place in the Galerie Sud and in the Atelier Brancusi and selections from the permanent collection are on show in various Paris museums.
rue Beaubourg, 4th
Tel: (01) 44 78 12 33.
E-mail: info@cnac-gp.fr
web site: www.centrepompidou.fr
Transport: Métro Hôtel de Ville or Rambuteau; RER Châtelet-Les Halles.
Opening hours: Temporary exhibitions 1200-2200 Mon and Wed-Fri; 1000-2200 Sat and Sun.
Admission: Permanent exhibitions are free; temporary exhibitions vary.[/bold]

PARIS MUSEUMS

PARIS MUSEUMS

Some of the best historic collections in France can be seen in the hundreds Paris museums and complexes. Many of these collections are located right in the heart of the city, housed in beautiful buildings.

Paris Museums: Musée Rodin - 77 Rue de Varenne, Paris
Tel: +33 (01) 44 18 61 10
This 18th-century former hotel is where Auguste Rodin once lived and many of his works are housed here. The museum and the large garden may be visited separately. The magnificent garden contains more than 2,000 rose bushes.
Museum open: April to September, Tuesday to Sunday - 09:30 to 17:45
October to March, Tuesday to Sunday - 09:30 to 16:45

Paris Museums: Musée Carnavalet - 23 Rue de Sévigné, Paris
Tel: +33 (01) 44 59 58 58
This museum is dedicated to the history of Paris through to modern times, and is housed in two adjacent historic mansions. which were formerly hotels. There is a very interesting section devoted to the Revolution which includes models of guillotines, execution orders, and objects used by the royal family during their final days.
Museum open: daily - 10:00 to 17:40, closed Mondays and bank holidays

Paris Museums: Musée de Notre Dame - 10, Rue du Cloître Notre Dame, Paris
Tel: +33 (01) 43 29 83 51
Charting the history of the world-famous Notre Dame Cathedral with numerous paintings, engravings, medallions and other objects and documents.
Museum open: 14:30 to 18:00, closed - Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday

Paris Museums: Musée de la Mode et du Costume de la Ville de Paris - 10 Avenue Pierre-Ier de Serbie, Paris
Tel: +33 (01) 47 20 85 23
Housed in Palais Galliéra, this museum features a collection of French costume and fashion accessories from the 18th century to the present day.
Museum open: daily - 10:00 to 17:40, closed Mondays

Paris Museums: Musée Nissim de Camondo - 63 Rue de Monceau, Paris
Tel: +33 (01) 53 89 06 40
This museum features 18th-century French aristocracic luxuries, which consists of paintings, tapestries, gilded furniture, rugs, porcelain and solid silver tableware.
Museum open: Wednesday to Sunday - 10:00 to 17:00

Paris Museums: Musée de la Musique - 221 Avenue Jean-Jaurès, Paris
Tel: +33 (01) 44 84 44 84
This spectacular museum displays a remarkable array of musical instruments dating from the 16th century to the present day, as well as paintings and sculptures.
Museum open: Tuesday to Thursday - 12:00 to 18:00, Friday and Saturday - 12:00 to 19:30, Sunday - 10:00 to 18:00

Paris Museums: Musée d'Histoire Naturelle - 57 Rue Cuvier, Paris
Tel: +33 (01) 40 79 30 00
Located in Jardin des Plantes, this natural history museum combines several museums and contains exhibits on geology, mineralogy, botany, paleontology, anatomy and zoology, and includes skeletons of dinosaurs.
Museum open: April to September, Wednesday to Monday - 10:00 to 18:00
October to March, Wednesday to Monday - 10:00 to 17:00

Paris Museums: Maison de Victor Hugo - 6 Place des Vosges, Paris
Tel: +33 (01) 42 72 10 16
This museum is Victor Hugo's former 19th-century home, and houses exhibits on the French author's life. Famed for Les Misérables and The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Hugo's talent as an artist can be seen.
Museum open: daily - 10:00 to 17:40, closed Mondays and bank holidays

Paris Museums: Musée Delacroix - 6 Rue de Furstenberg, Paris
Tel: +33 (01) 44 41 86 50
The former home of the great 19th-century painter, Eugène Delacroix, who lived and worked at this studio-apartment.
Museum open: daily - 09:30 to 17:00, closed Tuesday

Paris Museums: Musée National du Moyen Age-Thermes et Hotel de Cluny - 6 Place Paul-Painleve, Paris
Tel: +33 (01) 53 73 78 00
This art museum, located in the spacious 15th-century Hotel de Cluny, houses a collection of medieval decorative art, an array of tapestries, including the Lady to the Unicorn, together with a collection of original sculptures.
Museum admission: charge
Museum open: daily except Tuesday - 09:15 to 17:45

PARIS FLEA MARKETS

Paris Flea Markets
The most famous flea market in Paris is the one at Porte de Clignancourt, officially called Les Puces de Saint-Ouen, but known to everyone as Les Puces (The Fleas).
Flea Market Hours: Saturday - Monday
Every Saturday from 8h30 to 18h30
Every Sunday from 10h to 18h30
Every Monday from de 10h30 to 17h30

Size of The Flea Market: The Puces covers 7 hectares and is the largest antiques market in the world, receiving between 120,000 to 180,000 visitors each weekend.
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How to get to the Flea Market:
Take the metro to Porte de Clignancourt on Line 4 and follow the crowds towards the large concrete overpass.
Rue des Rosiers is the main street which you walk down in order to go into the separate markets. The individual markets tend to run into each other. There is a good map at: www.antikita.com, under Access. Also a good directory of dealers and information.

MARKETS AT LES PUCES

Rue des Rosiers from the Right Side
Along Rue des Rosiers, there are several interesting shops, selling Art Deco furniture, fireplaces, mirrors and 'interesting decorative furniture'. Much further down on the left, before Serpette, is a shop that sells interesting decorative pieces, paintings, garden pieces etc.

Find Marché Vernaison, 99 rue des Rosiers, and the smaller Marché Antica first on your right. Vernaison is a wonderful, winding market where you can find anything from furniture to beads, to missing parts from antique commodes, textiles, paintings, antique toys, etc, etc. If you're looking for paintings and smaller objects, this is often the place to go

Marché Antica, 99 rue des Rosiers, has a few dealers, a good Art Deco stand, several stands selling paintings and porcelain and a larger one that sells Chinese furniture.

Marché Biron, 85 rue des Rosiers, next on your right. On the left side, you can find hundreds of nice pieces of wood furniture, most in a country style. They are not always the cheapest stalls, but the selection is vast. The right side of Biron has more gilded Louis XV and Louis XVI, Empire-style furniture.

Marché Cambo, 75 rue des Rosiers, is a market with approximately 20 dealers and many of them eat together outside one of the stalls at lunch, each bringing part of the pot luck meal. It's a little harder to find as it looks like a warehouse, so watch for the sign after Marche Biron.

Rue des Rosiers from the Left Side:
Starting on the left from the the top of Rue des Rosiers, find Marché Malassis, 142 rue des Rosiers, selling furniture and objects from the 18th and 19th centuries, as well as silver, Asian and archeological pieces.

Marché Dauphine, 140 rue des Rosiers, is next on your left and it is the newest market. Here, you will find everything from rare antiques, to decorative furniture pieces, to books, prints, funky art and vintage clothing, to rugs, to garden pots.
There is a crèpe stand outside and also a nice café and decent restaurant at the back of Marche Dauphine, away from the crowds.

Marché Serpette and Marché Paul Bert:
Serpette: 110 rue des Rosiers
Paul Bert: 96 rue des Rosiers and 18 rue Paul Bert
An enormous selection of furniture, prints, paintings, mirrors, antique luggage, vintage clothing, hardware, art deco furniture and hardware, kitchen goods, etc etc.
Start in Serpette and keep wandering up and down until it leads outside into Paul Bert. Paul Bert has a combination of traditional dealers plus more kitsch ones that sell 50's and 60's furniture. There is a large kitchen store in the back alleys behind Serpette; prices are not cheap but the selection is good. Chaise longue's and settee's along the back stalls behind Paul Bert as well as nice prints.

L'Entrepot is next on your left and tends to sell much larger pieces, architectural pieces, staircases, marble table tops and the back stock of some of the merchants you've met in the various Marchés.

Marché Jules Vallée
7-9 rue Jules Vallée is behind Paul Bert and Marché Serpette and sells antiques, small items, records, religious art . There is more bric a brac and thrift shop atmosphere.

Bike Hire from Velib

Cheap local bike hire is available from the VELIB service.Pick up and drop off at any service point. There are three velib points near the Studio.

FREE WIFI ACCESS

Free WIFI access is now available at numerous points throughout Paris, including cafes, parks, libraries and major buildings. You can get free WIFI access, just round the corner at the Beer Station Cafe on Avenue MacMahon.

LOCAL RESTAURANTS CLOSE TO YOUR PARIS APARTMENT

[bold]Quick Guide to very local restaurants to suit your budget.

For your first night, or if you just don’t want to go too far, here are the restaurants round the block, with a base price for each: Price Guide
Euros

LR Restaurant and Lounge Bar, Rue de l’Arc de Triomphe 13

Le Hide Kobas Bistro, Rue du General Lanrezac 16

Cave Lanrezac, Rue du General Lanrezac 20

Le Sorman, Rue du General Lanrezac 30

L’Arc, Avenue Carnot 15

Brasserie Grand Carnot, Avenue Carnot 13

Petit Colombier, Rue des Acacias 35

Capriccio (Italian), Rue des Acacias 12

Restaurant Traiteur Chinois, Rue des Acacias 8

Sylvano Pizzeria, Rue des Acacias 9

Kolnoa Bagel Store & Delicatessen, Rue des Acacias 9

Isumo Japanese, Rue des Acacias 10

Chez Fred et Chouchou Le Petit Acacia, Rue des Acacias 16

LaCombe Café, Rue des Acacias NEW ?

L’Oree des Champs, next to LaCombe Café 10

Wada Japanese, Rue de l’Arc de Triomphe 24

Graindorge, Rue de l’Arc de Triomphe 23

L’Etage, Avenue des Ternes (Left) 12

Le Brasier, Avenue des Ternes (Left) 13[/bold]