Top unusual sights of Paris

Even having never been to Paris, we travel there so often in our dreams that there cannot be any unexplored places or mysterious corners left in the city. Tourist brochures have revealed all the secrets of the French capital down to the last street, and we have long been on first-name terms with the world-famous Eiffel Tower and the Louvre.

Get ready to reconsider your relationship with the most recognizable city in the world. Paris can still surprise! In our publication, we have collected the most unusual and at the same time worth visiting places in Paris, which only a few travelers know about.

Paris: how to get there

The best travel option would be to fly to the capital of France. Thousands of flights connect Paris to the world every day. You can buy plane tickets and discover both famous and unfamiliar Paris using our platform.

Where to stay

Make sure to book your hotel room in advance - during the high season, inexpensive hotels in Paris are booked out several months in advance. If the comfort factor prevails over price considerations, then pay attention to the following top list of Paris hotels from CN Traveler:

• For families - 25 Hours Hotel,
• For couples in love - Maison Proust ,
• In terms of price/quality ratio - Hotel Remix .

And before your trip, study the most common mistakes made by tourists in France.

What to see

House of Nicolas Flamel

House of the alchemist Nicholas Flamel. Photo by Guilhem Vellut, Sortiraparis

Harry Potter fans will be delighted. Cult places of the fantasy universe can be found not only in the UK, but also in France. And this is not the academy of French sorceresses from Beauxbatons, but the house of the creator of the philosopher's stone, Nicolas (Nicholas) Flamel.

For those who are far from the magical world, the real world also has a lot of interesting things in store. Nicolas Flamel is a real, not fictional character - he is the most famous alchemist in history. Legends say that he unraveled the cherished secret - how to turn lead into gold. He also created the philosopher's stone, which allows him to make the elixir of eternal life.

The last statement, in view of Flamel’s death in 1418, still does not stand up to criticism. But people in Paris were whispering about the scientist’s ability to turn base metals into gold. Flamel was famous for his wealth and acquired 30 houses. One of them still stands. This is where we are heading.

The house at 51 Montmorency is the oldest in all of Paris. It was built in 1407, as evidenced by the frieze on the wall of the building. True, there are doubts about the alchemist’s residence in this house: Flamel was involved in charity work and gave all four floors to a shelter for the homeless. The scientist cared not only about material wealth, but also about spiritual wealth. For which he is remembered in prayers every year.

Today, the oldest house in Paris houses living quarters as well as the Auberge Nicolas Flamel restaurant.

Pet Sematary Asnières

One of the Pet Sematary sculptures. Sortiraparis Photos

The list of unusual places to go in Paris continues with another mystical object. We go to the tomb of man's faithful friends, pets. Victor Hugo wrote: “Look your dog in the eyes and you cannot say that he has no soul . ” And the Parisians immortalized these words in stone, creating a worthy resting place for man’s four-legged companions.

What awaits you is not just a walk among the gravestones. Many owners did not skimp and erected entire sculptural compositions for their pets. At the same time, one can appreciate the diversity of tastes of Parisians - they willingly adopted not only dogs, cats, hamsters, parrots and fish. But among the tombstones there are even horses, sheep, calves, lemurs, foxes and... a lion. In total, over 40,000 animals have already rested in this unusual place.

Among those who have fallen asleep eternally you can find local celebrities: the dog-actor Rintintin, the heroes of the First World War dogs Memer, Dick and Mustache, the four-legged friend of the French writer Michel Houellebecq. Animals have been buried here since 1899. Which makes Asnières the oldest pet cemetery in all of France.

The unusual location is located at Pont de Clichy 4, Asnières-sur-Seine.

The smallest house

In cramped conditions, but not in any way offended - the smallest house in Paris between two giants. Sortiraparis Photos

Large and lush Paris is not without minimalist objects. Among them, a tiny house on rue du Château-d'Eau 39 stands out. This is the smallest and narrowest house in the capital: its width is 1.4 meters, its length is three meters, and its height is five meters. Can you imagine living in such a tiny place?

Another question is why such an uncomfortable building was needed? The story goes that in such a non-trivial way at the beginning of the 19th century, one of the Parisian families resolved an inheritance dispute over a large plot of land. And the house was erected solely for the purpose of blocking the passage. But the living space was not wasted, and at different times there was an apartment and a store there. Parisians say that the residents had a children's bedroom on the second floor. The entire space of which was occupied by the cradle.

The smallest house can be combined into a “Thumbelina tour” with the smallest and narrowest streets of Paris. The smallest street in the capital is Rue des Degrés, which you can walk through in just 10 steps. Its length does not even reach six meters and includes 14 steps. But how colorful!

And the title of the narrowest street is 1.8 meters wide. Behind the unusual name (translated as Kota-Rybolova Street) lies an interesting legend. Another Parisian alchemist, Perle, allegedly lived there and kept a black cat. He knew how to fish in the Seine with one paw. Local residents suspected that there were devilish tricks in such feline competence. Rumors spread that the cat, the alchemist and the devil were hypostases of one creature. The pious townspeople threw the cat into the Seine, and Perle actually disappeared with it. But soon both of them showed up.

Five Statues of Liberty of Paris

French Statue of Liberty. Photo by David Angel, delveintoeurope

Do you want to see a piece of America without leaving the Old World? This is quite possible - Paris is not called the capital of the world for nothing. In the city you can even find the symbol of New York - the Statue of Liberty. And not in a single copy!

In Paris, there are at least five Statues of Liberty in different parts of the city. Moreover, the first of them appeared even before the New York older sister. In 1884, the American diaspora in France curtsied back in gratitude for sending the “huge lady” to New York. And she raised money for a replica.

The idea of the French statue became a victim of political etiquette. The authors wanted to turn her face to the west, so that she would direct her gaze to her American sister. But then it would turn out that the monument stands back to its own great creation of French engineering - the Eiffel Tower. Therefore, the statue was turned to face east. Justice triumphed only in 1937 - the monument was turned with its head to the west and now the eyes of the two maidens are looking for each other across the Atlantic Ocean.

The connection between the two peoples, French and American, is not limited to the appearance of the statues. The French Statue of Liberty holds in her hands a book with two important dates for the countries - 1776 and 1789. The first commemorates the US Declaration of Independence. And the second pays tribute to the storming of the Bastille as the start of the Great French Revolution.

This, the most famous Statue of Liberty of Paris, is located on Swan Island in the middle of the Seine. Another famous replica, created by the same Frederic Bastaldi (author of the New York monument), is located in the Orsay Museum. Look for the remaining statues in the Museum of Arts and Crafts, the Luxembourg Gardens and inside the centaur statue on Place Michel Debreu.

If you still decide to visit New York and look at the most famous Statue of Liberty, check out the city guides . And also read how you can save money while traveling to the USA.

Parisian Pagoda (La Pagode De Paris / Maison Loo)

Parisian pagoda. Sortiraparis Photos

From America to China - yes, this is also possible within the borders of Paris alone. Before you is one of the most contrasting, unusual and at the same time little-known attractions of Paris - the Loo estate (Paris Pagoda). The estate graced the streets of the capital in 1926 and became Chinese philanthropist Ching Tsai Loo's ode to his homeland. He sincerely loved both countries, China and France, and tried in every possible way to strengthen the ties between them. The oriental mansion, which grew up in the middle of classical architecture, was supposed to introduce Parisians to the culture of the distant Celestial Empire.

Today, the Paris Pagoda continues its mission. It hosts exhibitions and cultural fairs that both expose visitors to China and serve as a reminder of the two countries' significant historical connections.

The pagoda is located on Rue de Courcelles (48 Rue de Courcelles).

Summer Olympics in Paris 2024

The opening of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris will be a unique event. For the first time the river will accept him. Photo Olympics.com

In 2024, the French capital will add more unusual and exciting places to visit. After all, in the city The Summer Olympic Games will take place! The dates for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris are set between July 26 and August 11. And these days the city will become the most multinational and colorful place on Earth.

Particular attention should be paid opening ceremony when the 2024 Summer Olympics begin . It starts with an extraordinary show on July 26 - for the first time in history, the ceremony will take place not in a stadium, but in an open space - the banks and water surface of the Seine. It is still possible to buy tickets for the Olympics; there are still passes available even for the opening and closing ceremonies. The best way to do this is through the official website .

Paris, so close and familiar from films, books, booklets and our own travels, will never cease to amaze. Its streets and buildings keep thousands of secrets and are preparing to greet you with thousands of surprises. Book a tour to Paris and see it with your own eyes!