Quirky Ideas for Your Paris Holiday

As you may already be aware if you've opted to stay in one of its boutique hotels, Paris is a city that rewards those who look for the unique. Read on for some of its best-kept secrets.


Secret Museums

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They may not, strictly speaking, be secret - you will find them listed in your guidebook - but some of Paris's smaller, more idiosyncratic museums are often overlooked in favour of giants such as the Louvre. Lovers of eclectic collections will find a gem in the Marais district - the Musee Carnavalet, which mixes history, politics, art and architecture with its fascinating assemblage of curios and objects d'art. They include a sculpture of the Bastilles, cut into a single brick taken from the stormed fortress itself. For those who want something very different, the Musee des Egouts is a world away from boutique hotels. Paris has a highly sophisticated sewer system - which has actually played a significant role in the city's socio-political history - and this museum takes you underground to see for yourself.

Canal Walks, Carriage Rides, Beach Strolls

If you have coach fatigue, there are some delightful alternative ways to tour the City of Light. Following any of its picturesque canals, shaded by broad leafy trees, is a rewarding experience: you'll see places off the beaten track, pass old buildings and bridges, meeting other intrepid flaneurs as you go. The city being what it is, it won't be too long before you find a little café to duck into, where you can watch life go by. For a different experience, if you visit in summer, be sure to check out the Paris Plages - long stretches of the Seine's bank converted into beaches, giving you a taste of the French seaside hardly any distance from your boutique hotels. Paris is also, famously, the city of romance, and if you are visiting with a special someone, there are few more memorable ways to see the city than from a horse-drawn carriage - just be sure to book ahead, as these tours are popular!

Out of the Pages of Books

From pavement cafes, to high garrets, to the balconies of boutique hotels, Paris is full of nooks and crannies where the literary-minded can curl up with their novels - or their notebooks. Paris has inspired countless writers from around the world, and it's not hard to see why. If you find yourself walking the cobbled streets and dreaming of following in the footsteps of Dickens, Hemingway, Orwell, Stein, or the many others who penned great works after walking the same beat, head over to the Shakespeare & Company bookshop in the Latin quarter. The downstairs area is considered by many to be the city's best English-language bookshop, while upstairs is a library of old tomes where you can browse and read for hours. Compose a story on their typewriter and add it to the wall, or attend one of their weekly writing workshops - whatever you do, you're bound to find inspiration here.

Looking for Hyde Park hotels, London? Roberta Stuart is the Travel Manager for World Hotels, a company offering the best rooms at Hyde Park hotels, London and a selection of unique four and five star hotels around the world.

Article Source: Roberta_Stuart

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