On first visits to Paris, there is an understandable desire to experience all the highlights of the city, so as not to waste a moment. Quite a few people prepare a meticulous schedule, which is essentially a checklist of sites, monuments and places that others have told us we must visit. After all, if we haven’t seen the The Eiffel TowerWe drank chocolate at Angelina and stood in line to see the Mona Lisa. What did we come to Paris for?
Don't worry, these are legitimate feelings when visiting Paris, and basically any destination in the world.
After visiting Paris at least once and checking out the major sites, on subsequent visits some of us develop a desire to discover the Paris Deeper than the familiar tourist layers. As a city that has not stopped developing since it was settled almost 2,300 years ago, there is no shortage of places to get lost in the cultural and historical richness it offers, and it has something to offer everyone.
You can discover Paris through guided tours, or by using a ready-made itinerary, or by using the Francophile website. This way, you can learn chapters from the history and present of Paris, summarized in a safe and accessible way with a little nostalgia powder, which turns even moments of horror into a sweet Disney story.
But there is also a different, contemporary Paris, and in order to discover it we will have to step out of our comfort zone and try out experiences that have not yet been fully mapped by bloggers and travel magazines.
For example, imagine a situation where you pass by an art gallery that is just having an opening night for an exhibition (what is called a “vernissage” in French), and instead of saying to yourself, “I would like to go in there but I don’t feel like it” and moving on, you dare to go in, say Bonjour or Bonsoir, drink free wine, talk to the artists and gallery owners, and come out of this unplanned experience with a story that you will remember for years to come.
In my opinion, any new experience that makes us feel like we're in unfamiliar territory is worth the effort. At worst, you've lost an hour. At best, you're left with a special memory. Plus, the more you delve into the history of that place or those people, the more you'll see how intertwined the history of Paris and its present are.
The following list is not necessarily an itinerary, but rather a list of alternative places or experiences in Paris that you should incorporate into your existing schedule. You will not find the places on the “top ten places/things you must visit” list.
But they are fascinating, contemporary, not mainstream, maybe a few butterflies will fly in your stomach when you enter them, and most importantly – you don't need any special connections in the world of Paris to get to them.
Most places are suitable for an adult audience. If they are suitable for a younger audience, this is specifically stated.
Secrets of Le Marais: A Journey into the Historic and Chic Heart of Paris
Join us on a virtual journey to the most fascinating district in Paris. Together we will discover hidden courtyards, French nobility, and the true stories behind the magnificent facades.
Gallery opening nights
Gallery opening nights are a bit of a wild night. Each gallery has its own schedule. You can search for the term “vernissage” with the word Paris and see if anything comes to mind on the dates you’re there.
If you decide to try anyway, there are several areas with a concentration of galleries, some of which are accessible to the general public:
- בLatin Quarter, on Rue des Beaux Arts and the streets adjacent to it
- In the 8th arrondissement, around Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré
- In the Place des Vosges area near Bastille Square, galleries are relatively permanent.
- My favorite area is near the metro. Richelieu–Drouot In the 9th arrondissement, there are dozens of small galleries located on the streets leading off Rue Drouot.
One reason there is such a high concentration is a large art auction house – Hotel Drouot – which is worth a visit in itself. The Hotel Drouot has 16 auction rooms, where over 70 auction houses organize sales on a daily basis. Whether you want to buy a piece of history French Or to watch antiques and art enthusiasts fight like in the movies, you are more than welcome to visit.
- free admission
- Content in French
- It is recommended, but not mandatory, to check in advance on the website which auctions are taking place on a given day.
- Suitable for children
- Hotel Drouot is close to the Grands Boulevards to the south and the Nouvelle Athènes district to the north.
Address: 9 Rue Drouot, 75009 Paris
https://drouot.com/
The Electric Circus – Cirque Électrique
Despite the prevalent perception of circus in Israel and around the world, inFrance Contemporary, non-commercial circus, like the Cirque du Soleil, is considered relevant and an artistic field in every sense of the word, and it receives a great deal of respect from both the audience and the government that helps it exist. Contemporary circus is a meeting point of different types of art that combines and borrows from all the performing and plastic arts, in order to take viewers on a special multi-sensory journey.
With this concept in mind, the founders of the venue launched a cultural experimentation project in 1995 called Cirque Électrique. The concept combined classic circus, cabaret, theater, art brut, opera and other genres.
If there is a spiritual successor to the Moulin Rouge, it is this place. It is not commercialized, and visiting it on the right evening will leave you with an extraordinary impression. The first time I was there, I didn't know what I was going to do. Inside one tent there was a cabaret show in German, in another tent an experimental film was being shown, and outside there were people walking around in completely avant-garde clothing who told me that this is how they dress every day. I left there feeling that I had visited a surreal space that I had the pleasure of visiting.
- There are programs for children on weekends and holidays – in French.
- The content is mostly in French, but that doesn't detract from the experience.
- The real magic happens on weekends – it’s worth checking the program on the website beforehand.
- Activities on weekdays and weekends are suitable for children, evening performances are not suitable for children.
- Close to Buttes-Chaumont Park in the 19th arrondissement and Doc (see below).
Address: Pl. du Maquis du Vercors, 75020 Paris
https://cirque-electrique.com/
Dancing with the stars at Le Centquatre
The Centquatre (Centre) or the 104th, is a public cultural center in Paris, opened in 2008.
In 1870, the Archbishop of Paris, responsible for the city's burials, ordered the construction of a new, vast building to serve the growing community of Paris. The building was built in the 19th arrondissement and the main entrance was at 104 Rue d'Aubervilliers, hence the name.
The site was active for over 120 years and at its peak, 150 funerals were held there every day.
In 1905, the law on the separation of church and state was passed in France. The management of the site passed from the church to the municipality, which later used it for various activities. Over the years, the condition of the building deteriorated until it was closed in 1998.
Fortunately, the building was registered as a historical site in January 1997 and the then mayor of Paris, Jean Thibri, included the building in an urban renewal project. In 2003, the city administration approved the plan to transform the morbid place into a multicultural space. The Centquatre was inaugurated on October 11, 2008.
Today, the venue covers an area of 16,000 square meters and is designed to accommodate 5,000 visitors. It serves as a residence for 200 artists, has two screening and live performance rooms with 200 and 400 seats, and an exhibition space.
Artists from all art fields are invited to work in the open space or book closed spaces, allowing the public (you) to watch their work as they work on it. If you've dreamed of dancing tango, breakdancing, or ballet with someone who might one day be a huge name (I know one personally who trained there), then this is the place.
The venue regularly presents contemporary art exhibitions and has become one of the meeting places for Parisian youth for urban dances and other artistic and other activities.
There are restaurants, a huge second-hand store, a library, a space for small children, and lots of peace.
- Most activities are suitable for children, regarding performances – it depends on the performance.
- Close to Le Bassin de la Villette, the river that continues into the Canal Saint-Martin and a little further away is Parc de la Villette.
Address: 104 Rue d'Aubervilliers, 75019 Paris
Meet today's bohemian at Doc
A place similar to Centquatre, but compared to the large project, this is an associative project intended for the field of plastic arts.
The Doc was founded in 2018 when 95 artists transformed the former Jean Covard high school in the 20th arrondissement of Paris into a home for artists, craftsmen, photographers, actors/actresses, musicians, jewelers, fashion designers, publishers, set designers, writers, video editors, playwrights, and more.
If you thought Rivoli 59 was a true encounter with artistic bohemia, here you can meet a collective of active artists. Some of them will one day exhibit in major galleries in Paris like the Palais de Tokyo and Galeries Dior, so this is an opportunity to say that you once met them here.
An associative place, very affordable prices and there are regular exhibitions, concerts, theater arts, audio-visual presentations and free workshops/seminars.
- Open to the general public only for events or by prior arrangement
- Borderline for children
- Close to Cirque Électrique, Buttes-Chaumont Park and Ménilmontant district.
Address: 26 Rue du Dr Potain, 75019 Paris
Street art in LES FRIGOS
Les Frigos is an arts center located in the 13th arrondissement of Paris. Originally a cold storage warehouse built in 1920 (hence the name Les Frigos – the refrigerators). It became abandoned in 1971, following the relocation of the main food market from Les Halles, which was founded around the middle of the 12th century and operated for 800 years until 1970, when it was demolished and replaced by a shocking commercial center, and the food market moved to the new International Market in Rennes, which is still the largest wholesale market in Europe.
In 1985, a collective of artists invaded the abandoned building. They saw great potential in the many empty spaces, separated by thick concrete walls. They formed an association and began paying rent to the owner – SNCF (the French National Railway Company). Today, over a hundred artists live and work there, their association is called “91 Quai de la Gare” (Station Platform No. 91). In addition to their personal works, they create projects for the residents of the area to counter the gentrification of the Left Bank.
The complex is fascinating: in the contemporary use of old architecture, in the diversity of the artists, and in the sense of authenticity that is lacking in many places that exist today.
- Les Frigos is open to the public by appointment or for exhibitions, film screenings, open evenings and special events that are held several times a week. You should go to their website and check it out (it has an English version).
- Open days are suitable for children, events – depending on the type of event.
- Close to the Francois Mitterrand Library, Paris Chinatown to the south, Bercy Park and the Cinematheque Française to the north.
Address: 19 Rue des Frigos, 75013 Paris
https://www.les-frigos.fr/
End of the World Cocktail at Atomic Cat
Everyone has heard of the “secret” Prohibition-era bars hidden behind restaurants. It’s a nice concept, but it’s been around in Paris for over ten years.
How about an apocalyptic bar that took things a little seriously? The Atomic bar opened in 2021, as a sort of reaction to the Covid apocalypse (that's what they call it). The bar is located underground, like a bunker, and is designed like the set of a movie about a place that survived the end of the world. The place contains a multidisciplinary alternative scene that hosts cabaret, live performances, costume parties and more, alongside an excellent bar, nice staff and some photos that you will be happy to add to your Instagram or Facebook. It is worth following the program because there are always special events there.
- Not suitable for children
- Close to Bastille Square and District
https://www.atomic-cat-bar.com/
Address: 6 Pass. Thiéré, 75011 Paris
Drinking club with a running problem – Hashing
If you like meeting new people, running, and drinking, on your next visit to Paris, join one of the Paris hashing groups, which combine running with beer and lots of humor.
Hashing was originally created by a group of Britons who were on relocation in Malaysia in 1938. The concept spread over the years and today there are over 1,600 Hash groups all over the world, including 15 in France.
At each meet, runners follow markings left on the running course. To make it interesting, there are misleading puzzles and false trails to slow down the leading runners. Every certain amount of time there is a rest stop, where cold bottles of beer await, and at the end of the course everyone gathers and has a picnic or brunch.
There are two groups around Paris. One is in Saint-Cloud, a southwestern suburb of Paris, called Sans Clue Hash. They usually run close to Paris and Saint-Cloud and their routes include more nature and less well-known and magical places.
The second group is the Hash House Harriers, who usually run within Paris.
The Senses Clow team runs on Sunday and the Paris Hash team runs every second Saturday of the month.
Both welcome visitors who have previously run in other groups and those who are running for the first time.
What should I bring?
Comfortable running shoes, reasonable English and most importantly – a sense of humor.
It is recommended to contact the organizers through their websites to find out the exact location, cost (usually 5 euros per participant) and other details.
- Not suitable for children
- Address changes every week.
https://sanscluehash.fr/
https://parishash.wordpress.com/
Alternative and a bit commercial Paris
As of this writing, 2023, Paris is in the midst of preparations for the 2024 Olympics and at the same time has been undergoing a deep gentrification process for several years, for better or for worse. In such a reality, every place has to be profitable, or it has no right to exist and disappears from the landscape.
Therefore, every place, even an alternative one, needs to develop a business model for commercialization. There are places that know how to find the balance between the original spirit of the place that made it popular and profitability. However, there are places that have kept the name but have become something completely different, which is sometimes disappointing. Unfortunately, I decided not to include a number of places that I remembered fondly from recent years, but I was disappointed with during the research for this article.
Before visiting one of the following places, I recommend that you do a little Googling and read the latest reviews, in order to understand if the place is right for you.
Looking for more lesser-known places in Paris?
You are invited to read Liran's article on The cinemas on Champollion StreetIf you are looking for more secret places, you are welcome to read the article. Parisian Secrets.