History

An unexpected bonus of Haussmann's grand plan to modernize Paris with grands boulevards and wide streets were the little alleyways that were left behind, untouched in the reconstruction of Paris in the 19th century....

On the 101st anniversary of the Armistice, two French films that chronicle the immediate aftermath of the First World War come to mind. Life and Nothing But (1989) by French director Bertrand Tavernier, and...

So you've seen the Sacré-Cœur, taken the obligatory selfie at the candy-pink façade of the Maison Rose, and ambled among the artists and caricaturists of bohemian Montmartre. Now it's time to step aside slightly...

To celebrate and honor the liberation of Paris 75 years ago, on the 25th August 1944 when General Leclerc's 2nd French Armored Division liberated the capital, the old Musée de la Liberation, sited above...

Everybody’s got a favorite hideout for escaping the quotidian hassles of the world. My own beloved haven is the Cimetière de Montmartre. Here Dame Nature dresses to the nines—winter, spring, summer, and fall, and...

Even the City of Light has grey days in winter, where cloud-covered Paris can make you long for sunnier times, with flowers and blossoms blooming again, and colors once more brightening your day. The solution...

At the very edge of Île de la Cité on the quai de l’Archevêché, gazed down on benevolently by Notre-Dame Cathedral, lies the square de l'Île-de-France. It is a peaceful spot in the midst...

Every country has moments in its history—often much longer than moments—that are a source of profound national shame. In this regard, despite her reputation as the birthplace of the Declaration of the Rights of Man...

When the "piscine Molitor Grands Etablissements Balnéaires d’Auteuil" first opened its doors in Paris in 1929, it was the final touch to an already impressive sports offering in the city’s 16th arrondissement. Along with the...

The Journées du Patrimoine occurs on the 3rd weekend of September each year and is a must for anyone that loves Paris history and architecture. Historic buildings that are usually closed to the public...

A crisp May morning, unseasonably cold in Paris, and the vendors at the Marché d’Aligre are gregariously chatting with passers-by. The stands are brimming with jewel-like strawberries, plump asparagus, and all the bounty of...

One of the more esoteric locations in Paris is the Club des Hashischins located in the Hotel de Lauzun on the Île Saint-Louis. Founded by Charles Baudelaire and his friend Théophile Gauthier in 1844,...