Paris city breaks are great for sightseeing because the city is so compact, you can get around several of the famous sights in one day and pretty much see the whole lot in a short weekend break to Paris. If you plan your itinerary carefully, there will be never a dull moment during the whole time in Paris, it’s such a varied and wonderful city. My favourite in fact. I could write loads more all about how it’s important to just be there. absorb the atmosphere and go wandering about to discover the real Paris, but if it’s your first time in the city then it’s not a question of if but when you get around to visiting all the major tourist sights and attractions. It’s just something that has to be done so you might as well get it over with on your first Paris city break. Then you can relax a bit and get deeper under the skin of the city on your second and subsequent visits, because there’s no doubt you’ll be wanting to return. So here’s a bit about each of the most famous sights that you’ll not want to miss.

The Louvre Paris

The building in which the Louvre, Paris is situated is an impressive sight enough from the outside but of course its what ’s on the inside that really matters. That can take a time to get into and to walk around though, so I’m going to suggest that unless you are a student of the kind of art which hangs inside the Louvre then you don’t really need to go in on your first visit to Paris. If like me you are impressed by good modern architecture though, you’ll want to get as far as the entrance on the opposite side to the river Seine frontage, in order to see the new(ish) transparent pyramid structure that’s been tastefully added to the grand old building itself.

Eiffel Tower Paris

If you’re on a short city break to Paris then again, you might not feel it’s worth spending the hour or two that it can take to queue up at the foot of the Eiffel Tower in order to go up inside this iconic structure. But you won’t want to leave Paris without having caught a good glimpse of the tower from somewhere, and it’s not always visible from everywhere in the city. One interesting way to catch a glimpse of the Eiffel Tower is from the overground section of the metro that goes through Bir Hakeim metro station. Or you can get out at Trocadero, by the museums and look downwards across the Seine to the base of the tower. This is the spot to get your photograph taken with the Eiffel tower in the background.

Arc de Triomphe Paris

The Arc de Triomphe is iconic too, being a symbol of the French state to some extent. It’s in the middle of a busy roundabout which is a star shaped junction conecting several large roads or Boulevards. There’s a great view of the Arch from down on the Champs Elysee so if you feel the need to visit the trendy shops
and restaurants on that famous street then you will see the arch up at the top of the hill. From the arc de Triomphe itself it’s possible to see another arch, the new grand arch at La Defense, which is just outside the peripheral road that encompasses the city of Paris

More sights for Paris City Breaks

A good bus tour will enable you to take in about a dozen Paris sights in a couple of hours but without going to such an extreme touristic solution it’s still possible to satisfy whatever is that urge to make reality out symbolism through seeing the distantly familiar close up by stringing a few places together where there is proximity. For example, the Pont Neuf is right next to Notre Dame de Paris so you can see the famous bridge and famous cathedral together. Then there’s the Opera and the Galeries LaFayette, the Pantheon and the Jardin de Luxembourg. All in all, if you leave London by Eurostar one day, arrive in Paris for lunch and depart the following afternoon, there’s still sufficient time to maximise the sightseeing potential of these kind of embarrasingly quickie Paris city breaks while still having time to relax and enjoy the ambiance a bit, making full use of the excellent restaurants and cafes while you’re there too. The main thing is to decide to go and go soon, then you’ll not regret it and will be itching to plan longer breaks in Paris, city of romance, culture, art and all of life.

Paris City Breaks picture credits: Eiffel Tower Paris by daredevil_81

In this post I am advocating Paris City Breaks to the 7th Arrondissment with the Quai Branly Museum and restaurant.

Quai Branly Museum

The building that houses the Quai Branly Museum collection was designed by Jean Nouvel and is considered a work of great architectural art by some and but a monstrosity by others.  That’s just part of the controversy surrounding the very existance of the Quai Branly, but dont let that put you off – you need to make up your own mind and a short Paris City Break makes an excellent opportunity to do so. The museum  complex comprises of four buildings.  The main 600-foot-long building sits on stilts, parallel to the Seine, and is covered with 30 multicolored cubes protruding from it at random intervals.  Upon entering the museum, visitors soon learn that there are small exhibitions located in each of the suspended colored boxes.  The other four buildings include a theatre for contemporary performances and concerts, a bookstore, and a casual restaurant that looks out over the gardens and Eiffel Tower and a more formal rooftop restaurant. The landscaping was designed by Giles Clement  and includes 15,000 plants intermingled with LED straws that periodically change colours, and winding paths for visitors to walk as they contemplate their experience. Much of the criticism regarding the treatment and display of the Quai Branly’s controversial collection, centres on precisely these kind of “effects” as well as the dubious ethics involved in the aquisition of the colonial artefacts in the first place.

For the visitor to Paris on a short city break, Quai Branly still makes for  a fascinating visit.  The architecture is both appealing and engaging, though not an easy building to look at, requiring thought and an appreciation of daring architectural design.  Similarly, the Quai Branly’s collection of compelling objects which, yes, should certainly be returned to their countries of origin is thought-provoking.  But due to a lack of appropriate signage and contextual explanation, getting the most out of your visit requires some prior knowledge of the subject matter and a willingness to take notes and research the pieces later. Or you could opt for an audio-guide tour of the permanent collections (adults, family, couples) and still have time to take a look around the book shop at the end of your visit  with beautiful books, reference books on the primitive arts, posters and  postcards.

How to get there:

Entry to the museum is via rue de l’Université or via Quai Branly. Metro Iena then walk across the Seine via the Passerelle Debilly bridge

Paris City Breaks Reastaurant Review

Possible the most well anticipated part of each day during Paris city breaks is the excuse for dining out in the city famous for its Parisian cuisine.  so Paris City Breaks brings you  a short review of the Quai Branly’s restaurant, which is called Les Ombres – “the shadows”.  The menu is excellent and offers earthy but smart dishes expertly prepared in surroundings that are delightful. Soups are flavoured with herbs and seafood.  Game meats, pates and specialities such as foie-gras are served with appropriate trimmings, and the tender lamb with pasta is sublime.  I wouldn’t order the flottante though, that’s a rather silly dessert.  The restaurant Les Ombres is right at the top of the Quai Branly, and so it looks out over the Eiffel Tower, making for a spectacular view.  Yes, it’s a bit pricey, but well worth it if you’re only in Paris for a short city break and have limited opportunities to make the most of all the fine restaurant opportunities.

When to visit Quai Branly on Paris City Breaks

If you have a spare 2 hours on a Sunday, attend the Forum, which is a question time on the central mezzanine of the permanent collections – 1 hour, all audiences, every Sunday at 3pm.  More than just a questions-and-answers session, this is the opportunity to discuss the artefacts and your personal experience of the museum. Free entry, limited places.