Top 10 Alternative things to do in Paris?

Question

Other than the obvious (Eiffel Tower, Louvre...)

Answer 1

Hi, go to metro Jaures, exit, then walk along the right bank of Canal Ourcq on a thursday, friday, sat, or sun... go all the way to villete.  You'll pass by some really cool stuff.  It's a beautiful walk, the canal, the locks, the huge trees, the bridges across the canal, the people playing boule, the cafes, bars, theatres, the floating theatres (peniche opera, abracadabra theatre, many others).

or

go the african market on rue belleville on saturday morning.  Very cool experience.

or

go to chinatown and have some great chinese, vietnamese, thai food...

or

go walking in my fav park (buttes chaumont) in the 19th BUT you have to go on a Saturday (late morning or early afternoon).  You'll see things there that you'll never see anywhere else in Paris (muslims and jews actually walking on the same sidewalk and getting along quite nicely).

or

Go to the Paris Mosque on Saturday or Sunday (don't go on Friday unless you like huge crowds - friday is jomieh).  It's a beautiful building and you feel like your in another country.  There is a cafe there where you can get really strong mint tea.  The people there are very cool and there is no problem entering the mosque (just don't go into the prayer rooms that surround the inner courtyard (unless you're muslim of course and you've washed up appropriately in the cleaning area).  This is a fantastic experience...

Oh one more thing...

It's not that "alternative" but it's very very cool:

saint germain de pres has a great street market in the morning to early afternoon (thursday, friday, saturday).  It's a must do to just walk through this area and nibble on the great foods and snaks.

Don't forget Rue abbesses in the 18th.  You can stop there on your way to Sacre Coeur.  This is a very picturesque place.

Answer 2

1) Places des Voges is the oldest town square in France.  Victor Hugo's house is on the square.

2)  Check out the flame eaters and jugglers in front of the Georges Pompidou museum

3) Walk along the Saint Mande lake, through the Bois de Vincennes and through the Parc Floral on the other side.  Gorgeous.

4)  Check out the Picasso Museum.

5)  Avenue Montaigne has more interesting shops than the Champs Elysees.

6)  Walk to the top of the Pantheon, get serious vertigo, and see where famous statesmen, authors, and scholars are buried.  From there you can walk to the Sorbonne and the Luxenbourg Gardens.

7)  When you get homesick, go for pancakes at the Caveau des Diables in the Beaubourg section of town.

8) Race the funicular up the hill through Montmartre on your way to the Sacre Coeur.  Way better view than Notre Dame and you can get your portrait drawn in pastels by a student for a cool souvenir.

9)  Eat ice cream on the Ile St. Louis

10)  Take a day trip to Vaux le Vicomte, the chateau that inspired Louis XIV to build Versailles.

Bon voyage!

Answer 3

http://gofrance.about.com/cs/parisattrac...

Answer 4

This is not a ten item list but.....

Pere Lachaise Cemetery - Gertrude Stein, Oscar Wilde, Edith Piaf, g*y-Lussac, Moliere, Jim Morrison.  http://www.pere-lachaise.com/

Da Vinci Code walking tour - http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages...

Paris Sewer Museum - smelly, but fascinating for the civil engineers and history buffs.  http://www.paris.org/Musees/Egouts/

Catacombs - Whole buncha dead Parisians staring at you.  Sorta.  Good write up at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catacombs_o...

Paris Plage - a beach built along the Seine, every summer.  http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Eur...

Rodin Museum - The Thinker, The Burgers of Calais, great place to picnic as well.  http://www.rodinmuseum.org/