|
Destination Guide: Paris
Contemplating a trip to the city of cheese, wine and fois gras? Here’s how to enjoy a trip to this magical city, without derailing your weight loss efforts
Article By: Elaine Cohen
Top Tourist Activities
Ready to walk off that croissant? Make sure you’ve packed comfortable shoes (and a pedometer, if you’re interested in keeping track of your mileage): It’s easy to walk miles in a day in Paris. Opportunities for activity are everywhere, and the really ambitious sightseers can step it up: Hike up the hill to Sacré-Coeur instead of using the cable railway system; climb all 387 steps to Notre-Dame’s South Tower. Here are some of the top places to visit, by neighborhood. Rack up extra activity PointsPlus® values and save some money on taxis by walking from one cultural landmark to the next!
Left Bank Attractions  Luxembourg Gardens
This perfectly manicured and landscaped four-seasons park has gardens, a fountain pool and playgrounds. During chilly months, bundle up for a brisk walk through the grand tree-lined pathways called allées.
Location: 6th Arrondissement
 Eiffel Tower
Built in 1889, this iconic piece of architecture has three wraparound viewing floors. Walk more than 300 steps from the ground level to the first floor, take in the views of the city, then continue up another set of more than 300 steps to the second floor. (There’s elevator-only access to the windy top at 1,063 feet.)
Location:7th Arrondissement  Musée d’Orsay
The greatest works by Impressionist artists Monet, Cézanne and Van Gogh (among others) are housed inside a stunning, cavernous, converted train station. Tip: Combine a museum visit with a walk across Passerelle Léopold-Sédar-Senghor, the award-winning single-span metallic pedestrian bridge that leads to the magnificent Tuileries Gardens.
Location: 7th Arrondissement
Right Bank Attractions
 The Louvre
The Louvre is the largest museum in the world — so big that it would take you days to see all of the 35,000 works of art on display. The "Mona Lisa" and so many others are housed in the beautiful Palais du Louvre, a royal castle built in the 12th century, which has been augmented for over 800 years through reconstruction and expansion. Check out the website before you go to decide which exhibits you want to see most, and then devote three hours to get a good sampling.
Location: 1st Arrondissement
 Notre-Dame Cathedral
Built between 1163 and 1250, this cathedral is one of the most studied examples of Gothic French architecture, sculpture and stained glass. Get there early to hike up into the South Tower for an up-close viewing of the stony gargoyles.
Location: 4th Arrondissement  Pompidou Centre
Take a break from classic art and architecture and head to this museum of contemporary art and film. The exhibit begins before you enter the building, which was designed to expose the air ducts, plumbing, escalators and other typically interior systems on the outside. The permanent galleries house major works from the Cubism, Surrealism and Pop Art movements.
Location: 4th Arrondissement  Arc de Triomphe and the Champs-Elysées
This is one of the world’s largest monumental arches, which opened in 1836 to honor the fallen French soldiers of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars. Take the 284 steps to the top to see fantastic views of the city, the nearby Eiffel Tower and the massive roundabout on which the arch is situated. Then take a stroll on the glamorous Champs-Elysées to explore its luxury shops, cinemas, theaters and cafés.
Location: 8th Arrondissement
 Sacré-Coeur Basilica and Montmartre
Sacré-Coeur Basilica is the greatest attraction in Montmartre, a charming village-like neighborhood with cobblestoned passages, tiny cabarets, funky designer shops and secret gardens. Start at the cathedral, taking the steep and narrow spiral staircase into the dome — where on clear days you can reportedly see as far as 30 miles in any direction. Afterward, stroll the hilly district where famous modern artists have lived and worked. Kids and adults will enjoy the 40-minute tour on Le Petit Train de Montmartre that circles the area.
Location: 18th Arrondissement (Get the train at the Blanche Métro stop, across from the Moulin Rouge or outside of the basilica; €5 for adults.)
| French (Fitness) Tips |
There are many ways to stay active on vacation, besides walking. Try these tips for enjoying your sport of choice:
Out for a run: Locals and tourists alike use the paths in the Bois de Boulogne, Luxembourg Gardens, Champ de Mars, Parc Monceau and the Jardin des Plantes for walking and jogging. The sidewalks along both the Seine and the Canal St. Martin are also popular running routes.
Take two wheels: The
Vélib' bike-sharing system has made tens of thousands of three-speed, unisex bikes available for residents and tourists to cruise around town on two wheels. The fee is about $2 a day or $10 for a seven-day ticket, with over a thousand pickup and drop-off locations throughout the city. More bike lanes are constantly being added.
Stretch it out: There are many yoga studios throughout the city; some classes are even taught in English. If you practice, research the studios near your location. In the 11th, try the Ashtanga Yoga Paris studio located in a hidden Japanese garden. For a comprehensive listing of yoga classes, check out the popular blogger David Lebovitz's post, "Yoga in Paris"
In the swim: There are 38 public pools (piscine in French) in nearly every neighborhood of the city, some indoors and some outdoors, all open to locals and tourists alike. Just be sure to bring a swim cap, your suit (men must wear a Speedo-style one, no bathing trunks!) and a lock for your locker. For a refreshing dip into history, head to the famed Josephine Baker pool, on a barge with a retractable roof on the Seine. The pool itself is small, but on warm sunny days, you’ll enjoy dreamy views of the river and city.
Josephine Baker location: 13th Arrondissement, at the Quai François-Mauriac on the Left Bank of the Seine.
|
|