Paris is one of the world’s most beautiful cities – and one of the most expensive. So, from the walkway over the city to galleries and fashion shows, we pick the city’s best free activities.
1. Make the most of free first Sundays
If you get your timing right, you can explore some of the most popular museums and monuments in Paris for free, thanks to the free first Sundays programme. Some of those are the popular Louvre and Musee d’Orsay, as well smaller quirky spots such as the Albert-Kahn musée et jardins (a homage to gardens around the world) and the Musée de l’Assistance Publique, which celebrates the history of Paris hospitals.
2. Catch the Parc de la Villette free open air cinema
Enjoy the summer evening in Paris and catch a free film at the open-air cinema at the Parc de la Villette. The event runs from July through August and usually follows a particular theme. This year it’s “Tous en scène'” or “Everybody on stage” and includes awesome films like Where the Wild Things Are, Be Kind Rewind and The Killing.
3. Stroll through the Jardin du Luxembourg
Spend an entire day wandering around this sweeping city park, which is the garden of the French senate. The beautifully landscaped garden, which was built in the 17th century, has hundreds of adorable statues, monuments and fountains – including the first model of the Statue of Liberty by Frédéric. Jardin du Luxembourg is the perfect place for anyone to hang out with, and read a book and enjoy a picnic.
4. Check out the Love Wall
Being the city of love, it’s no surprise that this mural in Paris that features “I Love You” scrawled in hundreds of different languages, draws countless visitors wanting to capture a romantic moment. The wall is the brainchild of Frederic Baron, who began collecting I love yous in 1992 and teamed up with the artist and calligrapher Claire Kito who drew the mural. It’s not far from the gleaming white Sacré-Coeur Basilica, an iconic Parisian attraction that can also be visited for free.
5. Visit the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris
One of the greatest attractions in Paris, Notre Dame cuts a dominating figure on the Île de la Cité in the middle of the Seine. The spindly gothic architecture and magnificent stained glass windows make it as much a treat to see from the inside as out. Meanwhile, in the square and bridges around the cathedral you’ll find assorted buskers, from full live bands to human statues, which always draw a crowd.
6. Explore the Père Lachaise cemetery
Behind a looming stone entrance in the 20th arrondissement lies Paris’s largest cemetery, with over 100 acres of graves, tombs and memorials and 69,000 ornate. Although a bit creepy, it is the most visited cemetery in the world, thanks to the prominent individuals laid to rest here, including Georges Rodenbach, whose tomb features a bronze figure breaking out of the grave, and Oscar Wilde’s, which used to be kissed by visitors with red lipstick. Jim Morrison of The Doors is also buried there in a humble stone marker that draws thousands of fans each year.
7. Admire the sculptures at Atelier Brancusi
A visit to the studio of Constantin Brancusi, in the same square of the Pompidou Centre‘s main museum and exhibitions, is free to visit. The revolutionary sculptor, who died in 1957, left his workshop and all its contents to the state and the Pompidou Centre had the studio taken apart and reconstructed in front of it in a modern pavilion. Visitors can get an impression of the space in which Brancusi worked, as well as see some of the work that helped redefine modern sculpture.
8. Walk La Promenade Plantée
Opened in 1993, six years before New York’s similar High Line project, La Promenade Plantee is a tree-lined walkway on an old railway line in east Paris. The 4.5km trail is an amazing way to explore the city. The walkway also runs over the Viaduc des Arts, a bridge in which the arches are now occupied by galleries.
9. Have a late night picnic at the Square du Vert-Galant
To get a taste of the real Midnight in Paris and bohemian vibe, make your way down to the Square du Vert-Galant with a bottle of wine in the evening. The cosy park is located on the western tip of the Île de la Cité and can be reached by taking the stairs down from Pont Neuf. In the summer, the park is filled with people relaxing on the grass while enjoying the view and watching the boats sail past on either side of the island. It’s not uncommon to see sparkling tea lights floating downstream with them too, adding that extra touch of Parisian magic.
10. Check out a fashion show at Galeries Lafayette
As a great city for fashion, getting a seat for Paris Fashion Week might be beyond the means of most visitors, but it’s possible to get a taste of la mode every Friday afternoon at the Galeries Lafayette department store. The free shows involve professional models strutting the runway and displaying the store’s fashion collection. It’s still worth booking ahead to get a seat, so contact the store in advance.
