Christina Henry de Tessan - City Walks: Paris: 50 Adventures on Foot

50 Adventures on Foot

by Christina Henry de Tessan

2004 Christina Henry de Tessan

Maps 2004 Reineck and Reineck, San Francisco
Card design by Reineck & Reineck

Le Jardin by Jacques Prvert originally
appeared in Paroles. Editions Gallimard, Paris, 1949.
Used with permission.

All rights reserved. No part of this deck may
be reproduced in any form without written
permission from the publisher.

eISBN 978-0-8118-7387-1

Chronicle Books LLC
680 Second Street
San Francisco, California 94107

www.chroniclebooks.com

Paris is a densely packed blend of the historical and the contemporary, the grand and the intimate. You will find examples of modern architecture vying for attention with centuries-old palaces. You will witness the governments attempts at modernization and revitalization in some neighborhoods and its heroic efforts at restoration and preservation in others. You will stroll along imposing six-lane boulevards and narrow, sinuous lanes. You will find locals doing their errands on market streets that have existed for hundreds of years, in the shadows of monuments that are a constant reminder of the citys regal past. You will come upon specialized boutiques, sprawling restaurants, tantalizing displays in food shops, and a thriving caf life. Paris is a dynamic, complicated city, bent on honoring its past as it adapts to the present and makes way for the future, and these many layers are precisely what makes this city so enticing for the visitor. For those willing to walk its streets at a leisurely pace, there are infinite rewards, for the real heart of Paris is to be found in the details.

Paris is divided into twenty neighborhoods, or arrondissements. The first is in the center of the city, and from there they spiral out like a snail shell, with the low digits all close to the center and the higher numbers forming the outer rim. The Seine divides the city into the Right Bank and Left Bank (Rive Droite and Rive Gauche). These cards follow the arrondissement system, beginning in the center and spiraling progressively outward. The arondissement numbers are marked on each card in orange, and the dotted orange lines denote the boundaries between the arrondissements.

As Paris grew out from the Seine over the years, many of the nearby villages were incorporated into the city; some of these neighborhoods still retain the cozy, independent spirit of the villages they once were. Most of the great historical monuments and the oldest areas of the original city of Paris are centrally located, clustered on both sides of the Seine. Since these are the neighborhoods that are generally of greatest interest to the visitor, you will find proportionally more cards focusing on central Paris.

With a few exceptions, all walks are one to two miles long and on mostly flat terrain. Depending on your pace, and the number of stops you make along the way, many of them are designed to be done in one to two hours. Note that the three walks around Montmartre (#41-43) involve walking up and down some fairly steep hills. #36 and #44 also feature steep inclines. Lastly, the walks in the Bois de Boulogne and Vincennes (#49 and #50) are four to five miles in length. On the card maps, one inch equals 1,000 feet, so five inches is approximately one mile.

To make it easy to reach the starting point of a given walk, each walk begins at a metro stop and ends with directions back to the metro. Pariss metro system is among the best in the world, and it shouldnt take you long to figure it out. The metro stations tend to be well marked, and there are ticket booths at most entrances. If you are in town for only a few days, it might make more sense to buy a carnet of 10 tickets or, depending on how long youll be staying and when you arrive, a weekly pass. There are also tourist passes, so its worth exploring your options. The 14 metro lines are identified by their final destinations; simply select the appropriate line and take it in the direction you want.

The RER is the regional transit system and can be used within city limits with metro tickets. RER stops are only given when no metro is nearby. The bus system is also an excellent way to get around but its a bit more complicated to navigate. Bus stops list the bus lines that stop there and their routes.

So select a few cards, stick them in your pocket, and be on your way. Happy walking!

Paris is a city best seen on foot. Walking allows you to savor the real texture of the city, not just its monuments. One of the best things about Paris is the sheer variety of attractionsand their proximity to one another. There is something to behold at every turn. Each card in this deck provides a summary of attractions along a particular routefrom world-famous landmarks and cafs to little-known specialty shops and outdoor marketsand reveals the character of this beautiful city in an accessible way. And the routes themselves are marked on maps on the opposite sides of the cards.

Because of space considerations, the cards do not list business hours or days of operation, so it is best to check those before venturing out. In general, museums and outdoor markets are closed on Monday, but that is not always the case. The Louvre, for example, is closed on Tuesday.

Look for Pariscope, a weekly events magazine, which comes out on Wednesday and is sold in kiosks. It lists every concert, exhibit, movie, and event in the city, along with operating hours, addresses, and nearby metro stops. The last section of the magazine is in English and summarizes the weeks highlights.

The original heart of the city, this island has two world-class churches and lovely architecture.

Metro: Maubert-Mutualit

Take the picturesque rue de Bivre, crossing the Pont de lArchevch onto the le de la Cit, the island where Paris first took shape in the third century B.C. Take the steps on your right to the serene and eerily quiet Mmorial de la Dportation, dedicated to those who were deported during World War II. Take quai de lArchevch to quai aux Fleurs, along the northern bank, descending the steps on your left onto rue des Ursins. Go left on rue de la Colombe, right again, then left on rue dArcole. Although Baron Haussmann had most of the citys dense streets razed when he altered the layout of Paris in the 19th century, this area was spared and shows what the island was once like. (It is considered a travesty that the oldest part of the city was demolished.) Rue dArcole leads to Notre Dame Cathedral. Visit the interior, heading up to the towers for a birds-eye view. (Check for concerts.) Head away from Notre Dame on quai des Orfvres, then right on rue de la Cit, then left onto rue de Lutce, past the flower market. The Sainte Chapelle is visible ahead and is reached through the Palais de Justice to the left of the wrought-iron gates. Built in the 13th century, the upper chapel, with its intricate stained-glass windows, sparkles like a jewel on sunny days. (Again, check for concerts.) After this sensual overload, the