my summer in Paris - Nouveau Paris Ile de France

summer
my
in paris
2012
exhibitions • walks • festivals • places to go
Let us be your guide
facebook / Paris Tourisme
new-paris-idf.com

The "My Summer in Paris" guide is edited by the Paris Ile-de-France Tourist Board - 11, rue du Faubourg Poissonnière –
F-75009 Paris. Publication Manager: Gérard Feldzer, Tourist Board President Tourist Board coordination: marketing and
communication department Design and production: Avis de Tempête. Printed in France, May 2012.
Please dispose of this guide responsibly.
Whilst every care has been taken in the writing and production of this guide, errors or inaccuracies cannot be completely
excluded. The programmes and rates mentioned here (non-contractual and excluding possible rental charges) have been
provided by the organisers of the events listed. The Tourist Board cannot be held responsible in the event of cancellations or
changes to the programme, in the case of rate changes or if there are errors or inaccuracies.
Photos CRT IDF : Carnet, Tripelon-Jarry, Prunevieille, Spera, Greboval, Giansily, Le Gac, Suze-Bouwmeester - CRT IDF
SIPAPRESS : Alfred, Alix, Castro, Chamussy, Jobard, Morel-Fort, Revelli-Beaumont,Trousse, Sadaka - Alvin Ailey, night
creature, © Krautbauer - Monumenta 2012, © Daniel Buren, ADAGP, Paris, © Plowy - Burton, the Walt Disney Company - Etés
de la danse 2012, Paul B. Goode -Versailles, © Groupe F, Nava - RMN (Musée d'Orsay), Lewandowski - Octopus, Decoufl é Cie
DCA, © Lambours/Signatures - Bob Dylan, © Daniel Kramer - Tour de France, © EliteElites - © Disney.Pixar - © Louis Vuitton,
Moore - Al di Meola, © Cabras - Festival de Saint-Denis - Solidays - La Défense Jazz Festival, © Ravoire - Jones Sharon, Festival
Django Reinhardt, © Blickenstaff - Enghien Jazz Festival, Barrier - © MarOne - Green Day, © - Cité de la musique, © Rastoin -
Madame Butterfl y, © Doussin - We Love Green, © Sannier - Technopol - Festival d’Ile-de-France - © Mauro Melis - Paris à vélo,
Bicy - PhotoPointCom - © Musée d'Orsay, Boegly - 4 Roues Sous 1 parapluie - Arts Décoratifs, © Boegly - © Comte, Saut du
Loup. © Agathe Poupeney © Affi che Réunion des musées nationaux, Grand Palais - mondaymonday.fr, © William Beaucardet -
Getty images - © Cabaret Sauvage - Ptérodactyles 3D, Atlantic Productions, Sky 3D - Laurent Philippe, Cie DCA - © Christophe
Raynaud de Lage - © Li Wei - © Think Ringo - © CDT 93 - © Pierre Olcese - © Fernanda Tafner - © Michel Durand - © La
Bellevilloise - Atout France, Charaffi - © Franck Parisot - © Laurent Brémond - © Mairie du 20e , association Paris culture 20e -
© © © © Sébastien Damoiseau - NKB Architectes & Associés, Roberto Ostinelli studio di architettura - Bercy Village - Ian Rivera -
© © © © © © Ganapies de la UAB - Christophe Raynaud De Lage - Pestacles - Didier Pazery - Julien Valle - Bénédicte de Changy
© © © © © Festival de l’Orangerie de Sceaux - Olivier Robert - Artus Boutin - RMN - Pascal Thiebaut - Groupe Lucien Barrière,
© © © Rambert - Ginette Laurin – Eglise d’Auvers, Van Gogh, Musée d’Orsay, Paris.
How lucky you are to be in
Paris Ile-de-France, where
everything is possible this
summer! When the warm
weather comes we celebrate
the 'great escape', and the
capital and its region are
transformed. Culture galore,
walks, parades, beaches on
the banks, countryside in
the city, waterside terraces,
picnics, music festivals, visual
and performing arts, cinema -
the list is never-ending!
Here, summer is all about
having fun, trying new
things and enjoying beautiful
surroundings, great ideas and
good deals.
Whether you've come alone,
as a couple or in a large group,
follow the guide to get the
most out of your trip. We give
you the basics, but it's up to
you to discover the rest!

Practical information p.4
Diary p.6
Events p.8
Music p.14
Districts p.20
Hôtel de Ville p.21
Tuileries, Louvre, Orsay p.24
Trocadéro, Tour Eiffel p.26
Champs-Élysées p.28
The canal Saint-Martin, the canal de l'Ourcq
and the Bassin de la Villette p.29
La Villette p.30
Montmartre and North Paris p.34
Ménilmontant and surroundings p.36
Around the Jardin des Plantes p.38
From Bibliothèque nationale de France to Bercy p.40
Vitry-sur-Seine, Antony, Châtenay-Malabry p.42
Bois de Vincennes and Parc Floral p.43
Provins and Meaux p.44
Fontainebleau, Vaux le Vicomte and Chamarande p.45
Boulogne, Saint-Cloud, Sceaux p.46
Versailles and Thoiry p.48
Enghien-les-Bains p.50
Auvers-sur-Oise p.51

Practical
information
GETTING AROUND
• BY PUBLIC TRANSPORT
With around 400 metro stations and 59 bus services, it’s easy to get
around in Paris. If you're going further afi eld, the RER lines and SNCF
Transilien services cover the whole of Paris and the surrounding region.
Metro trains run from 5:20 am to 1:15 am (2:15 am on Fridays, Saturdays
and the night before public holidays). RER trains run from 4:45 am to
1:30 am. Bus services run from 5:30 am to 8:30 pm (12:30 am on some
lines). Noctilien bus services run from 12:30 am to 5:30 am.
The Paris Visite deal lets you travel on all networks around Paris
and the surrounding region on a single ticket. It is valid for 1, 2, 3 or 5
consecutive days with various zone options. Discounts are available at
some tourist sites. On sale in metro station ticket offi ces, www.ratp.fr
To get to Auvers-sur-Oise, there is a direct Transilien SNCF service from
Paris Gare du Nord on Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays: departs
MR
Paris
Asnières–Gennevilliers
Les Courtilles
Les Agnettes
Gabriel Péri
Saint-Ouen
Mairie
de St-Ouen
Carrefour
Pleyel
Basilique St-Denis–Université
de St-Denis
La Courneuve
St-Denis–Porte de Paris
Aubervilliers
La Courneuve
8 Mai 1945
Le Bourget
CDG
Stade de France
La Plaine
Fort
Garibaldi
St-Denis
Stade de France
d’Aubervilliers
Mairie
Aubervilliers–Pantin
Bobigny
de Clichy
Porte
Quatre Chemins
Pablo Picasso
Porte
Porte de Clignancourt
Porte
Pantin
32 46 • wap.ratp.fr Pont de Levallois
de Clichy
de St-Ouen
Simplon
de la Chapelle
www.ratp.fr
Bécon
Jules Marcadet
Guy
Lamarck
Joffrin
Bobigny–Pantin
Poissonniers Marx
Anatole France
Môquet
Porte de la Villette R. Queneau
Brochant
Caulaincourt
Dormoy
Louise Michel
Funiculaire de
Montmartre
Château Rouge
Corentin Cariou Église de Pantin
Porte de Champerret
La Fourche Abbesses
Barbès La
Crimée
La Défense
Pereire–Levallois Pereire
Blanche
Rochechouart Chapelle
Riquet Ourcq Porte Hoche
Place
Pigalle Anvers
Stalingrad
de Pantin
Esplanade
Wagram
Laumière
Rome
de La Défense
Malesherbes
de Clichy
Jaurès
Danube Pré Mairie
Gare du Nord
Pont de Neuilly
Villiers
Liège
St-Georges
Magenta
Bolivar
St-Gervais des Lilas
Louis
Monceau
Trinité
Notre-Dame Poissonnière
Botzaris
Les Sablons
d’Estienne
Blanc
Europe
Château Colonel Buttes
d'Orves de-Lorette
Porte Maillot
Courcelles
Gare Landon Fabien Chaumont
Gare St-Lazare
Cadet
Neuilly–Porte Maillot
Haussmann
de l’Est
Château
Belleville Pyrénées Jourdain Place Télégraphe Porte
Ternes
St-Lazare
St-Lazare
Le Peletier
d’Eau Jacques
des Fêtes
des Lilas
Argentine
St-Augustin
Chaussée d’Antin Richelieu
Bonsergent
Porte
Charles
Strasbourg
La Fayette Drouot
Couronnes
Saint-Fargeau
Avenue Foch
Miromesnil
St-Denis
Goncourt
Dauphine
de Gaulle
Étoile St-Philippe
Havre
du-Roule Caumartin Opéra
Grands Bonne
Ménilmontant
République
Pelleport
George V
Boulevards Nouvelle Temple
Auber
Réaumur
Arts et
Victor Hugo
Oberkampf
Père
Porte
Kléber Franklin
Quatre Septembre
Sébastopol
Métiers
Parmentier
de Bagnolet
D. Roosevelt
Pyramides
Bourse Sentier
Lachaise
Gallieni
Madeleine
Filles
Rue
Boissière Alma
Champs
Palais Royal
Étienne Marcel
du Calvaire
St-Maur
Gambetta
Châtelet
Philippe
Mairie
Marceau
Rue
Élysées
Musée du Louvre Les Halles Les Halles
St-Sébastien St-Ambroise
Avenue de la Pompe Iéna
Concorde
Rambuteau
Auguste de Montreuil
Clemenceau
Louvre Rivoli
Froissart
Richard
Croix de Chavaux
Henri
Pont
Hôtel de Ville
Voltaire
Martin
Trocadéro
Tuileries
Lenoir
Alexandre
de l’Alma Invalides
Musée d’Orsay
Pont Neuf Châtelet
Chemin Vert Bréguet
Dumas
Cité
Charonne
Robespierre
St-Paul
Sabin
Assemblée Nationale
Maraîchers
La Muette
St-Michel
Bastille
Avron
Porte
Passy La Tour Maubourg
Rue
de Montreuil
Boulainvilliers
Champ de Mars
Solférino
Notre-Dame Pont
Ledru-Rollin des Boulets
Tour Eiffel
Varenne
St-Germain
Marie Buzenval
Rue
St-Michel
Faidherbe
École
Cluny
Ranelagh
Bir-Hakeim
du Bac des-Prés
Sully
Chaligny
Avenue du
Militaire Saint
La Sorbonne Morland
Nation
Pdt Kennedy
Dupleix La Motte
François Sèvres
Pte de
Babylone
Mabillon Odéon
Maubert
St-Mandé
Picquet
Xavier
Gare
Mutualité
Reuilly–Diderot
Jasmin
Grenelle
St-Sulpice
Quai de
de Lyon
Vincennes
Avenue
Vaneau
Luxembourg
Jussieu
la Rapée
Montgallet
Rennes
Picpus
Émile Zola
Duroc
Cardinal
Bérault
Michel-Ange Église Javel
St-Placide
Auteuil
Notre-Dame Lemoine
Bel-Air
d’Auteuil
Cambronne Ségur
Gare
Porte
Montparnasse des-Champs
Place Monge d’Austerlitz
Daumesnil
d’Auteuil
Charles
Michel Bizot
Château
Mirabeau Javel Michels Commerce
Falguière Bienvenüe
Vavin
Port-Royal
de Vincennes
Censier
André
Sèvres
Daubenton
Michel-Ange
Citroën
Lecourbe Pasteur
Saint
Dugommier
Porte Dorée
Chardon
Edgar
Molitor
Félix Faure
Les
Marcel
Bercy
Lagache
Gare Quinet Raspail Denfert
Gobelins
Porte de Charenton
Pont
Montparnasse
Rochereau
Campo Quai
Boulogne
Cour
Exelmans
Volontaires
Gaîté
Formio de la Gare St-Émilion
Liberté
Jean Jaurès
du Garigliano
St-Jacques
Bd Victor
Boucicaut
Place
Mouton
Corvisart d’Italie Chevaleret
Charenton–Écoles
Marcel Porte
Vaugirard
Pernety Duvernet
Bibliothèque
de St-Cloud
Lourmel
Sembat
Glacière
Nationale Olympiades Fr. Mitterrand
Boulogne
Convention
Plaisance
Alésia
Tolbiac
École Vétérinaire
Maison
Porte
de Maisons-Alfort
Pont de St-Cloud
Balard
Cité
d’Italie Porte d’Ivry
Porte de Versailles Pte de Vanves
Universitaire Blanche
Pierre Ivry
Maisons-Alfort–Stade
Billancourt
Issy
et Marie sur-Seine Maisons-Alfort
Val de Seine
Porte
Le Kremlin
Porte
Curie
Pont
Les Juilliottes
Corentin Celton Malakoff
d’Orléans
Gentilly Bicêtre
de Sèvres
Villejuif de Choisy
Plateau de Vanves
Créteil–L’Échat
Léo Lagrange Mairie d’Ivry
Malakoff
Vitry
Créteil–Université
Issy
Mairie d’Issy
Orlyval
Rue Étienne Dolet
Antony tarification
Villejuif
sur-Seine
Créteil–Préfecture
spéciale
Paul Vaillant-Couturier
Châtillon–Montrouge
Orly
Villejuif
Louis Aragon
Créteil
Pointe du Lac
Propriété de la RATP - Agence Cartographique - PMI 10-2011 - BO Design: bdcconseil - Reproduction interdite
Grande Arche
at 10:08, arrives Auvers at 10:43. Return from Auvers departing at 18:06
(arrives Paris at 18:39). Page 51 in the guide.
• BY BIKE
With Vélib, the 24/7 self-service bike system perfect for short journeys.
There are a wide range of bike parks in Paris and the surrounding region.
www.velib.paris.fr
• BY BOAT
With Batobus, the Seine shuttle service. It offers 8 stops between
the Eiffel Tower and the Jardin des Plantes. Port de la Bourdonnais
(Bir Hakeim metro station). +33 (0)825 01 01 01 (15 cts per min).
www.batobus.com
• BY BUS
With Open Tour and Les Cars Rouges who offer tours of Paris on
double-decker buses. Get on and off as often as you like at a wide
range of stops.
Open Tour, +33 (0)1 42 66 56 56. www.parislopentour.com.
Les Cars Rouges, +33 (0)1 53 953 953. www.carsrouges.fr
Cityrama offers a range of day or half-day coach or minibus trips
exploring Paris and its surroundings, and a return trip and ticket service
for Provins, Fontainebleau, Vaux le Vicomte, Versailles and Thoiry (see
guide p.44 and p.49).
+33 (0)1 44 55 60 00. www.pariscityvision.com

49
Thoiry château
and wildlife park
46
Saint-Cloud
Château de Versailles
48
VISIT
46
Boulogne
51 Auvers-sur-Oise
26
Tour Eiffel
Trocadero
Enghien-les-Bains
50
Champs-Élysées
28
46
Sceaux
• PARIS MUSEUM PASS
The Paris Museum Pass provides unlimited no-queuing
access to more than 60 museums and monuments in
Paris and the surrounding region as well as access to
museums’ permanent collections.
Three options are available: 2-day pass (€39), 4-day
pass (€54) or 6-day pass (€69).
On sale at participating locations.
www.parismuseumpass.fr
• MUSEUMS AND NATIONAL
MONUMENTS
Entrance is free for young people under 26 from the
European Community, and for everyone on the fi rst
Sunday of each month.
• PARIS MUNICIPAL MUSEUMS
Entrance to the permanent collections of museums
belonging to the City of Paris is free.
Le Louvre
Tuileries
24
34
Montmartre
North Paris
21
Hôtel de Ville
38
Jussieu-Austerlitz 40
Vitry-sur-Seine
29 Canal de l'Ourcq
42
45
Chamarande
30
La Villette
GET INFORMATION,
MAKE A BOOKING
Get information, make a booking
and purchase tourist products or
tickets at the Tourist Information
Points at Paris-Roissy Charles de
Gaulle airport (Terminals 2C, 2D, 2E,
2F et T1), Paris-Orly South and West
as you disembark from your aircraft
and at Disneyland Paris, Versailles
(2bis Avenue de Paris) and Giverny
(Maison de Monet, during high
season).
36
Parc de
Ménilmontant
Bibliothèque
nationale
de France
Bercy
45
Parc Floral
43
44
Château de Vaux le Vicomte
Meaux
45 Château de Fontainebleau
PLEASE NOTE
During the summer, 14 July and 15
August are public holidays in France.
Most shops are open every day from 9
or 10 am to 7 or 8 pm, except Sundays.
In some tourist areas, and at certain
times of year or during the sales, shops
are open on Sundays (e.g. on the
Champs-Elysées, in Bercy Village, etc).
This year, the summer sales will take
place from 27 June to 31 July.
44 Provins
5

Diary
Get a selection of events at a
glance here, and read more about
about them on pages 8 – 19.
1 st to 17 June
The 2012 French Open - Roland Garros
(until 10 June > p 9)
Compagnie DCA Philippe Decouflé:
shows and exhibition
(until 15 July > p 10)
Gerhard Richter
(until 24 September > p 13)
Monumenta 2012 - Daniel Buren
(until 21 June > p 9)
Festival de Saint-Denis and Métis
(until 30 June > p 15)
Degas and the Nude
(until 1 July > p 9)
Bob Dylan, the rock explosion (61-66)
(until 22 July > p 10)
Tim Burton, the exhibition
(until 5 August > p 11)
Aïda, open-air opera
(until 15 September > p 18)
Louis Vuitton - Marc Jacobs
(until 16 September > p 12)
Festivities at the Château de Versailles
(until 28 October > p 13)
Disneyland Paris is 20!
(until 2013 > p 13)
6
18 to 30 June
Monumenta 2012 - Daniel Buren
(until 21 June > p 9)
Fête de la musique
(21 June > p 15)
Les Étés de la Danse
(19 June to 21 July > p 11)
Solidays
(22 to 24 June > p 15)
Paris Hip Hop 2012
(22 June to 4 July > p 17)
La Défense Jazz Festival
(23 June to 1 July > p 16)
Enghien Jazz Festival
(27 June to 1 July > p 16)
Festival Django Reinhardt
(27 June to 1 July > p 16)
Gay Pride and Paris Circuit Party
(28 June to 1 July > p 17)
Festival de Saint-Denis and Métis
(until 30 June > p 14)
Days Off
(30 June to 9 July > p 17)
Degas and the Nude
(until 1 July > p 9)
Compagnie DCA Philippe Decouflé:
shows and exhibition
(until 15 July > p 10)
Bob Dylan, the rock explosion (61-66)
(until 22 July > p 10)
Tim Burton, the exhibition
(until 5 August > p 11)
Aïda, open-air opera
(until 15 September > p 18)
Louis Vuitton - Marc Jacobs
(until 16 September > p 12)
Gerhard Richter
(until 24 September > p 13)
Festivities at the Château de Versailles
(until 28 October > p 13)
Disneyland Paris is 20!
(until 2013 > p 13)
1 st to 15 July
Paris Hip Hop 2012
(until 4 July > p 17)
Days Off
(until 9 July > p 17)
Bastille Day Celebrations
(13 and 14 juillet > p 10)
Compagnie DCA Philippe Decouflé :
shows and exhibitions
(until 15 July > p 10)
Les Étés de la Danse
(until 21 July > p 11)
Bob Dylan, the rock explosion (61-66)
(until 22 July > p 10)
Tim Burton, the exhibition
(until 5 August > p 11)
Aïda, open-air opera
(until 15 September > p 18)
Louis Vuitton - Marc Jacobs
(until 16 September > p 12)
Gerhard Richter
(until 24 September > p 13)
Festivities at the Château de Versailles
(until 28 October > p 13)
Disneyland Paris is 20!
(until 2013 > p 13)

16 to 31 July
99 th Tour de France finish
(22 July > p 11)
Les Étés de la Danse
(until 21 July > p 11)
Bob Dylan, the rock explosion (61-66)
(until 22 July > p 10)
Paris Plages
(20 July to 19 August > p 12)
Open-air cinema
(25 July to 26 August > p 12)
Tim Burton, the exhibition
(until 5 August > p 11)
Aïda, open-air opera
(until 15 September > p 18)
Louis Vuitton - Marc Jacobs
(until 16 September > p 12)
Gerhard Richter
(until 24 September > p 13)
Festivities at the Château de Versailles
(until 28 October > p 13)
Disneyland Paris is 20!
(until 2013 > p 13)
1 st to 15 August
Tim Burton, the exhibition
(until 5 August > p 11)
Paris Plages
(until 19 August > p 12)
Open-air cinema
(until 26 August > p 12)
Aïda, open-air opera
(until 15 September > p 18)
Louis Vuitton - Marc Jacobs
(until 16 September > p 12)
Gerhard Richter
(until 24 September > p 13)
Festivities at the Château de Versailles
(until 28 October > p 13)
Disneyland Paris is 20!
(until 2013 > p 13)
16 to 31 August
Rock en Seine
(24 to 26 August > p 18)
Open-air cinema
(until 26 August > p 12)
Jazz à La Villette
(28 August to 9 September > p 18)
Aïda, open-air opera
(until 15 September > p 18)
Louis Vuitton - Marc Jacobs
(until 16 September > p 12)
Gerhard Richter
(until 24 September > p 13)
Festivities at the Château de Versailles
(until 28 October > p 13)
Disneyland Paris is 20!
(until 2013 > p 13)
EXPLORE PARIS AND THE SURROUNDING REGION, pages 20 - 51
30 ideas for
EXHIBITIONS
25 ideas for
WHAT TO VISIT
1 st to 16 September
Jazz à La Villette
(until 9 September > p 18)
We Love Green
(14 to 16 September > p 19)
Techno Parade
(15 September > p 19)
Festival d’Ile-de-France
(8 September to 14 October > p 19)
Aïda, open-air opera
(until 15 September > p 18)
Louis Vuitton - Marc Jacobs
(until 16 September > p 12)
Gerhard Richter
(until 24 September > p 13)
Festivities at the Château de Versailles
(until 28 October > p 13)
Disneyland Paris is 20!
(until 2013 > p 13)
30 ideas for
MUSIC AND SHOWS
20 ideas for
THINGS TO DO OUTDOORS
25 ideas for
FESTIVALS AND CINEMA
20 ideas to
HELP YOU TAKE A BREAK
7

events
Summer’s coming, and
there is an endless list of
things to do in Paris and
the surrounding region,
with outstanding events
for all ages, budgets and
tastes. So what do you
fancy? Contemporary
dance or a theme park?
A tennis tournament or
open-air cinema? An art
exhibition... or lounging
on the beach?
8 Stay in touch via Paris Tourisme and new-paris-idf.com

The 2012 French Open
Roland Garros
22 MAY TO 10 JUNE
STADE ROLAND GARROS, PARIS 16 TH ARRONDISSEMENT
In 2011 Na Li and Rafael Nadal took the women’s and men’s
singles titles at the French Open, the second Grand Slam
tournament after the Australian Open. Every spring the top
tennis players in the world go head-to-head on the clay courts
of Roland Garros, at the heart of Porte d’Auteuil. Which makes
for a memorable day out in this historic stadium, whether or not
you’re a tennis fan. Roland Garros is not just a sporting event,
but a celebrity gathering point, and there’s plenty to be seen offcourt
on the paths, in the stands and on restaurant and brasserie
terraces around the venue. Don’t forget your designer sunglasses!
2 Ave Gordon-Bennett. Metro station: Porte d’Auteuil.
http://rolandgarros.fft-tickets.com
Monumenta 2012
Daniel Buren
« Excentrique(s) »,
travail in situ
UNTIL 21 JUNE
NAVE OF THE GRAND PALAIS, PARIS 8 TH ARRONDISSEMENT
Since 2007, Monumenta has invited major international
contemporary artists to take over the 13,500 m2 and
35m high Nave at the Grand Palais, with an all-new piece
created especially for the location. For its fi fth year, Daniel
Buren seemed the obvious choice. The artist has worked on
transforming the most complex spaces and famous sites for
fi fty years, like the Guggenheim Museum, New York and the
Cour d’honneur of the Palais Royal, and the Grand Palais
suits him down to the ground. Once again he works closely
with outstanding architecture to shake our perceptions.
Ave du Général-Eisenhower. Metro station: Champs-Elysées
Clemenceau. Mondays and Wednesdays, 10 am - 7 pm. Thursday to
Sunday, 10 am - midnight.
www.monumenta.com
Degas and the Nude
UNTIL 1 JULY
MUSÉE D’ORSAY, PARIS 7 TH ARRONDISSEMENT
Following events in honour of Manet and Monet, this is the
fi rst major exhibition dedicated to Edgar Degas in Paris since
1988. It epitomises the Musée d’Orsay’s desire to present
advances in understanding the great masters of the second
half of the 19th century. Some of the artist’s favourite themes,
like dance or horse-racing have been dealt with extensively,
but the same cannot be said for the nude. This recurring
motif in Degas’ work is explored in paintings, prints, pastel
works, photography and sculpture thanks to the extensive
collections of the Musée d’Orsay, the Boston Museum of Fine
Arts who is co-organising the exhibition and the exceptional
works on loan from major collections.
1 Rue de la Légion d’Honneur. Metro station: Solférino. Every day
except Mondays, 9:30 am - 6:00 pm, Thursdays until 9:45 pm.
+33 (0)1 40 49 48 14. www.musee-orsay.fr
free partly free to do as a family
See
also
p. 28
See
also
p. 24
9

Bastille Day Celebrations
13 AND 14 JULY
PARIS
Throngs of people party, French fl ags fl y high, and the
combination of a parade, fi reworks and celebration balls
make the 14th July celebrations an annual hit. It all kicks off
with the Bal des Pompiers on 13 July in all participating fi re
stations! Get down and have fun with the crowds of people
there for the occasion. Then on 14 July, there is a grand
military parade down the Champs-Élysées, from Place
Charles-de-Gaulle (formerly Place de l’Etoile) to Place de la
Concorde. The fi reworks display starts from 11 pm around the
Eiffel Tower, on the Champ-de-Mars and Place du Trocadéro.
Fancy something special? Climb aboard the Bastille Day
dinner cruise with an orchestra, gourmet menu and the lights
of Paris along the Seine... a magical experience!
Bastille day dinner cruise, www.bateauxparisiens.com
Bob Dylan, the rock
explosion (61-66)
UNTIL 22 JULY
CITÉ DE LA MUSIQUE, PARIS 19 TH ARRONDISSEMENT
10
See
also
p. 32
Bob Dylan’s style evolved over the years, covering rock, folk,
country and blues. The period between 1961 and 1966 in his
exceptionally long career is defi nitive, marked by legendary
albums and social protest. From his arrival in New York to
his motorcycle accident, the exhibition by the Grammy
Museum, Los Angeles retraces the landmark moments of the
musician’s development that created a musical revolution
and shook the very foundations of society. This extraordinary
story is told through never-before-seen photos, objects, rare
documents and audiovisual archives.
221 Ave Jean-Jaurès. Metro station: Porte de Pantin. Tuesday to
Thursday, 12 pm - 6 pm, Fridays and Saturdays, 12 pm – 10 pm,
Sundays, 10 pm – 18 pm +33 (0)1 44 84 44 84
www.citedelamusique.fr
Compagnie DCA
Philippe Decoufl é:
shows and exhibition
6 JUNE TO 15 JULY
See
also
p. 31
GRANDE HALLE DE LA VILLETTE, PARIS 19 TH ARRONDISSEMENT
This most popular contemporary dance choreographer is
coming to Paris with an exhibition and two shows. Panorama
offers a series of lively scenes from the Compagnie DCA’s
repertoire since 1983. Le Solo is a kind of dance monologue
portraying aspects of human life and feeling. Opticon is
a giant exhibition dedicated to the fantastic aspects of
the choreographer’s work, based around his key themes:
kaleidoscope, video effects and shadows...
211 Ave Jean-Jaurès. Metro station: Porte de Pantin.
+33 (0)1 40 03 75 75. www.villette.com
Panorama: 6 June - 1 July, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays
8:30 pm, Thursdays 7:30 pm, Sundays 6 pm.
Le Solo: 4, 5, 6, 7, 11, 12, 13 and 14 July, Wednesdays, Fridays
and Saturdays 8:30 pm, Thursdays 7:30 pm.
Opticon: 6 June - 15 July, Wednesday to Sunday 2 pm – 8 pm.

99 th Tour de France
fi nish
22 JULY
See
also
p. 28
AVENUE DES CHAMPS-ÉLYSÉES, PARIS 8 TH ARRONDISSEMENT
Some two hundred cyclists leave Liège on 30 June to take part
in this epic race. The Tour de France will fi nish 3,479 km and
twenty stages later on “the most beautiful avenue in the world”,
as has been the tradition since 1975. Those who cross the fi nish
line will have successfully ascended the Col du Grand Colombier
in the Jura Mountains and the Mur de Péguère and Peyragudes
in the Pyrenees… and much more. The fi nal sprint is broadcast
in 190 countries, and is always a heart-pumping moment full of
excitement – especially if you’re actually there!
www.letour.fr
Note: metro stations may be closed along the race course.
Les Étés de la Danse
19 JUNE TO 21 JULY
THÉÂTRE DU CHÂTELET AND THÉÂTRE DE CHAILLOT,
PARIS 1 ST AND 16 TH ARRONDISSEMENT
See
also
p. 23 & 26
Renowned companies and dancers bring original
programmes to this festival every year. This year, the Alvin
Ailey American Dance Theater will be performing twentyeight
performances of fi fteen ballets, nine of which are new
to their repertoire, on alternate dates overseen by Robert
Battle, their new artistic director. And for the fi rst time in Paris
in twelve years, the Paul Taylor Dance Company will be giving
ten exceptional “classical” performances including some new
productions.
+33 (0)1 42 68 22 14. www.lesetesdeladanse.com
25 June – 21 July, Alvin Ailey at the Châtelet, 1 Place du Châtelet.
Metro station: Châtelet.
+33 (0)1 40 28 28 40. www.chatelet-theatre.com
19-28 June, Paul Taylor at the Chaillot, 1 Place du Trocadéro.
Metro station: Trocadéro.
+33 (0)1 53 65 30 00. www.theatre-chaillot.fr
Tim Burton, the exhibition
UNTIL 5 AUGUST
CINÉMATHÈQUE FRANÇAISE, PARIS 12 TH ARRONDISSEMENT
What a spectacle! This amazing exhibition designed by MoMa
in New York recreates the world of Tim Burton, the artist’s
creative workshop and the intimate realm of his imagination,
through drawings, photos, fi gurines, objects and colourful
sculptures. Discover his fi rst drawings and his work with
Disney, before his big break as a director of the now legendary
Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands and many others. The
exhibition is also a great chance to see all his fi lms again,
including his rarely seen short fi lms. Ghosts, superheroes,
aliens, emotional and macabre creatures based on childish
nightmares and B movies... all things Burton are there!
51 Rue de Bercy. Metro station: Bercy. Mondays and Wednesdays,
noon - 7 pm, Thursdays and Fridays, noon - 10 pm. Weekends, bank
holidays and school holidays, 10 am – 8 pm. +33 (0)1 71 19 33 33
www.cinematheque.fr
free partly free to do as a family
See
also
p. 41
11

Louis Vuitton
Marc Jacobs
UNTIL 16 SEPTEMBER
12
See
also
p. 25
LES ARTS DÉCORATIFS, PARIS 1 ST ARRONDISSEMENT
This exhibition looks at two people and their contribution to
the world of fashion. Vuitton founded his company in 1854,
specialising in “fashionable luggage”. Jacobs graduated
from Parson’s School of Design in New York in 1984 and was
appointed artistic director of Louis Vuitton in 1997, where he
launched its fi rst prêt-à-porter collections. They are both
representative of their times, and capture its spirit in their
innovation. One created the iconic Damier canvas suitcases.
The other has been creating his designs under the famous LV
Monogram for fi fteen years...
107 Rue de Rivoli. Metro station: Palais-Royal – Musée du Louvre.
Tuesday to Sunday, 11 am - 6 pm, Thursdays until 9 pm.
+33 (0)1 44 55 57 50. www.lesartsdecoratifs.fr
Paris Plages
20 JULY TO 19 AUGUST
See
also
p. 22
PARIS 1 ST , 4 TH AND 19 TH ARRONDISSEMENTS
A whole month of free seaside activities is in store! So
it’s not quite the “Med”, but there is defi nitely a seaside
atmosphere, with a beach on the Right Bank of the Seine
and water activities at the Bassin de la Villette. Sand, palm
trees, deckchairs, cafés and ice-cream parlours, a swimming
pool and sprinkler garden, beach games and sandcastle
competitions... all the delights of the beach come together
for the 11th year running. And as they say, you better get
ready to rumble! Boules, aquarobics, Tai chi, dancing...
plus a load of cultural activities to the sounds of the
Festival Fnac Live.
From Pont Neuf to Square de l’Hôtel de Ville.
Metro stations: Pont Neuf, Châtelet.
Bassin de la Villette. Metro stations: Stalingrad, Jaurès.
Every day from 9 am to midnight.
Open-air cinema
25 JULY TO 26 AUGUST
LA VILLETTE, PARIS 19 TH ARRONDISSEMENT
See
also
p. 31
Same time, same place, same magic! After a huge picnic
on the grass or in a rented deckchair, night falls, the giant
screen comes to life and the show begins. For the 22nd year
running, the legendary Cinéma en Plein Air has come up with
a programme on the theme of metamorphosis. “Classics”
mix with epics and foreign fi lms, and some new approaches
are explored: there are special evenings dedicated to other
fi lm genres such as animation, live music and fi lms, short and
medium format fi lms, web documentaries and fi ction, trailers
etc. In short, this is a selection of the latest and greatest
attempts to recreate the genre of cinema.
Prairie du Triangle, 211 Ave Jean-Jaurès. Metro station: Porte de
Pantin. Wednesday to Sunday, at nightfall.
+33 (0)1 40 03 75 75. www.villette.com

Château de Versailles
UNTIL 28 OCTOBER
CHÂTEAU DE VERSAILLES
See
also
p. 48
MUSICAL GARDENS
(LES JARDINS MUSICAUX)
A musical stroll amidst the statues of the French gardens
conceived by Le Nôtre.
Tuesdays, from 3 July to 23 October, 9 am - 6:30 pm.
MUSICAL FOUNTAINS SHOW
(LES GRANDES EAUX MUSICALES)
See the fountains and groves dancing to music.
Saturdays and Sundays until 28 October, Tuesdays until 26 June,
14 July and 15 August, 9 am - 6:30 pm.
THE ROYAL SERENADE IN THE HALL OF
MIRRORS (LA SÉRÉNADE ROYALE DE LA
GALERIE DES GLACES)
Before the Fountains Night show, take a tour from the King’s
Chambers to the Hall of Mirrors, to the sound of a Louis XIVstyle
serenade, with musicians and dancers leading a typical
French ball.
Saturdays, from 16 June to 1 September and Friday 7 September.
Every 20 minutes, from 6:40 pm to 7:55 pm.
FOUNTAINS NIGHT SHOW
(LES GRANDES EAUX NOCTURNES)
As night falls, explore the gardens of Louis XIV with lights,
music and water effects. Groupe F will then be launching
fi reworks over the Grand Canal to fi nish off the evening.
Mind-blowing!
Saturdays, from 16 June to 1 September and Friday 7 September,
9:00 pm – 11:20 pm.
+33 (0)1 30 83 78 89. www.chateauversaillesspectacles.fr
From Paris: RER line C to Versailles Rive Gauche or SNCF
Montparnasse or Saint-Lazare station, or Cityrama return coach
trip and ticket service on Saturdays.
+33 (0)1 44 55 60 00. www.pariscityvision.com
Gerhard Richter
UNTIL 24 SEPTEMBER
CENTRE POMPIDOU, PARIS 4 TH ARRONDISSEMENT
Gerhard Richter was born in 1932 and is considered to be one
of the greatest painters of the last fi fty years still alive. This
exhibition looks back on his career from the 1960s to today,
with around one hundred and sixty pieces.
Place Georges-Pompidou. Metro station: Rambuteau.
Every day except Tuesdays, 11 am - 9 pm, Thursdays until 11 pm.
+33 (0)1 44 78 12 33. www.centrepompidou.fr
Disneyland Paris is 20!
UNTIL SPRING 2013
MARNE-LA-VALLÉE
See
also
p. 21
A dazzling celebration! Disneyland has big plans for its 20th birthday. An explosion of lights and colours bring several
new features to the event: the Disney Dreams ® night show,
Disney Magic on Parade and Disney’s 20th Anniversary
Celebration Train, make for magical moments meeting
your favourite characters, discovering Main Street, USA ® ’s
all-new make-over, and lots more surprises in store at the
Disneyland park, and the Walt Disney Studios park next door.
+33 (0)825 300 222. www.disneylandparis.fr
RER line A to Chessy Marne-la-Vallée.
free partly free to do as a family 13

music
If you reckon that
classical music is just
for posh people; that
styles should be kept
well apart; that a good
festival always involves
camping in (preferably
muddy) fi elds; or that
guitars and trumpets
should be kept out of
churches... then get
ready to have your
preconceptions blown
away, and tune in to
what’s on offer!

Fête de la musique
21 JUNE
PARIS REGION
Pop was born in 1962 with the Beatles’ first single, ‘Love
me do’. In 2012, fifty years later, the Fête de la musique
celebrates this anniversary with some fantastic surprises. For
the thirty-first year, the summer solstice is being celebrated
with music. Paris and the surrounding towns vibrate with
songs as many and varied as there are different styles of
music. Every terrace hosts a singer and every crossroads a
stage; temporary dance floors appear on the streets and the
pavements bloom with bars and mini-canteens – it’s partytime!
Stars take turns to play huge concerts in the main
squares, while a flood of other free events take over cultural
venues, historical monuments, parks and gardens. Now you
just have to choose what to go to!
www.fetedelamusique.culture.fr
Solidays
22 TO 24 JUNE
PARIS 16 TH ARRONDISSEMENT
In its 14th year, this flagship festival for the Solidarité
Sida AIDS charity invites you to follow your musical and
charitable instinct. To this end, rock chic, electro choc and
world fusion music come back together at the Hippodrome
de Longchamp. The line-up includes The Kills, with their
only Paris date, and the crazy pumping DJs Birdy Nam Nam
and The Bloody Beetroots. And that’s not all – the festive
chaos also includes: Metronomy, Tiken Jah Fakoly, Orelsan,
Ayo, Selah Sue, Miles Kanes, Ben Howard and… surely there
can’t be more? Yes there can! Danakil, Tinariwen, Zebda,
Youssoupha, 1995, Charlie Winston, Garbage make their
return to the stage, Joey Starr, Amadou et Mariam, General
Elektriks and… watch this space! And, once again, there is a
real festival of musical and artistic discovery for children in
the Espace Kids.
Hippodrome de Longchamp, Bois de Boulogne. Metro station:
Boulogne Jean-Jaurès. www.solidays.org
Festival de Saint-Denis
& Métis
UNTIL 30 JUNE
SAINT-DENIS
This festival is in its 44th year and remains a key event on
the music scene with a high-quality but down-to-earth
programme. Once again, enjoy symphonic concerts in the
Basilique Cathédrale de Saint-Denis, with Mozart's Requiem
to open the festival, and Berlioz's to bring it to an end. And
there are recitals covering composers from Bach to Vivaldi at
the Maison de La Légion d’Honneur. Other highlights include
the world music concerts in the Métis section of the festival,
which will continue to explore the countries around the
Mediterranean. Ibrahim Maalouf and Ciel d’Athènes will also
be performing in New York, broadcast free on a big outdoor
screen. And Femi Kuti and Arthur H will be giving a free
concert on the open-air stage on the Basilica forecourt on
21 June and 22 June respectively.
Saint-Denis. Metro station: Saint-Denis Basilique. From Paris,
RER line D, Gare de Saint-Denis station. +33 (0)1 48 13 06 07
www.festival-saint-denis.com - www.metis-plainecommune.com
free partly free to do as a family 15

La Défense Jazz Festival
23 JUNE TO 1 JULY
LA DÉFENSE
Enghien Jazz Festival
27 JUNE TO 1 JULY
ENGHIEN-LES-BAINS
16
Over forty thousand festival-goers came to the Parvis de
la Défense in 2011, to attend concerts at this free festival.
The programme includes pure jazz events which promote
French artists, and performances somewhere between jazz
and blues, world music, electro, hip hop and rock music. After
the opening evening of 23 June, “Les midis du jazz” events
between noon and 2 pm will be hosting the likes of Charles
Bradley, Asaf Avidan and the Orchestre Poly-Rythmo from
Cotonou. The 35th French jazz competition will be held on the
afternoons of 29 and 30 June. And two big summer evenings
are in store with Gregory Porter and McCoy Tyner on 30 June,
and Cody Chesnutt and De La Soul Big Band on 1 July.
Esplanade de La Défense. From Paris, Metro, RER line A or T2 tram
to La Défense-Grande Arche station. +33 (0)1 47 29 30 48
www.hauts-de-seine.net
See
also
p. 50
It just keeps getting bigger! The Enghien Jazz Festival was
founded in 2000, and has quickly become a highlight for the
Paris region. Fourteen kilometres from the Champs-Élysées,
Enghien comes alive for fi ve days with around fi fty concerts
that are part of or associated with the festival on six stages
along the banks of this spa town with a festival village, dozens
of passionate artists and thousands of equally excited
festival-goers! Last year’s timetable was so popular that it is
being repeated in 2012 with free open-air performances in
the daytime, evening concerts at the Casino Barrière theatre,
and a huge surprise (for free) on the stage fl oating on the
lake on 30 July.
From Paris, SNCF Paris Gare du Nord station, Enghien-les-Bains.
+33 (0)1 39 34 10 80. www.enghien-jazz-festival.com
Festival Django Reinhardt
27 JUNE TO 1 JULY
SAMOIS-SUR-SEINE
Here we go for fi ve days bathed in jazz, on Ile du Berceau in
the pretty village of Samois-sur-Seine. Against the backdrop
of barges and the Makers' Village, fanatic volunteers, twenty
bands and around a hundred artists honour the swing and the
modern sound of Django Reinhardt. This is a place for mixing
genres, and that comes across loud and clear! Young people
from the Django Club mix with Stochelo Rosenberg, Biréli
Lagrène and other music legends. The legendary Dr John and
Sharon Jones, Queen of Soul, will also be there. Yom will be
performing on his clarinet, Ibrahim Maalouf will be sounding
the trumpet, while Sylvain Luc, Al Di Meola and Mike Stern
take to their guitars…
From Paris, SNCF Paris Gare de Lyon station to Fontainebleau-Avon.
+33 (0)8 11 74 77 73. www.festivaldjangoreinhardt.com

Gay Pride and
the Paris Circuit Party
28 JUNE TO 1 JULY
PARIS
Gay culture. Paris Circuit Party takes the party throughout
the city for the LGBT march in Paris on 30 June. Which
means a pumping stage at Place de la Bastille on 30 June,
exhibitions, fashion parades and seven different events.
Sixty dancers will be strutting their stuff and musicians will
have you dancing for hours, in seven amazing venues. From
midnight to dawn on 28 June, the Hunkut party from Brussels
will take to the Bastille stage. On 29 June, a huge club event
will be taking place at the Red Light, and on 30 June, at the
end of the Pride March, the Grande Arche at La Défense will
be the venue for the party and the after-party, on 1 July from
6 am to noon. Then head for a Tea Dance on 1 July on the
banks of the Seine, followed by the Closing Party at the 1515,
and a Closing After Party at the Crystal Lounge.
www.gaypride.fr
www.pariscircuitparty.com
Paris Hip Hop 2012
22 JUNE TO 4 JULY
PARIS REGION
Listen up now! The Hip Hop Citoyens association presents
this festival which in its seventh year will be focussing on the
Americas. The star group from Philadelphia, The Roots, are
headlining with an exclusive concert at the Zénith de Paris on
23 June. The festival welcomes all forms of artistic expression
associated with hip hop culture (rap, DJing, graffi ti, dance,
cinema and more), and includes over forty events that bring
together four hundred artists from all around the world at
a selection of the best venues in Paris and the surrounding
region.
www.paris-hiphop.com
Days Off
30 JUNE TO 9 JULY
See
also
p. 30
PARIS 8 TH AND 19 TH ARRONDISSEMENTS
Summer is here. In addition to their season of concerts,
the Cité de la Musique and Salle Pleyel present a festival
dedicated to unusual or never-before-seen projects, to
contemporary music artists from rock to electro, and
to developing connections with even more up-to-date
expressions. Highlights of this third event include: Steve
Reich & Bang on a Can, Antony and the Johnsons with the
Orchestre National d’Île-de-France, an evening on Brian
Eno with Icebreaker Ensemble and Mondkopf, Damien Rice
solo, Yann Tiersen, Hot Chip and more…
Cité de la musique, 221 Ave Jean-Jaurès, Paris 19th arrondissement.
Metro station: Porte de Pantin. +33 (0)1 44 84 44 84. Salle Pleyel,
252 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, Paris 8th arrondissement.
Metro stations: Ternes and Charles de Gaule-Étoile.
+33 (0)1 42 56 13 13. www.daysoff.fr
free partly free to do as a family
17

Rock en Seine
24 TO 26 AUGUST
DOMAINE NATIONAL DE SAINT-CLOUD
18
See
also
p. 47
Fancy three days of pop-rock and electronic music in a
French park to fi nish off the summer in style? Just look at
the list of rockers who will be hitting the Domaine de Saint-
Cloud: Green Day, Placebo, The Black Keys on their only
French date, the revelation of the winter, Foster the People,
the sultry Sigur Rós, Mark Lanegan with some new numbers,
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds... and plenty of surprises
to celebrate the festival’s 10th anniversary. Yes it’s true! This
festival was founded in 2003 and has become a key date on
the European calendar with its four stages, 108,000 festivalgoers
in 2011 and its programme that includes major stars
and the latest up-and-coming performers.
Metro station: Boulogne Pont de Saint-Cloud.
www.rockenseine.com
Jazz à La Villette
28 AUGUST TO 9 SEPTEMBER
PARIS 19 TH ARRONDISSEMENT
This festival could have been called “multiple jazz”. It is a joint
initiative of the Cité de la Musique and Parc de la Villette, and
has built itself a strong identity as place with an original view
of jazz music. Which this year’s programme only confi rms
with around thirty concerts which mix jazz with hip-hop,
soul, pop and funk. It’s a bubbling cauldron of creativity and
explosive encounters!
Cité de la musique, 221 Ave Jean-Jaurès, Paris 19th arrondissement.
Metro station: Porte de Pantin.
+33 (0)1 44 84 44 84. www.jazzalavillette.com
Aïda, open-air opera
31 MAY TO 15 SEPTEMBER
PARIS REGION
See
also
p. 30
See
also
p. 43 & 45
Twelve years of magic! Since 2001, the Opéra en plein air
open-air tours have been producing traditional operas in
the stunning setting of historical sites. Now it’s the turn of
Verdi’s Aïda. This “Egyptian-style" four-act Italian opera was
commissioned to celebrate the opening of the Suez canal
and was fi rst performed in 1871 in Cairo to immediate acclaim.
This year, Aïda, directed by Elie Chouraqui, is preparing to
delight the parks of the Domaine de Sceaux (31 May, 1 and 2
June), the Château de Vincennes (13 to 16 June), the Domaine
de Fontainebleau (22 and 23 June) and the Cour d’Honneur
at the Invalides in Paris (7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 September).
+33 (0)892 68 36 22. www.operaenpleinair.com

Techno Parade
15 SEPTEMBER
PARIS
A loud, colourful parade! The creativity of electronic cultures
takes to the streets of Paris following a different severalkilometre-long
route every year - music fi lls the air and
dance, digital arts, fi ne arts, street arts and more fi ll the
pavements. Sound systems blare as DJs spin their decks
riding their fl oats and the streets are transformed into a huge
dance fl oor. Join in the Techno Parade for a huge outdoor
party!
www.technoparade.fr
We Love Green
14 TO 16 SEPTEMBER
PARIS 16 TH ARRONDISSEMENT
This event is environmentally-friendly by design, and aims
to manage its environmental and social impact, and to raise
public awareness for the green cause. From its very fi rst year
in 2011 it entered the closed circle of the twelve festivals
recognised by the Greener Festival Award around the world.
Which we think is pretty good! We Love Green also decided
that environmentally-friendly citizenship could be fun! So
for three days, it will be producing green music at the Parc
de Bagatelle with an eclectic range of upbeat pop and rock,
psychedelic funk and green electro. The line-up includes
Norah Jones, The Rapture, Beirut, Camille, Klaxons, Django
Django, Electric gest and more. And there will also be fi lms,
exhibitions, organic food tasting, green events for kids and an
association area where you can meet Emmaüs, GoodPlanet,
GreenPeace, Universcience and WWF.
Parc de Bagatelle, Bois de Boulogne, Sèvres gate, access via Route
de Sèvres. Metro and RER line C station: Porte Maillot.
Free shuttles from Porte Maillot, 3 pm to midnight on Saturday
and Sunday. +33 (0)1 71 19 90 70. www.welovegreen.fr
free partly free to do as a family
See
also
p. 46
Festival d’Ile-de-France
8 SEPTEMBER TO 14 OCTOBER
PARIS REGION
Every year, this festival spreads its eclectic programme
around a number of sites in the Paris region. It is open to all
kinds of music: classical, baroque, jazz, world, electro music
and more… This year the theme is the music of Diasporas,
which it will cover with around thirty concerts. It starts on 8
September with a Nuit de l’accordéon at Le Trianon (Paris
18th arrondissement). This is followed on 9 September at
the Domaine de Villarceaux, with an event themed around
the melting pot of New York. On 14 September, a wandering
klezmer clarinet concert provides its contemporary vision of
the Diaspora. On 28 to 30 September, the Cirque d’Hiver will
be honouring Cesária Évora. On 4 October, the Gaîté lyrique
will be giving a trendy electro evening called ‘Génération
Berlin’ and on 13 October, we’ll be travelling to Beirut at the
Institut du Monde Arabe together with Zad Moultaka…
+33 (0)1 58 71 01 01. www.festival-idf.fr
19

districts
Every district in Paris
has its own museums
and monuments, all
steeped in history…
Every town or village
in the surrounding
region has its own
château, park and
lake. Whether you’re
here for the fi rst time
or on a return visit,
there’s a packed
summer of festivals,
events and surprises
waiting for you!
20 Stay in touch via Paris Tourisme and new-paris-idf.com

HÔTEL DE VILLE
and the heart of Paris
The heart of Paris is a delightful mixture of old stone and contemporary
architecture, narrow alleyways and wide open spaces close to the Seine.
It is home to a wonderful blend of classical art and urban culture, which
can be broken up by shopping breaks or time out to enjoy gourmet food.
EXHIBITION
• PLAY ALONG AT
THE GAÎTÉ LYRIQUE
26 June to 5 August
Since 2011, digital culture has been
making its mark at the Gaîté lyrique
through an eclectic programme. In
Play Along, you will fi nd yourself in a
building transformed into a life-sized
playground. Your mission? To explore
new ways to play in the 21st century,
with the aid of giant board games,
construction games... and video
games, of course! Play Along is no rigid
nostalgic exhibition: instead, it relies on
the interplay between the interactive
and the theatrical, with a series of
performances and sneak previews to
crown it off.
3 bis Rue Papin, Paris 3rd arrondissement.
Metro station: Réaumur-Sébastopol.
Tuesday to Saturday 2 pm - 8 pm, Sundays
2 pm - 6 pm. Tuesdays until 10 pm during the
exhibition period.
+33 (0) 1 53 01 51 51. www.gaite-lyrique.net
POMPIDOU CENTRE
This colourful and futuristic cruise liner
has been sailing the seas of culture and
modern and contemporary art since
1977. On board, you will fi nd the Musée
National d’Art Moderne, theatres, a
bookshop, a designer boutique and a
rich exhibition programme.
• MATISSE. PAIRS AND SETS
Until 18 June
This retrospective exhibition sheds light
on one of the most peculiar aspects
of Henri Matisse’s work, the repetition
of the same subject or motif, through
a selection of his masterpieces. These
sixty paintings, assembled together in
some cases for the fi rst time since the
era in which they were created, bring
together different kinds of framing,
outline, brushstroke and colour. All
the main periods are represented,
from the pointillist method featuring in
Luxe, Calme et Volupté in 1904 to the
découpage of the 1950s. The artist’s
work is thus on display in its entirety,
complete with his self-probings,
breaking-offs, turnarounds and
achievements.
See
p. 13
• GERHARD RICHTER
Until 24 September
This artist will be taking over the
Pompidou Centre: a whole four
months to discover half a century of
contemporary painting!
Hôtel de Ville
• ANRI SALA
Until 6 August
This exhibition, featuring four fi lms (moments captured
in Berlin, Bordeaux, Mexico City and Sarajevo) on a loop
accompanied by an amazing soundtrack, along with
sculptures, artefacts and photographs will transport
you into a kaleidoscopic universe. Anri Sala’s work
blends together images, sounds and architecture. This
installation is a presentation of all three, in keeping with
the Centre Pompidou’s approach of showcasing artists
at the forefront of the French scene.
• LE GEORGES
On the 6th and uppermost fl oor, Le Georges
restaurant, with its avant-garde décor, serves
extraordinary cocktails as well as an inventive cuisine
with a talent for reinterpreting classic dishes. It also
boasts one of the most spectacular terraces in Paris
with a breathtaking view.
Every day except Tuesdays, 11 am – 2 am. +33 (0)1 44 78 47 99
Place Georges-Pompidou, Paris 4th arrondissement.
Metro station: Rambuteau. Every day except Tuesdays,
11 am - 9 pm. +33 (0)1 44 78 12 33. www.centrepompidou.fr
free partly free to do as a family
21

HÔTEL DE VILLE
and the heart of Paris
MUSIC
• 100 % TEL-AVIV JAZZ FESTIVAL
5 to 7 June
A century ago it was just a humble little town on the outskirts of Jaffa: today Tel-Aviv
has become “a mini-New York”, such is the intensity of its cultural scene. For three days,
three clubs on Rue des Lombards will play host to the exuberant musical richness of Tel
Aviv, a city which comes alive at night. They will be recreating the local atmosphere, with
opportunities to taste regional delicacies and other surprises besides... On 5 and 6 June,
tickets priced at €25 give you entry to all three clubs!
Rue des Lombards, Paris 1st arrondissement. Metro station: Châtelet.
Le Baiser Salé, no. 58. +33 (0)1 42 33 37 71
Sunside, no. 60. +33 (0)1 40 26 46 60
Duc des Lombards, no. 42. +33 (0)1 42 33 22 88
www.parisjazzclub.net
• LES RENDEZ-VOUS DE LA LUNE
11 to 16 June
Jazz concerts, pop tunes, classical music and song
lyrics, all in a church? Whose crazy idea was that? The
acoustics are excellent in any case, in the intimate
setting of this music festival at the Eglise Saint-
Eustache. Those who have been once come back, so
tickets sell out quickly. This season’s highlights include
Mademoiselle K, La Fiancée, Sonia Wieder-Atherton,
Magik Malik and many more.
Eglise Saint-Eustache, Paris 2nd arrondissement.
Metro station: Les Halles.
www.madamelune.com
• SOIRS D’ÉTÉ
5 to 13 July
This eclectic and popular festival has
been setting up camp for fi fteen years
between the town hall and the Square
du Temple in the 3rd arrondissement.
Soirs d’été consists of two free
open-air concerts every evening:
you can hear rock, pop, soul, folk,
jazz, electro, klezmer, classic French
songs and much more. In the convivial
atmosphere of the early summer
nights, the fl oor is open to all styles of
music, to seasoned artists and rising
talent alike. This year, the festival will
be paying tribute to the Arab Spring.
Metro station: Temple. +33 (0)1 53 01 75 13
www.soirsdete.fr
CINEMA
• HOLLYWOOD MEETS PARIS
(PARIS VU PAR HOLLYWOOD)
Until 29 July
What do Vincente Minnelli’s Gigi, Billy
Wilder’s Irma la douce and Woody
Allen’s Midnight in Paris all have in
common? The City of Light, of course!
Hollywood simply loves Paris with its
cafés, beautiful women, cabarets, walks
along the Seine, the Eiffel Tower...
A truly idealized Paris is unveiled over
the course of these one hundred or so
American fi lms, presented almost as a
place of dreams. You’ll love it!
Forum des images,
Forum des Halles, porte Saint-Eustache,
Paris 1st arrondissement.
Metro station: Les Halles.
Tuesday to Friday, 12:30 pm - 11:30 pm.
Weekends, 2pm – 11:30 pm.
+33 (0)1 44 76 63 00
www.forumdesimages.fr
• FNAC LIVE FESTIVAL
19 to 22 July
Four nights of unforgettable concerts!
This festival is completely devoted to
music and completely free, and will be
taking over the square in front of the
Hôtel de Ville and basking in the festive
atmosphere of Paris Plages. Flying the
fl ag for openness and diversity in music,
it boasts a mouth-watering programme
of events. You’ll fall in love with headline
acts and newcomers alike: the very best
of today’s music and musicians will be
there. Check it out!
Paris 4 th arrondissement.
Metro station: Hôtel de Ville.
22 Stay in touch via Paris Tourisme and new-paris-idf.com
See
p. 12

OUTDOORS
• BICYCLE RENTAL AND BIKE TOUR
WITH PARIS À VÉLO, C’EST SYMPA!
What better way to explore the heart of the capital
than to take a guided bike ride – either by day or by
night? Start with a quick spin around the Marais up to
the Place des Vosges, before reaching the modern,
open spaces of the Beaubourg-Les Halles district.
Then head for Montorgueil, a hotspot for fashion and
creativity. You’ll pass the backdrop of the Palais Royal,
then make your way around the outside of the Louvre.
You end up on the banks of the Seine, which you can
cross to get a closer look at Notre-Dame... If you
enjoyed this route, entitled Heart of Paris, why not try
Paris Contrasts, Unusual Paris and Paris At Dawn?
+33 (0)1 48 87 60 01. www.parisvelosympa.com
• PARIS TREASURE HUNT
(CHASSE AUX TRÉSORS DE PARIS)
7 July
What can bring together 20,000 people for a huge game spreading
over twelve arrondissements in Paris, as well as the town of Saint-
Ouen? The Paris treasure hunt, of course, offering over sixty trails.
Everyone participates; associations and traders, tourists and locals
passionate about their neighbourhoods... Following in the footsteps
of a love-struck couple, the teams discover the romantic side of Paris,
all alleyways, secret passages and clandestine trysts. At the end of
the quest, everyone gets back together for the prize-giving and welldeserved
refreshments.
Sign up free on www.tresorsdeparis.fr or in person on 7 July.
Leaving from the town hall of each participating arrondissement between
10 am and 1 pm.
• THREE WALKING TOURS WITH CITYRAMA
Take the time to look around and marvel at your surroundings, as well
as learn a whole host of things, accompanied by an English-speaking
tour guide. With Paris Left Bank Latin Quarter and Notre Dame, listen
to anecdotes and learn historical details as you follow in the footsteps
of the Sorbonne scholars, the great men laid to rest in the Panthéon
and the cathedral builders. Feel you can walk some more? Cityrama also
offers its walk exploring The Marais Area: A Village in Paris under the
colourful charms of the old Jewish quarter, private mansions, museums,
art galleries and trendy boutiques. You may even set off in search of the
Hidden Treasures of Paris from the Palais Royal to Opéra Garnier.
2 Rue des Pyramides, Paris 1st arrondissement. Metro station: Tuileries.
+33 (0)1 44 55 60 00. www.pariscityvision.com
free partly free to do as a family
FESTIVAL
• LES ÉTÉS DE LA DANSE
19 June to 21 July
See
p. 11
The breath-taking Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
will be headlining at the Châtelet theatre.
TAKE A BREAK
• PARIS EN SCÈNE DINNER-CRUISE
What’s on the menu? Choose between the “Formule
bistrot” (light option) or the gourmet “Chef étoilé”
meal. Prices are low and you pass Notre-Dame,
the Conciergerie, the Pont Neuf, the Passerelle des
Arts, the Louvre, the Place de la Concorde, the Pont
Alexandre III, the Musée du quai Branly, the Eiffel
Tower… As Paris unfolds before your eyes, enjoy the
on-board entertainment, with concerts, cabaret,
theatre evenings and much more…
Boarding at: 10 Quai des Orfèvres, Ile de la Cité,
Paris 1st arrondissement. Metro station: Pont Neuf.
+33 (0)1 41 41 90 70
23

THE TUILERIES, THE LOUVRE
AND THE ORSAY MUSEUM
on both banks of the Seine
It’s amazing how many legendary monuments and museums there are in this
area! And there’s no shortage of gardens either, where you can daydream
amongst the statues, cool off beside the ponds or treat yourself to a waffl e
or an ice-cream cone on a bench. Not to forget the romantic aura of the
Pont des Arts, a popular port of call for lovers...
WHAT TO VISIT
• LOUVRE MUSEUM
Does the building where the Mona Lisa
and the Venus de Milo reside along
with thousands of other celebrities,
really need any introduction? This
autumn, the new area allocated to the
Department of Islamic Art will open up
much-deserved space for the 18,000
works in its collection. It is the only one
of its kind in the world, as diverse as it is
rich. From here on and until the 25 June,
come and admire The Virgin and Child
with Saint Anne, Leonardo da Vinci’s
fi nal masterpiece. The exhibition is
centred around this painting, one of the
master’s most ambitious compositions,
which has just been restored.
Metro station: Palais-Royal – Musée du
Louvre.
Every day except Tuesdays, 9 am - 6 pm.
Wednesdays and Fridays until 9:45 pm.
+33 (0)1 40 20 53 17. www.louvre.fr
ORSAY MUSEUM FESTIVAL
• DESIGNER’S DAYS
Until 4 June
With over 90 locations both in Paris
and Pantin, this international design
week on the theme of Identity/Identities
celebrates creative dynamism in all its
forms: industrial innovation, decorative
arts, new ways of looking at materials,
shapes, furniture... Over fi ve days,
specially-created installations will
take over show-rooms, as well as the
• A NEW WAY OF EXPERIENCING
THE MUSEUM
After two years of renovation work, the new galleries
in the Orsay museum have just been unveiled in their
entirety. Beneath the huge clock in this former train
station, you can follow a redesigned path where the
masterpieces of the second half of the 19 th century
and the early 20 th century, including the prestigious
impressionist collection, are now displayed as they
deserve to be, while scores of previously unseen
items are fi nally accessible. The Café de l’Horloge,
completely transformed by the Campana brothers,
plays an important role in this new aesthetic
experience. Running from 12 June to 9 September,
Misia, Queen of Paris provides a very good opportunity
to rediscover the Musée d’Orsay, as access to this
exhibition includes the permanent collections.
• DEGAS AND THE NUDE
Until 1 July
The painter takes pride of place in the Musée d’Orsay, in
an exhibition focussing on one of his recurrent themes.
1 Rue de la Légion d’Honneur – Paris 1 st arrondissement.
Metro station: Solférino.
Every day except Mondays, 9:30 am - 6 pm, Thursdays until
9:45 pm. +33 (0)1 40 49 48 14. www.musee-orsay.fr
Viaduc des Arts, the Ateliers de Paris,
various museums and even squares
and bridges. Until 23 June, the windows
of the Lafayette Maison shop on
Boulevard Haussmann will be hosting
Dutch Paradox, offering perspectives
on Dutch design.
Entry is free but booking is required.
Locations and calendar of events available
at www.designersdays.com
24 Stay in touch via Paris Tourisme and new-paris-idf.com
See
p. 9
Louvre

TAKE A BREAK
• COLETTE AND ITS WATER BAR
Colette is much more than a boutique: it is a bright 700 m2 concept
store which has been reinventing shopping since 1997. With its clever
mix of genres, you can forage here amongst high-quality literature
and an art gallery, a wide range of high-tech gadgets, a cuttingedge
fashion and beauty selection, musical compilations and more.
Exclusives, previews, limited editions, must-have items and vintage
brands are what this place is all about. That’s why people love to
wander round here before taking a break at the water bar. Yes, that’s
right, a water bar; with 90 varieties on the menu!
213 Rue Saint-Honoré – Paris 1st arrondissement. Metro station: Pyramides.
Every day except Sundays, 11 am – 7 pm. +33 (0)1 55 35 33 90. www.colette.fr
OUTDOORS
• DISCOVER UNKNOWN PARIS
ON A CRAZY ADVENTURE
Take a “spin” in a convertible 2CV, the marvellous little car elevated
to the rank of national icon, starting at Place Vendôme at the Bastille.
While Paris unfolds before your eyes, a savvy, congenial driver
divulges the city’s secrets, sprinkled with anecdotes and surprising
little stories. You can even round off the escapade with a picnic
stashed in the boot. Tempted? Hop in then! 4 roues sous 1 parapluie
offers dozens of other trips across Paris and the wider region.
+33 (0) 800 800 631. www.4roues-sous-1parapluie.com
• TUILERIES
FAIRGROUND
22 June to 19 August
At the 1789 Revolution, the people
won the right to celebrate their
own sovereignty every year in this
garden, which once belonged to the
now deposed kings. However, this
festival still has a queen of sorts: the
Big Wheel, which offers a panoramic
view over Paris as far as the eye can
see. Once you’ve come back down to
earth, around sixty other attractions
await you: a ghost train, a merry-goround,
a rifl e range... lots of fun and
laughter topped off with plenty of
toffee apples and candy fl oss.
Jardin des Tuileries, Paris 1st arrondissement. Metro station: Tuileries.
Every day, 11 am - midnight. Fridays,
Saturdays and the night before public
holidays until 1 am.
www.feteforaine-jardindestuileries.com
MUSEUM OF DECORATIVE ARTS
This is beautiful! One of the world’s most signifi cant collections of
decorative arts, displayed over several fl oors and ten chronological
and thematic sections, winding around a central gallery. There are
some truly wonderful exhibitions on offer:
• RICARD SA
SINCE 1932
Until 26 August
Colours, graphic design, famous
slogans, artefacts, sport,
contemporary art, design: here
you can savour the creativity of
this famous brand of aperitif to
your heart’s content!
• ADVENTURES
WITH BABAR
Until 2 September
At 80 years of age, Babar the
king of the elephants remains
one the most popular characters
in children’s literature, as much
with parents and grandparents
as with the children themselves.
The Toy Gallery recounts his
adventures since 1931.
• LOUIS VUITTON
MARC JACOBS
Until 16 September
free partly free to do as a family
See
p. 12
They’re at Les Arts Décoratifs too!
• TROMPE-L’ŒIL.
IMITATIONS,
PASTICHES AND
OTHER ILLUSIONS
Until November 2013
This cross-section of the
museum’s collections on the
theme of trompe-l’œil brings
together objects that have
rarely, or never, been displayed.
• LE SAUT DU LOUP
This is the very pleasant barrestaurant
in the Musée des Arts
Décoratifs. It has its own terrace,
is modern, elegant and opens
onto the Jardin des Tuileries.
+33 (0)1 42 25 49 55
www.lesautduloup.com
Decorative Arts
107 Rue de Rivoli, Paris 1 st
arrondissement. Metro station:
Palais-Royal – Musée du Louvre.
Tuesday to Sunday, 11 am – 6 pm,
Thursday until 9 pm.
+33 (0)1 44 55 57 50
www.lesartsdecoratifs.fr
25

TROCADÉRO AND THE EIFFEL TOWER
the peak of culture
Of course the Eiffel Tower stands tall and impressive... but one good thing
always leads to another, and there are also palaces dedicated to art and
culture all over Paris. Summer fever takes over the Jardins du Trocadéro,
the Parc du Champ-de-Mars, l’Esplanade des Invalides.
See
p. 11
FESTIVALS WHAT TO VISIT
• LES ÉTÉS DE LA DANSE
From 19 to 28 June
The Paul Taylor Dance Company
performs at the Théâtre National
de Chaillot.
• PARIS QUARTIER D’ÉTÉ
14 July to 15 August
This wonderfully avant-garde festival
encompasses different kinds of
performance, many of which are
outdoors, and reaches all over Paris and
the surrounding region. And it is largely
free! In 2012, after an explosive kick-off
on 14 July at Bercy Village, dance, music,
theatre and circus shows will be bringing
an air of the fantastic across the city
and even to the more sober atmosphere
of the Invalides. There are all kinds of
surprises in store...
+33 (0)1 44 94 98 00. www.quartierdete.com
Musée de l’Armée, Hôtel national des
Invalides, 129 Rue de Grenelle, Paris 7th arrondissement. Metro station: Invalides.
+33 (0)810 11 33 99. www.invalides.org
• AQUARIUM DE PARIS
“Much more than an aquarium” goes the motto. And
rightly so! The Aquarium de Paris is home to more
than ten thousand fi sh and invertebrates from the
French seas... including twenty-fi ve sharks in three
million litres of water. Amongst the forty-three tanks,
there’s even one where children can touch the fi sh.
Besides the main discovery trail, there are activities,
performances and cartoon screenings on the two
cinema screens – all the ingredients for a magical
family day out.
5 Ave Albert-de-Mun and 2 Ave des Nations Unies, Paris 16th arrondissement. Metro Station: Iéna. +33 (0)1 40 69 23 23
www.cineaqua.com
EXHIBITIONS
• LIGHTHOUSES
Until 4 November
Lighthouses are a symbol of the struggle against
the perils of the seas and an embodiment of all that
links the land and the ocean. They have captured our
imagination with their element of legend and mystique.
Over 1000 m2 of exhibition space, these beacons of
the sea are celebrated with 650 artefacts on display,
across three zones: a historical and scientifi c overview,
a look into the trades and tradesmen associated with
lighthouses and, fi nally, a sense of the mythical and
artistic aspects of these beautiful monuments. And
why not follow the exhibition with a tour of the Musée
National de la Marine’s exceptional collection? Take
note: your ticket gets you money off your Aquarium de
Paris ticket, and vice versa.
Musée National de la Marine, 17 Place du Trocadéro, Paris
16th arrondissement. Metro station: Trocadéro. Mondays,
Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays 11 am – 6 pm, Saturdays
and Sundays, 11 am – 7 pm.
+33 (0)1 53 65 69 53. www.musee-marine.fr
Eiffel Tower
• MOBILITY. HOW OUR
MOVEMENTS SHAPE CITIES
Until 26 August
The Cité de l’Architecture et du
Patrimoine is dedicating 1500 m2 of
fl oor space to a big exhibition on urban
transport, with a chronological, thematic
and interactive trail which has been built
like a stage set. Street reconstructions,
images, fi lms, and original soundtracks
transport you through time and space.
Young visitors can try out 1, 2, 3... Circulez
a play area for over-5 year olds, while
those over 7 can participate in the
workshop-tour.
1 Place du Trocadéro et du 11 Novembre,
Paris 16th arrondissement. Metro station:
Trocadéro. Mondays, Wednesdays and
Friday-Sunday 11 am – 7 pm, open until 9 pm
on Thursdays,
+33 (0)1 58 51 52 00. www.citechaillot.fr
26 Stay in touch via Paris Tourisme and new-paris-idf.com

PALAIS DE TOKYO
The quirky and ambitious Palais de Tokyo
is the archetypal anti-museum and
breaker of conventions, and this year it
will become one of Europe’s biggest sites
dedicated to contemporary art. Its floor
area has grown from 8000 to 22000 m 2 ,
with 5000 m 2 of exhibition space, a
book shop and a restaurant with its own
terrace…
• LA TRIENNALE 2012
INTENSE PROXIMITY
Until 26 August
La Triennale is the Palais de
Tokyo’s first large exhibition since
its reopening, and offers a broad
inventory of contemporary art,
where the French scene and the
powerhouses of international
creativity come together. Outside the
Palais de Tokyo, the exhibition spreads
out into seven associated venues in
Paris and the surrounding area.
• TOKYO EAT
Huge cartoon strips projected
against its equally huge windows
and enormous pink balls for lights:
the restaurant in the Palais de Tokyo
boasts, amongst other attributes, an
incredibly playful and colourful décor,
cuisine to match and an astounding
terrace looking onto the Eiffel Tower.
13 Ave du Président Wilson – Paris 16th arrondissement. Metro station: Iéna. Every
day except Tuesdays, 12 pm – midnight.
www.palaisdetokyo.com
La Triennale : www.latriennale.org
Tokyo Eat: Every day 12 pm – 2 am.
+33 (0)1 47 20 00 29
OUTDOORS
• “SUMMER IN PARIS FOR
DANCING” DINNER-CRUISE
This new 21/2 hour-long trip comes with
only the best ingredients: a tasty dinner, a
unique view of the capital’s most beautiful
monuments and a band to serenade you
as you dance to the best in French music
and summer tunes.
Bateaux Parisiens. Metro stations: Bir Hakeim,
Trocadéro. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays
and every evening from 15 July to 31 August.
www.bateauxparisiens.com
free partly free to do as a family
QUAI BRANLY MUSEUM
• JARDIN D’ÉTÉ: CELEBRATING SERENITY
Until 2 September
The quai Branly museum nestles in greenery, and is offering you the opportunity to
experience sound-enhanced trails, chill to electronic music, listen to stories and enjoy
workshops, food tasting events and much more – all for free! Inside, art collections
from Oceania, Africa, Asia and the Americas await you, as well as the Les Séductions du
Palais Cuisiner et manger en Chine exhibition, from 19 June until 30 September and The
Masters of Disorder (Maîtres du désordre), until 29 July. The latter explores the notions
of order and disorder in the world, mixing together elements of chaos, shamanism,
voodoo, fetishes and works by Picasso, Messager and even Basquiat.
37 Quai Branly – Paris 7 th arrondissement. Metro station: Alma-Marceau. Tuesdays, Wednesdays
and Sundays, 11 am – 7 pm (garden open 9:15 am – 7:30 pm). Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays,
11 am – 9 pm (garden 9:15 am – 9:15 pm). +33 (0)1 56 61 70 00. www.quaibranly.fr
MUSEUM OF MODERN ART
• CRUMB. FROM THE
UNDERGROUND TO GENESIS
Until 19 August
This first retrospective exhibition
dedicated to Robert Crumb celebrates
the pioneer of the underground comic
and mythical figure of American counterculture.
Also at the museum of Modern Art this
summer...
Christopher Wool. One of the most
influential contemporary American
painters on the artistic scene is having his
first exhibition in Paris until 19 August.
Resisting the present.
Mexico 2000/2012 will be showing
around fifty works from twenty-four
politically-engaged Mexican artists until
8 July.
Sixty-one works by Giorgio de Chirico
recently bequeathed to the museum, are
on exclusive display until 1 st July.
• CAFÉ-TERRACE
Inside, you will find a sober décor under
a staggeringly high ceiling. On the other
side of the palatial colonnades: a terrace,
with parasols and a breathtaking view...
Treat yourself to this very reasonablypriced
experience.
Museum of Modern Art,
11 Ave du Président Wilson, Paris 16th arrondissement. Metro station: Iéna. Tuesday
to Sunday, 10 am – 6 pm, Thursday until 10 pm.
+33 (0)1 53 67 40 00. www.mam.paris.fr
Café: +33 (0)1 53 67 40 47
27

CHAMPS-ÉLYSÉES,
high-class, luxury entertainment…
The Champs-Elysées has a mythical status throughout the world, with its
tree-lined pavements decorated with fountains and bandstands. It burgeons
with private mansions, theatres, luxury fashion and design, fl agship stores
and eateries for the refi ned palette...
GRAND PALAIS
• MONUMENTA 2012 - DANIEL BUREN
Until 21 June
This contemporary artist will be taking over
the nave of the Grand Palais.
See
p. 9
• HELMUT NEWTON
Until 17 June
Sud-Est Gallery. This is the photographer’s fi rst
retrospective exhibition since he died in 2004, and
includes over two hundred pictures, which are mainly
original prints. Controversial and sometimes shocking,
Newton’s work deals with the themes of beauty, power,
eroticism and humour.
• BEAUTÉ ANIMALE
Until 16 July
Since the Renaissance, the way we have depicted
animals has changed with the changing tides of
ethical and aesthetic criteria. From Dürer to Louise
Bourgeois’s Araignée, one hundred and twenty
paintings, drawings, sculptures and photographs come
together to make a wonderful menagerie combining
the strange and the familiar.
Galeries nationales du Grand Palais, 3 Avenue du Général-
Eisenhower (8th arrondissement). Metro station: Champs-
Élysées-Clemenceau. +33 (0)1 44 13 17 17. www.rmngp.fr
Helmut Newton: every day except Tuesdays, 10 am – 10 pm.
Beauté animale: every day except Tuesdays, 10 am - 8 pm.
Wednesdays until 10 pm.
WHAT TO VISIT
• PETIT PALAIS, PARIS FINE
ARTS MUSEUM
The exhibitions and collections in this
museum take you on an artistic journey
from antiquity to the beginning of the
20th century. But the Palace itself and
its early twentieth century architecture,
sculpted décor, mosaics and stained
glass windows are also worth a visit. As
is its café-restaurant which overlooks
the ponds in the courtyard garden.
Ave Winston-Churchill, Paris 8th arrondissement. Metro station: Champs-
Elysées Clemenceau. Tuesday to Sunday,
10 am to 6 pm. +33 (0)1 53 43 40 36
www.petitpalais.paris.fr
Champs-Élysées
CINEMA
• PARIS FILM FESTIVAL
6 to 12 June
A huge cinema festival on the Champs-Élysées with independent fi lms, big
Hollywood premières and outdoor events. Around fi fty fi lms will be screened at
one hundred and fi fty showings in the avenue’s seven cinemas: unseen French
and American feature fi lms, international fi lms in the line-up for the Best Foreign
Language Film at the Oscars, movie premières and a tribute to the producer Harvey
Weinstein.
www.parisfi lmfest.fr
TAKE A BREAK
• LADURÉE
This pastry-maker house famous for
its macarons was founded in 1862 and
has shops at 75, Avenue des Champs-
Élysées and 16-18 Rue Royale (8th arrondissement), 21 Rue Bonaparte
(6th arrondissement), Printemps
Haussmann (9th arrondissement) and
in the prestigious setting of the Cour
Royale at the Château de Versailles.
www.laduree.fr
• HÔTEL COSTES BAR
This hip bar with chic customers offers
designer décor, cocktails, electrolounge
music and a patio which makes a
great place to unwind.
239 Rue Saint-Honoré (1st arrondissement).
+33 (0)1 42 44 50 00. www.hotelcostes.com
OUTDOORS
• TOUR DE FRANCE FINISH
22 july
The Champs-Élysées will cheer on the
winner of this historic bicycle race.
28 Stay in touch via Paris Tourisme and new-paris-idf.com
See
p. 11

The CANAL SAINT-MARTIN,
CANAL DE L’OURCQ
and the BASSIN DE LA VILLETTE…
Paris on the water
People here are always in the mood for boules and afternoon tea on the
water’s edge, cocktails and dancing, and romantic strolls. And they also have
a knack for coming up with exuberantly harebrained events.
FESTIVAL
• FUTUR EN SEINE
14 to 24 June
Here, you’ll fi nd every possible kind of digital
innovation! It’s all at the Centquatre on 16 and 17
June – then it will make its way round a host of other
regional events. Look out for the robots that are set to
become part of everyday life!
www.futur-en-seine.fr
SHOW
• POINT ÉPHÉMÈRE
This arts centre combines exhibitions, shows, concerts
and out-of-the-ordinary events. From 11 to 17 June,
it will be hosting a dance festival, while 30 June and 1
July will see it open for a record fair, children’s party,
workshops and concerts celebrating independent
labels and electro music. And from 20 July to 20
August, 6 – 9:30 pm, it will be hosting Apéro Mix:
featuring a selection of DJs to sip cocktails to as you
dandle your feet in the water and dance in the streets!
200 Quai de Valmy, Paris 10th arrondissement. Metro station:
Jaurès. +33 (0)1 40 34 02 48. www.pointephemere.org
EXHIBITIONS
• CONNEXIONS
Until 4 August
This installation, a collection of stretched rubber
bands, brings together structure, spectator and artist.
And it’s a great excuse to explore the vast halls of the
Centquatre at the nexus of artistic and creative life,
with its public squares and studios, and its places to
wander or to treat yourself to a delicious meal.
5 Rue Curial, Paris 19th arrondissement.
Metro stations: Riquet or Stalingrad. Tuesday to Sunday,
11 am/noon to 7 pm.
+33 (0) 1 53 35 50 00. www.104.fr
OUTDOORS
• GUIDED TOURS
WITH ARTISTS
Q: What do you get when you let a
troop of actors reinvent the guided
tour? A: The two banks of the Villette
and The spy of Saint-Germain-des-
Prés, dramatized tours featuring lovers,
secrets and a mysterious skeleton...
+33 (0)1 48 58 37 12
www.visites-spectacles.com
• FROM THE SEINE TO THE
CANAL SAINT-MARTIN
Travel from lock to lock and discover
the scenic side of Paris running from the
Hôtel du Nord to the Parc de la Villette.
Paris Canal. +33 (0)1 42 40 29 00
www.pariscanal.com
• PARIS PLAGES
20 July to 19 August
Enjoy all kinds of nautical pursuits at the
Bassin de la Villette!
free partly free to do as a family
See
p. 22
The Canals
and the Bassin
de la Villette
TAKE A BREAK
• LA ROTONDE
This is the new inspired brasserie in the
East of Paris. Savour their inventive
cuisine under a bright and airy dome,
as well as the largest terrace in Paris,
with a view over the canal. Throw in an
effortlessly cool events schedule, from
Zik & Zinc Thursdays to Fashion Brunch
In’a City Sundays and club nights, and
you have all the ingredients for a topclass
culinary experience.
6-8, place de la Bataille de Stalingrad,
Paris 19th arrondissement.
Metro station: Stalingrad.
+33 (0)1 80 48 33 40
www.larotonde.com
• BAR OURCQ
Choose from story-telling evenings,
electro sessions, light meals at
reasonable prices, or make the most of
the deckchairs and boules tournaments
on the water’s edge. It's summertime!
68 Quai de la Loire, Paris 19th arrondissement. Metro stations: Laumière
or Jaurès. After 3 pm from Wednesday
to Sunday. +33 (0)1 42 40 12 26
http://barourcq.free.fr
29

LA VILLETTE,
an exhibition centre, park and world of its own
This astonishing world covers a huge re-landscaped area that was formerly
home to slaughterhouses, and today has everything to offer! There is always
something going on outside and in. People come for the music, culture,
science and activities on offer, not forgetting the large-scale shows,
picnics, festivals… or just to kick back and relax.
Parc de La Villette
Paris 19 th arrondissement. Metro stations: Porte de Pantin and Porte de la Villette.
Programmes and events at www.villette.com
+33 (0)1 40 03 75 75
MUSIC
• DAYS OFF
30 June to 9 July
See
p. 17
The Cité de la Musique and the Salle Pleyel
are busy concocting their festival of
contemporary music with everything from
rock to electro, where unusual is the norm!
• SCÈNES D'ÉTÉ
4 July to 26 August
This summer programme at La Villette includes music from around
the world with open-air concerts, workshops and opportunities to
personally meet the performers from France and around the world.
The line-up includes initiation to tango and concerts and a ball in
honour of the Argentinian, Piazzolla on 4, 7 and 8 July, The 400 or so
percussionists of the samba-reggae style batucada group, Batala,
are scattered throughout the world but from 12 to 15 July, they will
gather here to celebrate their fi fteenth anniversary. From 8 to 12
August, come and take part in the hip hop workshops or on 18 and 19
August have a go at Brakka, somewhere between dance and martials
arts from Africa.
Prairie du Cercle Sud, Free entry.
La Villette
• SIN FRONTERAS
5 July to 29 August
For the third year of this festival that takes you around
the world, Cabaret Sauvage is giving over its fabulous
marquee to world music. Algerian music will kick off
the series from 5 to 8 July, followed by a trip to the
Balkans from 12 to 15 July. We’ll be tuning in to German
music, with strong Berlin infl uences from 19 to 22 July,
and rounding off in Jamaica from 26 to 29 July. In
addition to the concerts, “passengers” can relax on
terraces overlooking the Canal de l’Ourcq with DJ sets,
barbeques, boules and cocktails every evening. Bon
voyage!
+33 (0)1 42 09 03 09. www.cabaretsauvage.com
• JAZZ À LA VILLETTE
28 August to 9 September
People just cannot wait for these 30 or so jazz
concerts with hip hop, soul, pop and funk infl uences.
30 Stay in touch via Paris Tourisme and new-paris-idf.com
See
p. 18

CINEMA
• PTÉRODACTYLES 3D, THE NEW FILM AT THE GÉODE
The Géode is a 36 metre high, mirror-fi nished geodesic dome which holds a
400-seat theatre inclined at 27° and boasts a 1000 m2 hemispherical screen.
This is one of the ten most popular cinemas in the world. Experience it by
spending 40 minutes with the fl ying monsters in Ptérodactyles 3D.
220 million years ago, at the start of the age of the dinosaurs, another group
of reptiles, the pterosaurs, were already defying the laws of gravity. How could
this incredible creature as large as a giraffe get off the ground? With the help
of cutting edge animation and technology, the English naturalist Sir David
Attenborough explores this great paleontological enigma from Texas to China.
Tuesday to Sunday, showings 10:30 am - 8:30 pm. Variable opening hours on Mondays.
www.lageode.fr
SHOW
See
p. 10
• COMPAGNIE DCA PHILIPPE DECOUFLÉ
6 June to 15 July
This most popular contemporary dance choreographer is giving shows (Panorama,
Le Solo) and an exhibition (Opticon).
free partly free to do as a family
• OPEN-AIR CINEMA
25 July to 26 August
Cinema that transforms your summer
with this festival themed around
metamorphosis in 2012!
CIRCUS
See
p. 12
• COMPAGNIE XY.
LE GRAND C
27 June to 21 July
It’s like Piccadilly Circus! Seventeen
artists from Compagnie XY are reexamining
the codes of circuses and
the techniques used by acrobats. In
Le Grand C, the group leap and twist to
create constructions which they then
immediately destroy through living
acrobatic “sculptures” of clustered and
interlocked bodies. Determined to get
in the air and not come down again,
each talented performer of this twisted
collection combines to form a piece of
living art, which is funny, powerful and
moving.
Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and
Saturdays, 8:30 pm.
Thursdays, 7:30 pm.
31

LA VILLETTE
an exhibition centre, park and world of its own
• LI WEI
See
p. 10
EXHIBITIONS
• BOB DYLAN,
THE ROCK
EXPLOSION
(61-66)
Until 22 July
The Cité de la Musique
tells the story of the
legendary Dylan.
Until 19 August
Vertiginous comedy? An ode to
weightlessness? These fi fteen giant
photographs by Li Wei displayed
outdoors at the Parc de la Villette are
guaranteed to grab your attention. Known
throughout the world for his unusual
methods of depicting himself, here the
Chinese artist can be seen hanging from
a lamppost or standing on nothing at the
top of a building. Li Wei’s art is born out of
his work with contemporary landscapes
where he often tackles the notion of
danger, and it will often create the illusion
of a dangerous reality within which we can
either loose our footing or dream of fl ying
away to freedom. Which is it for you?
Every day, free entry.
+33 (0)1 40 03 75 75
TAKE A BREAK
• TRABENDO REOPENING
The beautiful and all-new Trabendo
venue has been entirely refi tted and
redecorated, and is once again open
at the Parc de la Villette. It has been
extended with a bar and a terrace area
where people will enjoy relaxing, and its
concert hall features a refreshing and
eclectic programme of rock and electro
music, club events, hip hop, singersongwriter
concerts, shows for children
and more.
Open 1 hour before concerts, bar and terrace
remain open after.
+33 (0)1 42 06 05 52. www.letrabendo.net
• VILLETTE ENCHANTÉE
The Grande Halle de la Villette covered
area is an enchanting, cosily-lit place
good for sipping a coffee or enjoying
the menu of the day within a large
vaulted and glass-covered room
opening on to a wooden terrace at
the fi rst hint of sunshine. The Villette
Enchantée is a café-restaurant during
the day, a place to go for drinks in
the early evening, and transforms
itself into a Mecca for clubbers on
weekend evenings. And since we do
not compromise when it comes to
sound, only the most successful DJs
of the moment have the privilege of
keeping the party going here through to
daybreak.
Monday to Thursday and Sundays,
11 am - 8 pm.
Fridays and Saturdays, 11 am - 6 am.
+33 (0)1 40 35 96 49
www.lavilletteenchantee.fr
• THE INCREDIBLE GAULS
Until 2 September
The Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie is located within
the park and shows off the best of what science and
leisure have to offer. There are hundreds of clever
displays for all ages that make it defi nitely worth a
visit. Using archaeological discoveries made in the
last thirty years, ‘The Incredible Gauls’ challenges our
preconceived ideas about Gaulish civilisation. Visitors
take on different roles of investigator, collaborator,
discoverer and spectator as they progress along
the fi ve sequences, from “Two thousand years of
imagining the Gauls” to “A farewell to myths?”.
Tuesday to Saturday, 10 am - 6 pm. Sundays 10 am - 7 pm.
+33 (0)1 40 05 80 00. www.cite-sciences.fr
32 Stay in touch via Paris Tourisme and new-paris-idf.com

Around and about the Parc de La Villette
MUSIC
• LA PLAGE DE GLAZART
Until 24 September
The Glazart concert, clubbing and exhibition area is
dedicated to alternative styles and surrounded by
a man-made nature area. Fine sand, deckchairs, a
boules area, bar, canteen… and a stage, of course!
The programme on this party beach includes
DJ sets, clubbing events, activities, brunches,
afternoon activities for children, radio shows and
free or cheap concerts. Well-known and up-andcoming
talents from the indie scene perform
here, where people also experience the groove of
"electropical" and epic pop rhythms, and get to
enjoy lively folk and gypsy punk. Expect loud music
and the best events, particularly during the La Plage
Festival, from 28 June to 10 July.
7-15 Ave de la Porte de la Villette, Paris 19th arrondissement.
Metro station: Porte de la Villette.
+33 (0)1 40 36 55 65. www.glazart.com
OUTDOORS
• L’ÉTÉ DU CANAL ON THE CANAL DE L’OURCQ
23 June to 26 August
Every weekend, there is plenty to do down at the canal! Ferry
boats take you from the Bassin de la Villette to Aulnay-sous-Bois,
via Parc de La Villette, Pantin, Bobigny-sur-Ourcq, Noisy-le-Sec
and Bondy for a mere €1 on Saturdays, €2 on Sundays. What
could be better? A morning cruise-show, perhaps, for just €10? Or
a concert on board a barge? Back on land, take an excursion by
foot, bike or even by horse and coach while artists work together
on a piece of giant graffiti art. There is also a free concert every
Saturday at the Bobigny marquee, while Bals Barges, also free,
provide an opportunity to dance on the canal banks on Sunday
afternoons. All the towns along the canal blend into one with water
parks, open-air cinema, gypsy Bal-musette music, street art, and
more.
Bassin de la Villette. Metro stations: Stalingrad, Jaurès.
www.tourisme93.com/ete-du-canal
free partly free to do as a family
33

MONTMARTRE
and NORTH PARIS,
a global village
All around the Sacré-Cœur which crowns the Butte Montmartre,
savour the melting-pot of cultures accompanied by musette,
accordion and rap music.
WHAT TO VISIT
• PARIS SAINT-OUEN
FLEA MARKET
This is a cult experience! Come and
mill around this listed semi-covered
site, and bargain-hunt among fashion,
antique and second-hand stores.
Metro station: Porte de Clignancourt.
Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays.
http://marcheauxpuces-saintouen.com
CINEMA
• CINÉMA AU CLAIR DE LUNE
1 to 12 August
From the Butte Montmartre to Parc
Montsouris, from the Place des Fêtes
to Place des Vosges, the cinema is
wherever the fi lm is projected outdoors.
Pure joy for cinema lovers and it’s free!
Showings at 9:30 pm.
+33 (0)1 44 76 63 00
www.forumdesimages.fr
CIRCUS
• LES IMPROMPTUS
17 june
Now that’s a circus! The Académie
Fratellini is opening up its 5000 m2 for
use by the poetry, magic and burlesque
shows performed by their trainees,
friends and supporting artists.
Rue des Cheminots, La Plaine Saint-Denis.
Noon - 7 pm. From Paris, RER line D
Stade de France-Saint-Denis.
+33 (0)1 72 59 40 30
www.academie-fratellini.com
Montmartre
FESTIVALS
• JAZZ-MUSETTE AT THE
PARIS SAINT-OUEN FLEA
MARKET
22 to 24 june
Twenty-fi ve orchestras and one
hundred and forty artists, including
Nicoletta, Juliette, Biréli Lagrène and
Didier Lockwood tour bars and give free
concerts all around the fl ea market.
www.festivaldespuces.com
• LA GOUTTE D’OR EN FÊTE
27 June to 1 July
During this large community festival, the streets of the Goutte d’Or district brim with
parades, brass bands, choirs and street displays. Square Léon becomes a venue for
public performances, while concerts, community meals and dances take place on
the Parvis de l’Eglise Saint-Bernard.
Metro stations: Château Rouge, Barbès-Rochechouart, La Chapelle.
www.gouttedorenfete.org
34 Stay in touch via Paris Tourisme and new-paris-idf.com

• TRÉTEAUX NOMADES
20 August to 2 September
Based out of Arènes de Montmartre,
this Commedia dell’arte mobile theatre
festival serves up outlandish humour and
improvisation and will also be performing
at Cour de l’Hôtel de Beauvais (4th arrondissement), Place Sainte-Marthe
(10th arrondissement) and the La
Bellevilloise venue (20th arrondissement).
Rue Chappe, Paris 18th arrondissement.
Metro stations: Anvers and Abbesses.
Tuesday to Saturday, 8:30 pm; Sunday, 4 pm.
+33 (0)1 48 40 62 49
www.treteauxnomades.com
• GANESHA FESTIVAL
2 September
An extraordinary procession of dancers, flutists and Nadaswaram
players surround a float carrying the Ganesha god with his elephant
head. This is firstly a religious festival, but gives everyone something
out of the norm.
Temple de Sri Manicka Vinayakar Alayam, 17 Rue Pajol, Paris 18th arrondissement. Metro station: La Chapelle.
free partly free to do as a family
• RHIZOMES
Saturdays and Sundays from 23 June to 8 July
Three weekends of free concerts, drawing from musical
influences from around the world in the parks of the
18th arrondissement and Aubervilliers.
www.festivalrhizomes.fr
MUSIC
• FÊTE DE L’HUMANITÉ
14 to 16 September
It’s time for the party at La Courneuve. Light humour,
debates and, of course, live music, featuring stars and
rising talents.
Parc de La Courneuve. RER line B, Le Bourget, Metro station:
La Courneuve-8 Mai 1945 then RATP shuttle.
www.humanite.fr/fete_huma
TAKE A BREAK
• LE MOULIN DE LA GALETTE
The only two mills still standing in Montmartre, where
Renoir painted a certain ‘Dance at Le Moulin de la
Galette’, provide a backdrop to this restaurant. Seated
on one of two terraces filled with greenery you will feel
like you’re a hundred miles away from the city!
83 Rue Lepic, Paris 18th arrondissement. Metro stations:
Abbesses, Blanche. Noon – 10:30 pm.
+33 (0)1 46 06 84 77. www.lemoulindelagalette.fr
35

MÉNILMONTANT
and surroundings
The former villages of Ménilmontant and Belleville have always thronged
with people, and they once had as many cabarets as vines! The streets
swarm with party-goers between Rue Oberkampf and Buttes Chaumont,
especially when summer comes!
MUSIC
• LA MAROQUINERIE
This key music venue next door to
the La Bellevilloise is pioneering new
sounds, with a bar, restaurant and
terrace that fi ts in well with its 20th arrondissement surroundings.
23 Rue Boyer, Paris 20th arrondissement.
Metro stations: Gambetta, Ménilmontant.
+33 (0)1 40 33 35 05
www.lamaroquinerie.fr
SHOWS
Ménilmontant
• LA BELLEVILLOISE
“Paris for the people since 1877!” This was the fi rst cooperative in Paris founded
soon after Belleville was established as a commune (municipality) with the
purpose of helping people of modest means access education and culture. In
2005, three subversives re-opened it in line with its original purpose: 2000 m 2
of vivid architecture dedicated to art and events, a meeting place with concerts,
clubbing, light meals and coffee served under hundred-year-old olive trees,
shows, exhibitions and fi lm screenings. And a terrace that overlooks the rooftops
of Paris.
• LA GRANDE PRAIRIE DE LA BELLEVILLOISE
17 July to early September
Picture this… 500 m2 covered with green matting and fi lled with deckchairs,
hammocks, a massage tent, a cocktail and fresh fruit juice bar, bouquets of
sunfl owers... and ponds full of water lilies and water hyacinths. This luxury area is
open to all and hosts a wonderful cultural hotchpotch with a temporary library,
screenings of short fi lms, acoustic sets, artistic ‘happenings’, DJ mixes, themed
aperitif events and more.
19-21 Rue Boyer – Paris 20th arrondissement. Metro station: Gambetta. Wednesday to
Sunday, 7 pm - 1 am or 2 am. Sundays, 11:30 am - 5 pm or midnight. Club open until 6 am
depending on programme. +33 (0)1 46 36 07 07. www.labellevilloise.com
• NOUVEAU CASINO
Not to be missed! The shimmering
metal-covered walls at Nouveau Casino
host concerts, digital art events and
parties. Its quirky fairytale lights stand
for the spirit of exploration and fusion of
different art forms. And it’s a great place
to get down to some electro beats late
into the night.
109 Rue Oberkampf, Paris 11th arrondissement.
Metro stations: Parmentier, Ménilmontant.
+33 (0)1 43 57 57 40
www.nouveaucasino.net
36 Stay in touch via Paris Tourisme and new-paris-idf.com

FESTIVALS OUTDOORS
• 2 ND NUITS PHOTOGRAPHIQUES FESTIVAL
Fridays 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29 June
Free entry for open minds. It all starts at 7pm with an aperitif at
the Pavillon du Lac in the Parc des Buttes Chaumont, with DJ sets
provided by La Dame Noir. Then, from 10pm to midnight, it’s outside
on the lawns, where photo movies are projected onto a big screen.
There are three sections to the presentation: special guests, selected
photos and best artists of this emerging art form, somewhere
between cinema and photography. Finally, at midnight, it’s back to
the pavilion for more music and dancing!
Place Armand-Carrel entrance, Paris 19th arrondissement. Metro station:
Laumière. 7 pm – 1:30 am. www.lesnuitsphotographiques.com
• ET 20 L’ÉTÉ
16 to 24 June
The streets of the 20 th arrondissement have some
surprises in store you. This open-air arts festival
does what it says on the tin. It surprises you, with its
dozen or so wandering shows. Et 20 l’Été encourages
new companies and artistic productions and also
gives room to mobile shows where the audience
participates. It is all about the unexpected, mindblowing
experiences and mixing genres.
+33 (0)1 43 15 20 21. www.mairie20.paris.fr
• PARC DE BELLEVILLE
This park and its terrace overlooking the city are like a
little piece of heaven in the joyful disorder of this district
with its bars, bistros and music on every street corner. You
will also enjoy the giant wooden play area, the Maison
de l’Air air museum, a lawn-covered hill topped with one
of the biggest cascade fountains in Paris and the city's
fauna: blackbirds, tits of all kinds and (song) thrushes.
Would you expect anything less?
47 Rue des Couronnes, Paris 20th arrondissement.
Metro station: Couronnes.
• PARC DES BUTTES CHAUMONT
This has the steepest slopes of Paris' 426 parks and
gardens, and is undoubtedly the most “English-Chinese”
garden in style with its deliberate chaos. In the middle
of the lake in this skilfully created disorder of almost
twenty-five hectares stands a rocky island crowned with a
Temple of Sybil in the romantic style. Since 1867, people
have been admiring the thirty-two metre high waterfall,
the cave decorated with false stalactites and the beautiful
smells from exotic trees planted around the hillock. With
Honey locust, Turkish hazel, Cedar of Lebanon trees
and more, exploring the Buttes Chaumont is a genuine
adventure where you meet moorhens and ducks, play
areas and merry-go-rounds, sloping lawns and groups of
happy picnickers.
1 Rue Botzaris, Paris 19h arrondissement.
Metro station: Buttes Chaumont.
• ROSA BONHEUR
This is the place for a bite to eat, and a spot of dancing
(why not?), in the beautiful surroundings of Buttes
Chaumont. This café-cum-tea room which takes its
name from a pioneer of feminism in the 19th century is
loved by local residents and has served as the park’s
top-end eatery since 2008 with its mix of charm and
impertinence. Its terrace with panoramic views comes
highly recommended!
Ave de la Cascade, Paris 19th arrondissement. Metro station:
Botzaris. +33 (0)1 42 00 00 45. www.rosabonheur.fr
• FESTIVAL SILHOUETTE
1 to 9 September
In 2002, a group of cinema enthusiasts founded this festival of short films, which
has become the biggest of its kind in Paris - but entry is still free! Over one hundred
and thirty short films including fictional, animated works, documentaries and music
videos are screened under the beautiful starry sky of Buttes Chaumont. They are all
unique works that break the mould, the result of the producer’s absolute freedom
and a refusal to follow current conventions. During the daytime, Silhouette also
takes over the Centquatre for screenings and workshops.
Place Armand-Carrel entrance, Paris 19 th arrondissement. Metro station: Laumière.
www.association-silhouette.com. Centquatre, 5 Rue Curial, Paris 19 th arrondissement.
Metro station: Riquet. +33 (0)1 53 35 50 00. www.104.fr
free partly free to do as a family
TAKE A BREAK
37

Around the
JARDIN DES PLANTES,
the Latin Quarter, offering a glimpse of Byzantium
and a taste of the good life
Here we have a garden created four centuries ago, with hundred-year-old
trees, botanical treasures, a zoo, fossils and mammoths and the incredible
Grande Galerie de l’Évolution. And what’s more, the story and adventures
continue beyond the Jardin des Plantes itself. Discover steeply inclining streets
and a mosque... Paris is full of surprises!
JARDIN DES PLANTES, NATIONAL
NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM
This garden is a veritable treasure trove created under the reign of Louis XIII and
contains beautiful buildings, clusters of trees and wide paths as well as eleven
other areas, including a labyrinth, alpine and iris garden. Besides the Grande
Galerie de l’Évolution and the Ménagerie, you’ll also fi nd the acclaimed Galeries
de Paléontologie, the Grandes Serres glasshouses, which have been completely
restored, play areas and other attractions.
• LA MÉNAGERIE
This zoo, opened in 1794, is a piece of
architectural heritage in its own right,
with its rotunda and large aviary built
in 1802 and 1888 respectively, its Art
Deco vivarium and monkey houses.
Almost two thousand mammals, birds,
turtles, crocodiles, snakes, amphibians
and spiders live here, including
Nénette, an orang-utan from Borneo,
who has been in residence since 1972
and starred in a fi lm.
Every day 9 am – 6 pm. Sundays and public
holidays until 6:30 pm. +33 (0)1 40 79 37 94.
• LIFE IN THE SUNDARBANS
22 June to 12 September
There’s even a mangrove forest in the
Jardin des Plantes! But only in Xavier
Desmier’s photographic work, which is
being displayed outside.
www.photoparnature.com
Jardin des Plantes
• GRANDE GALERIE DE L’ÉVOLUTION
The huge glass roof here provides a spectacular
setting for exhibiting the diversity of life on land and in
the sea, the mechanisms of evolution and man’s role
therein. Siam the elephant marches at the head of
the caravan of stuffed animals, not far from Chinese
tigers and Mauritian dodos, representing extinct or
endangered species.
Every day except Tuesdays, 10 am – 6 pm.
+33 (0)1 40 79 54 79
• ALONG THE SPIDER’S THREAD
(AU FIL DES ARAIGNÉES)
Until 2 July
This interactive exhibition sets out to dispel the myth
of spiders as hairy monsters, revealing how amazing
these eight-legged creatures really are, from their
behaviour and abilities, to their useful role in the food
chain. You’ll be surprised!
http://araignees.mnhn.fr
Jardin des Plantes, Museum national d’Histoire naturelle,
57 rue Cuvier, 2 rue Buffon, 36 rue Geoffroy-Saint-Hilaire,
place Valhubert, Paris 5th arrondissement.
Metro stations: Austerlitz, Censier-Daubenton, Jussieu.
Garden open every day, 7:30 am – 7:45 pm during the
summer. +33 (0)1 40 79 56 01. www.jardindesplantes.net
www.mnhn.fr
http://billetterie.mnhn.fr
38 Stay in touch via Paris Tourisme and new-paris-idf.com

TAKE A BREAK
• LA MOSQUÉE DE PARIS
This mosque with a thirty-three metre high
minaret makes a lovely place to stop off. It
is a place of worship, built in the Spanish-
Moorish style, but it also gives visitors a
warm welcome. Try mint tea and oriental
pastries on the patios of Café Maure, or
couscous and home-made tajines whilst
admiring the mosaics in the lounges. And
why not round off your exotic experience by
dropping in at the hammam? It’s an oasis of
tranquillity with its columns, fountains and
steam baths.
39 rue Geoffroy-Saint-Hilaire, Paris 5th arrondissement. Metro station: Jussieu, Place
Monge. Every day, 9 am - midnight.
+33 (0)1 45 35 97 33. www.la-mosquee.com
EXHIBITION
• THE WORLD OF CRISTOBAL
BALENCIAGA
Until 7 October
The Musée Galliera is being renovated, but
is still paying an extramural tribute to the
great master, Balenciaga. Featuring whalebone
bodices and ladies’ casaquin gowns,
satin tailcoats, velvet bolero jackets, bustle
dresses, embroidery and trimmings, the
exhibition will unveil the collection of fashion
items from the 18 th , 19 th and 20 th centuries
carefully assembled by Balenciaga,
displayed next to around forty of his haute
couture dresses and coats. Accessories,
photos and sketches enhance the exhibition
and plunge visitors into the creative
intimacy of this ultimate of designers.
Les Docks, Cité de la Mode et du Design. 34 Quai
d’Austerlitz, Paris 13 th arrondissement.
Metro stations: Gare d’Austerlitz, Quai de la Gare,
Gare de Lyon. Tuesday to Sunday, 10 am – 6 pm.
+33 (0)1 76 77 25 30. www.paris-docks-en-seine.fr
INSTITUT DU MONDE ARABE
This year, the home of Arabic culture in Paris unveiled its new museum, which has been
completely redesigned around art sourced from the twenty-two Arabic countries.
It includes acclaimed works of art, exhibitions centred on the Arab world’s cultural
heritage and its contemporary creative scene, concerts and dance shows, activities for
young people and much more. To mark the 50 th anniversary of Algeria’s independence,
its music festival (8 to 16 June), will be staging a panorama of Algerian song,
contemporary music, folklore and raï, a fusion of North African and Western music.
• ZYRIAB BY NOURA
Still hungry for new sensations? A mind-blowing view over Paris and the elegance of
Lebanese haute cuisine await you in this 9th-storey restaurant and terrace.
1 rue des Fossés Saint-Bernard, Place Mohammed V, Paris 5th arrondissement. Metro stations:
Jussieu, Cardinal-Lemoine, Sully-Morland. Tuesday to Sunday, 10 am - 6 or 7 pm.
In July-August, Tuesday – Saturday 1 pm – 6 pm. +33 (0)1 40 51 38 38. www.imarabe.org
OUTDOORS
• JARDIN TINO-ROSSI, OPEN AIR SCULPTURE MUSEUM
This garden on the bank of the Seine runs from the foot of the Institut du Monde Arabe
to the Jardin des Plantes and is sprinkled with sculptures by Brancusi, César, Zadkine
and others besides. Wander around, play and picnic whilst admiring Notre-Dame
cathedral. Then, as night falls, dance the tango, salsa, or even rumba...
8 Quai Saint-Bernard, Paris 5th arrondissement. Metro station: Jussieu.
free partly free to do as a family
39

From Bibliothèque Nationale de France
to Bercy,
this part of Paris is full of new life
In this district, where the elegant Passerelle Simone de Beauvoir footbridge
links the Bibliothèque nationale de France and the Parc de Bercy, you get a
sense of perpetual motion – with music venues and concert halls springing
up everywhere, along with organic food outlets, innovative boutiques and
patches of greenery and artistic endeavour.
WHAT TO VISIT
• BIBLIOTHÈQUE NATIONALE DE
FRANCE (BnF)
The written heritage of a nation comes to life in this
library, with its four towers of wood, glass and steel
surrounding a central garden. Read and expand your
mind in the reading rooms and reception areas and
dream in front of the Globes of the Sun King exhibition.
To fi nd out all there is to know about the BnF, take the
guided tour from Tuesday to Sunday at 3 pm. And don’t
miss Wolinski, a free exhibition running from 29 June to
2 July – it’s guaranteed to bring a smile to your face!
BnF, Site François Mitterrand, Quai François-Mauriac, Paris 13th arrondissement. Metro station: Quai de la Gare, Metro and RER
line C, Bibliothèque F-Mitterrand. Every day except Monday.
+33 (0)1 53 79 49 49. www.bnf.fr
CINEMA
• PARIS CINEMA FESTIVAL
29 June to 10 July
This festival celebrates the vitality of the big screen, with �5 showings and free
events. The opening night is being held at the Forum des images
(1st arrondissement): techno icon Jeff Mills will be mixing over the documentary
Études sur Paris, the masterpiece of urban poetry from the 1920s, followed by
a Nuit du Cinéma event devoted to
Hong Kong, with director Johnnie To in
attendance. The festival will be putting
this incredible city-state under the
spotlight with eighty glamorous, frenetic
fi lms that will be hitting the screen here
and at the MK2 near the Bibliothèque
(13th arrondissement). In addition, there
will be eight feature fi lms in competition,
premières, restored classics, a homage
to Raoul Ruiz, an event looking back on
the work of Olivier Assayas attended by
the man himself, a huge fi lm-themed
karaoke session at the Centquatre
(19th arrondissement) on 7 July and the
Cinema Trade Market on the 7 and 8 July
on the forecourt in front of the MK2 and
the BnF.
+33 (0)1 55 25 55 25. www.pariscinema.org
MUSIC
40 Stay in touch via Paris Tourisme and new-paris-idf.com
Bercy
• OPERA AT THE FESTIVAL CÔTÉ COUR
Until 1 July, and 2 September to 14 October
Over thirteen Sundays, all kinds of song will be echoing round the cobblestones of the
Cour Saint-Émilion in Bercy Village, from well-known arias to operettas, operas and
musicals, duets and choruses, accompanied by accordion or by double bass – opera is
for everyone !
Metro station: Cour Saint-Émilion. www.bercyvillage.com

MUSIC
• LE BATOFAR
This musical vessel has a terrace overlooking the
Seine which hosts DJs and live acoustic sets around
cocktail hour. Then, everyone heads down to the
hold! Somewhere between a concert hall and a
dance fl oor, this venue invites you tune into the
music and dance the night away. For food-lovers,
inventive dishes are served in the dining room which
opens onto the kitchen. And until September on the
quay, la Plage will be offering even more music and
events amongst the deckchairs and the big tables in
its bar and food area.
+33 (0)9 71 25 50 61. www.batofar.org. Restaurant open
midday and evening Tuesday to Friday and Saturday evenings.
+33 (0)1 53 60 17 00 – La Plage, Monday to Friday, noon –
2 am, Saturdays, 6 pm – 2 am, Sundays 11:30 am – midnight.
Club open until 6 am on selected nights.
• LA DAME DE CANTON
After sailing the oceans, this exotic wooden Chinese
junk continues its voyage at the quayside. With a
knack for spotting rising talent, she explores the
terrains of music, festivity and fun by way of her
concert venue with bar and dance fl oor and the hold
converted into a restaurant-cum-boudoir. Enjoy the
terrace on the quay throughout the summer.
Concerts Tuesday to Saturday at 8:30 pm. Clubbing Fridays
and Saturdays from 11:30 pm. Terrace open in the afternoons.
www.damedecanton.com
• PETIT BAIN
Is this a barge? Yes, but it is also a fl oating cultural
centre and an island within the city with three
areas to entice pleasure-seekers: a green roof
terrace, a restaurant on deck open midday and
in the evening and a concert venue in the hold.
Sunbathing, local pop music, eccentric artwork,
good times and concerts indoors and out, gardening
and opportunities to sample fresh produce make a
perfect combination here.
Tuesday to Sunday, noon - 2 am.
+33 (0)1 43 68 92. www.petitbain.org
Batofar, Dame de Canton, Petit Bain:
Quai François-Mauriac, port de la Gare,
Paris 13th arrondissement.Metro station: Quai de la Gare
and RER line C, Bibliothèque François-Mitterrand.
.
free partly free to do as a family
LA CINÉMATHÈQUE FRANÇAISE
Welcome to a world of wonder! With forty showings every week,
cinematic events, workshops, a library, a museum where you can
discover a gem of a collection on the history of cinema and two big
temporary exhibitions per year.
• TIM BURTON, THE EXHIBITION
Until 5 August
Step into this brilliant director’s imagination at the Cinémathèque
Française.
• LE 51
Until 5 August
If you feel the need to linger after the credits start to roll, stop by the
Cinémathèque’s restaurant, with its terrace overlooking the Parc de
Bercy. They will serve you anything from a country lunch to a moonlit
dinner, and even a takeaway picnic basket.
51 Rue de Bercy, Paris 12th arrondissement. Metro station: Bercy.
Every day except Tuesdays. www.cinematheque.fr
Le 51: +33 (0)1 58 51 10 91. www.restaurant51.com
OUTDOORS
See
p. 11
• JOSÉPHINE BAKER SWIMMING POOL
There are some upsides to taking exercise, especially when it involves
a swimming pool that fl oats on the Seine: picture windows looking out
over the river, a large pool, teak decking on the roof, solarium area on
the quay... For the exercise front head to the fi tness area, with its gyms
and weights rooms, two saunas, hammam and Jacuzzi.
+33 (0)1 56 61 96 50. Quai François-Mauriac, port de la Gare,
Paris 13th arrondissement. Metro station: Quai de la Gare and RER line C,
Bibliothèque François-Mitterrand.
41

VITRY-SUR-SEINE,
ANTONY,
CHÂTENAY-MALABRY…
capsules of art and expression
Just to prove that the summer is not just about the South of France, ten
contemporary artists are creating a collective exhibition across six towns
in the Hauts-de-Seine département for a real festival of creativity just a
stone’s throw from Paris!
MAC/VAL
Within its spacious and light-fi lled interior, the Musée d’Art
Contemporain du Val-de-Marne holds two thousand works of art
and is devoted to French art from the 1950s onward. The museum
exhibitions are designed in line with its collection and deepen the
visitor’s experience of contemporary art.
• SITUATION(S)
30 June to 23 September
This collective exhibition draws together the work of ten artists,
which includes “evolving” and performance pieces which explore the
gap between individual and public spheres, identity in movement,
portrayal of self… On 30 June and 1 July, performances will accompany
the event launch, while the Heritage Days on 15 and 16 September
are guaranteed to offer new surprises.
Place de la Libération, Vitry-sur-Seine. Metro station: Porte de Choisy, Bus
183. Metro station: Villejuif-Louis-Aragon, Bus 180 or 172, RER line C, Gare
de Vitry-sur-Seine station, Bus 108. RER line D, Gare de Maisons-Alfort-
Alfortville station, Bus 172. Tuesday to Sunday.
+33 (0)1 43 91 64 20. www.macval.fr
CIRCUS
• 12th SOLSTICE
21 to 30 June
This 12th annual festival of
contemporary circus arts offers
another free season of head-spinning
displays in the streets of Antony and
Châtenay-Malabry. First, that sly
collection of acrobats from Compagnie
XY will provide open air entertainment.
Then the young Catalan students of
the Ganapies group will erect human
pyramids. Also performing will be the
Compagnie Azeïn aerial duo, Jörg
Muller & Co. acrobats underwater in a
giant tube and the strange tightrope
walker, Señor StetS. Circus workshops,
drinks and concert events and a ball on
30 June are on the programme too.
+33 (0)1 41 87 20 84
www.theatrefi rmingemier-lapiscine.fr
Châtenay-
Malabry
42 Stay in touch via Paris Tourisme and new-paris-idf.com
Antony
FESTIVAL
• NOUS N’IRONS PAS À AVIGNON
4 to 29 July
Once upon a time in a hall from 1860 near the Gare de Vitry, at the
centre of the town… Gare au Théâtre began in 1996 and spawned
its own “counter-festival” combining theatre, dance, music and
entertainment for children. It is all about the good things in life and
improvisation, spills out into the courtyard, and includes a bar and
family dining organised around the four daily shows and other events
presented by around 15 companies.
13 Rue Pierre-Sémard, Vitry-sur-Seine. Wednesday to Sunday, 3 pm to 10 pm.
+33 (0)1 55 53 22 26. www.gareautheatre.com
Vitry
• PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Vitry-sur-Seine station is just fi ve minutes from Bibliothèque François-
Mitterrand station (13 th arrondissement) via RER line C.

The BOIS DE VINCENNES
and PARC FLORAL
nature on the outskirts of Paris
Enjoy 995 hectares of parkland with paths to be explored by foot, bike or horseback,
as well as the Lac Daumesnil and the Lac des Minimes lakes, a racecourse and the
Parc Floral. This gem of a park, complete with themed gardens, ornamental lakes,
patios, pavilions, play areas and activities, also lets you sample the best of French
culture.
PARC FLORAL
• LES PESTACLES
6 June to 26 September
The Parc Floral’s festival for young people is set to be an explosive
one. Every Wednesday, slam poetry, classical, pop-rock-electro,
jazz, choral and funk concerts will be sure to get kids grooving. On
26 September, they’ll even be able to boogie to some beatboxing.
Les Pestacles also offers readings of adventure stories, opportunities
to meet the artists and gardening workshops.
• PARIS JAZZ FESTIVAL
Saturdays and Sundays from 9 June to 29 July
This delightfully innovative festival works the balance between
emerging talent and big names in the jazz world. Bireli Lagrène,
Ibrahim Maalouf, Eric Legnini, Stéphane Belmondo and Daniel
Humair will all be performing, with many others besides. They’ll be
counting on the Parc Floral to work its magic of melodies drifting
over trees, waterside concerts and musical picnics. This year,
some new features will be further enhancing the festivities, such
as evening shows, a 14 July ball and a new fl oating stage dedicated
to contemporary jazz.
• CLASSIQUE AU VERT FESTIVAL
Saturdays and Sundays from 4 August to 16 Septembere
Classical music takes centre stage among the other arts on display
- architecture, painting, poetry, and dance - but above all, it takes
centre stage in what makes for the charm of the Parc Floral – nature.
There’ll be recitals, a host of symphonies and chamber music, as rising
talent and big international soloists alike perform both acclaimed
masterpieces and lesser-known pieces on the outdoor stage.
Parc Floral de Paris, Esplanade Saint-Louis in front of the Château
de Vincennes, Bois de Vincennes. Metro station: Château de Vincennes.
RER line A, Vincennes. 9:30 am – 8 pm, except on concert evenings
www.parcfl oraldeparis.com
Events and concerts free with park entry fee.
Les Pestacles, +33 (0)1 48 51 38 98. www.lespestacles.fr
Classique au vert festival, from 4pm.
www.classiqueauvert.paris.fr
Paris Jazz Festival, from 4 pm.
+33 (0)1 48 76 83 01. www.parisjazzfestival.paris.fr
WHAT TO VISIT
• CHÂTEAU DE VINCENNES
This stunning fortress, a royal residence
during the 17th and 18th centuries, has
kept its compound, chapel and keep,
which is the highest in Europe. It was
here that Fouquet, the Marquis de Sade
and Mirabeau were detained. From 19
June to 10 November, the exhibition
entitled “The keep of dreams: from
Piranèse to Schuiten” lets you compare
the keep as it stands with artistic
representations of it.
Metro station: Château de Vincennes and RER
line A, Vincennes station. 10 am – 6:15 pm until
30 September. +33 (0)1 43 28 15 48
www.vincennes.monuments-nationaux.fr
MUSIC
• AÏDA, OPEN-AIR OPERA
13 to 16 June
Élie Chouraqui’s production of this Verdi
masterpiece will be taking up residence
in the Château de Vincennes.
free partly free to do as a family
See
p. 18
Bois de Vincennes
43

PROVINS et MEAUX
a journey back in time
Journey back in time to the Middle Ages in the medieval town of Provins which
features on the UNESCO world heritage list with its tunnels, ramparts and fi fty-eight
historical monuments. And when you’ve seen all the sights of the period, take another
jump in time to the First World War, at the museum of the Great War in Meaux.
PROVINS
SHOWS
• SOUND AND LIGHT SHOW
8, 9, 15 and 16 June
For the thirty-fi rst year, come to the
gardens of the Cordelières convent at
nightfall to see a whole range of scenes
from medieval life.
• LES MÉDIÉVALES
DE PROVINS
23 and 24 June
For its 29 th year, this big medieval festival
is dedicated to the age of master builders.
Medieval scaffolding will be constructed
at the town’s fortifi ed gates, while master
craftsmen, stonemasons and rope
access technicians perform their work as
in yesteryear. Participate in workshops
and activities or watch the musicians and
street entertainers who bring back the
atmosphere of the Champagne fairs of
the 12 th and 13 th centuries. Try your hand
at quoits and skittles, and stroll round
craftsmen’s stalls in the camp at the foot
of the ramparts. On 23 June, there is a big
medieval concert at Place du Châtel.
• THE LIGHTS OF TIME
7 July and 4 August
When Provins lights up to thousands
of candles there are battle displays at
the Caesar’s Tower, a horse show at
the Porte Saint-Jean, music, costume
parades and more. It's quite a night!
• MEDIEVAL SHOWS
Until 4 November
Eagles, buzzards, falcons and vultures
star in this “The eagles of the ramparts”
falconry show. The “Legend of the
knights” equestrian show focuses on the
legends of Provins, and its princesses,
warriors and wolves. And the knights and
lords in “The Age of the ramparts” look
like they really have just returned from
the crusades!
From Paris, SNCF Gare de l’Est station.
+33 (0)1 64 60 26 26
www.provins.net
TAKE A BREAK
• AUX VIEUX REMPARTS
Enjoy gourmet seasonal cuisine at the L’Esquisse
restaurant or on the large shaded terrace within the
hotel complex.
3, rue Couverte, Provins. +33 (0)1 64 08 94 00
www.auxvieuxremparts.com
MEAUX
44 Stay in touch via Paris Tourisme and new-paris-idf.com
Meaux
Provins
WHAT TO VISIT
• MUSEUM OF THE GREAT WAR
This twenty-fi rst century museum which opened on
11 November 2011 has the only collection of its kind
in Europe and offers a new perspective on the First
World War. Innovative displays illustrate the war and
the huge social changes which resulted from it. It hosts
permanent and temporary exhibitions, cultural events
and a book and souvenir shop…
Rue Lazare-Ponticelli, Meaux. Every day except Tuesdays,
10 am to 5:30 pm.
+33 (0)1 60 32 14 18. www.museedelagrandeguerre.eu
From Paris: RER line A, Chessy Marne-la-Vallée then Bus 19
to Meaux station, or SNCF Gare de l’Est station.
• CITYRAMA TAKES YOU THERE
The Cityrama shuttle service takes you to Provins
from Paris. The company offers transport, tours
and shows... Their all-inclusive trips make for
a great day out, as they do for Fontainebleau,
Vaux le Vicomte, Versailles and Thoiry.
Return trip and ticket service.
+33 (0)1 44 55 60 00. www.pariscityvision.com

FONTAINEBLEAU,
VAUX LE VICOMTE
and CHAMARANDE
châteaux
Drink in the nature and splendour at Fontainebleau, the former hunting grounds and
country residence of the Kings of France. And don’t miss the châteaux at Vaux le
Vicomte, once the envy of Louis XIV, and Chamarande, which has become a haven
for contemporary art.
WHAT TO VISIT
• CHÂTEAU DE
FONTAINEBLEAU
This 1500-room palace surrounded by
eleven hectares of parkland and gardens
has served both kings and emperors,
and it is worth putting aside a whole day
to explore it. Loved and developed by
rulers from François I to Napoleon III,
Fontainebleau served as a residence for
seven centuries, and invites you on a
spellbinding exploration of the history of
art and architecture.
+33 (0)1 60 71 50 70
www.musee-chateau-fontainebleau.fr
From Paris: SNCF Gare de Lyon station or
Cityrama return coach trip and ticket service,
Wednesdays and Saturdays.
+33 (0)1 44 55 60 00
www.pariscityvision.com
• DOMAINE DÉPARTEMENTAL
DE CHAMARANDE
This place is both a centre for
contemporary art and culture and a
classifi ed heritage site surrounded by
98 hectares of landscaped parkland
with children’s play areas, picnic places
and boating. There is an exciting
programme of events on Sunday
afternoons in June and July, including
dance, circus performances, storytelling
and fi ne arts. And they’re all
free! Until 30 September, the Salons
exhibitions will be taking over the park,
château and orangerie.
+33 (0)1 60 82 52 01
www.chamarande.essonne.fr
From Paris, RER line C, Chamarande
(200 metres from the Domaine).
• CANDLELIGHT EVENINGS
AT VAUX LE VICOMTE
Until 6 October
This architectural masterpiece of the 17th century
returns to the fairytale candlelit evenings of
yesteryear every Saturday. At nightfall, two
thousand candles light up as you explore the
castle and its magnifi cent French garden designed
by Le Nôtre to the sound of classical music. This
unforgettable setting is guaranteed to give dinner
at the domaine restaurant a romantic edge. On the
fi rst and third Saturdays of the month, the evening
ends with fi reworks over the Grand Canal.
8 pm – midnight.
+33 (0)1 64 14 41 90. www.vaux-le-vicomte.com
From Paris: RER line D, Melun then Châteaubus shuttle
service (Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays until 11
November), or Cityrama return coach trip and ticket service,
Wednesdays and Saturdays. +33 (0)1 44 55 60 00
www.pariscityvision.com
free partly free to do as a family
Chamarande
OUTDOORS
Fontainebleau
Vaux le Vicomte
• FONTAINEBLEAU FOREST
17,000 hectares of varied landscape
classifi ed by UNESCO as a ‘biosphere
reserve’. Follow in the footsteps of the
great 19th century painters who brought
their easels here. Enjoy horse riding,
cycling or walking along 365 kilometres
of marked paths.
Tourist offi ce. +33 (0)1 60 74 99 99
www.fontainebleau-tourisme.com
MUSIC
See
p. 18
• AÏDA, OPEN-AIR OPERA
22 and 23 June
This Verdi opera directed by Élie
Chouraqui will be staged at the
Domaine de Fontainebleau.
45

BOULOGNE,
SAINT-CLOUD,
SCEAUX
a ribbon of green
From Bois de Boulogne to the Saint-Cloud and Sceaux estates, chateaux,
stately homes and spellbinding parks wind themselves around Paris. Choose
between boating on the lake to the melody of a concerto or a bag of chips
with live music. With outdoor events, shows and culture, there’s something
for everyone!
BOULOGNE
FESTIVAL
• WE LOVE GREEN
14 to 16 september
Music goes green in Parc de Bagatelle,
Bois de Boulogne.
OUTDOORS
See
p. 19
• JARDIN D’ACCLIMATATION
This eighteen-hectare recreational park, created in 1860 on the outskirts of Bois
de Boulogne is the place for all kinds of activities. A famous little train takes you
from Porte Maillot to the heart of the garden. Then take a ride on the enchanted
river, pull faces in the distorting mirrors, have a go on the zip-lines, rope bridges,
fi tness activities and more. Visit the farm, the birdhouse, the Rocher aux Daims deer
park and the demonstration apiary. Stop off at the vegetable garden, home to the
Guignol puppet show, the Korean garden and the Maison de Kiso, named after a 19 th
Century Japanese peasant. You will bump into ponies and brass bands as you enjoy
concerts, shows or an old-fashioned merry-go-round...
• JARDIN-PLAGE
Jardin-Plage returns in July and August to bring you a summer full of sun, sand and
water fun at the Jardin d’Acclimatation, opposite the Grandes Écuries. There will
be bathing huts, deckchairs, wooden decking and sand pits all in the style of the
Normandy coast, while being refreshed by sprinklers, fl ower fountains, paddling
pools and water cannons. Jardin-Plage is a haven for sand castles and picnics on
the grass, and also offers free activities with trampolines, climbing frames, table
tennis tournaments and the famous giant boat!
Jardin d’Acclimatation 45, Ave du Mahatma Gandhi, Paris 16th arrondissement.
Metro station: Sablons. Every day, 10 am – 7 pm. +33 (0)1 40 67 90 85
www.jardindacclimatation.fr
Saint-Cloud
WHAT TO VISIT
• ALBERT KAHN GARDENS
AND MUSEUM
The ‘Mongolia Between Two Eras (1912-
1913)’ exhibition is a great opportunity
to come and savour this remarkable
place. This former private mansion
belonging to philanthropist banker
Albert Kahn (1860-1940) takes you to
the heart of the steppes, home to yurts
and Buddhist temples, and introduces
you to the fi rst industrial process for
colour photography. The journey
continues around the four hectares of
garden: Japanese, French and English
gardens, and a blue and gold Vosgesstyle
forest. Don’t miss this exotic
experience.
10-14 Rue du Port, Boulogne-Billancourt.
Metro station: Boulogne Pont de Saint-
Cloud. Until 16 September, every day except
Monday, 11 am – 7 pm. +33 (0)1 55 19 28 00
http://albert-kahn.hauts-de-seine.net
46 Stay in touch via Paris Tourisme and new-paris-idf.com
Boulogne
Sceaux

SAINT-CLOUD
CINEMA MUSIC
• FILMS SOUS LES ÉTOILES
21 to 23 June
Free outdoor cinema in a beautiful
setting on the theme of the
imagination... What more could you
ask for? Before your screening, sprawl
on the lawns enjoying your own picnic
or something bought on site, or
dine in one of the restaurants of the
Domaine. Then as night falls, lie out
under the stars in front of the giant
screen for a short fi lm followed by two
feature fi lms on 21 June (The Truman
Show, Gainsbourg Vie Héroïque)
and on 22 June (Un Secret, Alice in
Wonderland). On 23 June, after an
entire night of cinema (La Belle et
la Bête, E.T., Black Swan, Mulholland
Drive), cinema night owls will breakfast
on the lawn and watch the sun rise
over Paris...
SCEAUX
FESTIVAL
• ROCK EN SEINE
24 to 26 August
Green Day, Noel Gallagher’s High
Flying Birds, Placebo, The Black Keys
and others will be rocking the Domaine
national de Saint-Cloud for the festival’s
10 th anniversary.
• CONCERTS AND WATER
SHOWS
9 and 10 June
In the 17 th Century, Louis XIV’s brother
loved to throw sumptuous feasts here
in the gardens, the work of Le Nôtre’s
famous landscaping art and the talents
of Florentine fountain-engineers.
Ornamental lakes and sculptures shining
in the sun evoke the reign of Louis XIV.
Fountains and waterfalls come alive
for the spectacular water shows. Mina
Tindle, the Psophos quartet, Le Concert
Impromptu and Rover are on the bill for a
series of performances. You’d be mad to
miss it!
• ORANGERIE DE SCEAUX FESTIVAL
15 July to 10 September
Since its construction in 1686, the Sceaux Orangerie has been
dedicated to art, and has seen the birth and rise of this classical
music festival. It focuses on quartets and piano recitals, but also
hosts a number of duets and vocal performances. This year’s festival
is also aiming to open up to new audiences, with children’s workshops
and a series of short concerts followed by candle-lit excursions to the
beautiful Musée de l’Ile de France.
+33 (0)1 46 60 00 11. www.festival-orangerie.fr
From Paris take RER line B to Bourg-la-Reine. There is a shuttle bus to the
venue before and after the concerts.
See
p. 18
SHOW
• LE GRAND FEU DE SAINT-CLOUD
8 September
Bigger and better than a gigantic fi rework show, this
is the biggest pyrotechnics display in Europe! It is the
ultimate marriage of technology and poetry, art and
technical skill and returns once again in the spirit of
public celebrations. With music, colours, a series of
bright and fl eeting displays in the beautiful setting of
the Domaine du Saint-Cloud, this is sure to be a blazing
spectacle!
Domaine National de Saint-Cloud. Metro station: Boulogne
Pont de Saint-Cloud. Gardens open every day,
7:30 am – 8 pm, 9 pm – 10 pm depending on season.
+33 (0)1 41 12 02 90
www.saint-cloud.monuments-nationaux.fr
Films sous les Étoiles, +33 (0)1 41 14 02 90
Le Grand Feu, 9 pm – 11 pm. www.le-grand-feu.com
PAUSE
• AU PÈRE LAPIN
This restaurant welcomes you to the slopes of
Suresnes, opposite the Eiffel Tower. With market-fresh
ingredients, wine-tasting sessions, a terrace and
garden for dining on the grass or under the stars...
This place is almost divine.
10 Rue du Calvaire or 186 Boulevard Washington, Suresnes.
Closed Sunday evenings. +33 (0)1 45 06 72 89
www.auperelapin.com
free partly free to do as a family
47

VERSAILLES and THOIRY
from the Sun King to the jungle kingdom
Once upon a time in Versailles… This historic town and its royal estate to
the west of Paris is one of the world’s prized heritage locations and has kept
every bit of its shining splendour from the days of the Louis XIV, known as
the Sun King. Did you know, however, that if you go a bit further west you can
stop by a jungle? Welcome to Thoiry, Kingdom of the Beasts!
CHÂTEAU DE VERSAILLES
A palace, garden, estate and events.
The very name of Versailles evokes the château of the Sun King. But
the 787-hectare site also includes the two Trianon Châteaux, Marie-
Antoinette’s estate, the French-style gardens of André Le Nôtre and
the Grand Parc.
• THE CHÂTEAU’S HISTORICAL GALLERY
All new! Eleven rooms lead you through the architectural history of
the Château de Versailles, from the initial construction of a hunting
manor for Louis XIII up to the major restoration work carried out
in the 20 th and 21 st centuries. With original works of art, paintings,
sculptures, models and multimedia displays, this is an excellent
introduction to visiting the château.
Thoiry
Versailles
• ROYAL FIREWORKS, THE TRIUMPH OF HANDEL
22, 28, 29 June, 5 and 6 July
The Château de Versailles international music festival brings
back the festive and artistic atmosphere of yesteryear. This year
it will be celebrating the wonderful Handel, a composer of Italian
operas, oratorios and other ceremonial pieces. A succulent concert
programme will be matched by fi ve explosive evening shows that
blend fi reworks and water effects on the Grand Canal to the sounds
of two orchestral masterpieces performed outdoors: Water Music,
which premiered in 1717 on the Thames, and Music for the Royal
Fireworks composed in 1749. Don’t miss out on this delectable treat
at the château.
www.chateauversailles-spectacles.fr
• MUSICAL GARDENS, MUSICAL FOUNTAINS
SHOW, FOUNTAINS NIGHT SHOW, THE ROYAL
SERENADE IN THE HALL OF MIRRORS
These magnifi cent shows are all at the Château de Versailles estate!
48 Stay in touch via Paris Tourisme and new-paris-idf.com
See
p. 13

EXHIBITIONS
• VASCONCELOS VERSAILLES
19 June to 30 September
Pots and pans transformed into shoes? Plastic cutlery turned into
traditional Portuguese jewellery? Contemporary art has been making
its mark at the estate for several years now. Contrasts and fusion
work together to produce some surprising art including both baroque
masterpieces and modern art. They make the Château de Versailles
a truly alive and creative place. This year, the Portuguese artist Joana
Vasconcelos is exhibiting her sculptures. Her approach involves
reinventing everyday items with a “ready-made” or pop art style,
producing hybrid pieces using azulejo or crochet, needlework, welding,
gold-plating, etc. These humoristic reconstructions fuse culture with
personal story and push the limits of the concept of beauty without
falling into kitsch.
• THE LADIES OF TRIANON
3 July to 7 October
Monarchs, mothers, sisters,
daughters and granddaughters of
kings and emperors, princesses and
royal favourites, ladies-in-waiting
and attendants of the queen…
all these ladies and girls whose
portraits are displayed came at one
time or another to the two small
country châteaux on the Trianon
estate. Three centuries of portraits
- from Queen Marie-Thérèse of
Austria to Empress Eugénie, from
Pompadour to Madame Campan,
Marie-Antoinette’s famous chamber
maid - are just calling out to be
discovered.
www.chateauversailles.fr
From Paris: RER line C, Versailles Rive Gauche or SNCF Montparnasse station
or Saint-Lazare station, or by Cityrama return coach trip and ticket service on
Saturdays. +33 (0)1 44 55 60 00. www.pariscityvision.com
TAKE A BREAK
• LA PETITE VENISE
The clientele just love the fine Italian
cuisine, home-made pastries and icecream
served in this tearoom-restaurant,
nestled at the heart of the Versailles
estate. When the weather is fine, its
shaded terrace surrounded by roses only
adds to its charm.
Every day (except Monday), 11 am – 6 pm.
+33 (0)1 39 53 25 69
www.lapetitevenise.com
FESTIVAL
• LE MOIS MOLIÈRE
1 to 30 June
For the 17th year running, the town of Versailles is
becoming a giant open-air festival, welcoming theatre,
music, dance and poetry into its gardens, cultural areas
and numerous historical monuments. And the good
news is that most of these high-quality performances
will be free of charge.
Maison du Mois Molière,
Place du Marché Notre-Dame, Versailles.
+33 (0)1 30 21 51 39. www.moismoliere.com
Enter another world at this 16th century château and its 150-hectare
parkland that is home to hundreds of animals located less than
an hour from Paris. Watch African animals roam freely from your
car or the Cityrama shuttle-bus along an eight-kilometre safari.
Then travel back in time to the château. It has been home to the La
Panouse family ever since 1609 and is simply oozing with objets d’art
and artefacts. And then you can wander through the historical and
botanical gardens at the zoo. Stroll through the rose garden and
fragrance garden, then traverse the bongos’ island and head through
the tiger’s ground via bridges and glass tunnels…it’s magical! From
the month of August, get close to newts, chameleons and tarantulas
in the huge, entirely wooden Arche des Petites Bêtes!
+33 (0)1 34 87 40 67. www.thoiry.net
From west Paris, 35 minutes by car or by Cityrama return coach trip and ticket
service on Sundays. +33 (0)1 44 55 60 00. www.pariscityvision.com
free partly free to do as a family
THOIRY,
CHÂTEAU AND WILDLIFE PARK
• TOURIST
INFORMATION POINT
AT VERSAILLES
Perfect for picking up tourist
information for Paris and the
region: everything you need to
know about museums, public
transport, leisure activities,
hotels, etc.
2 bis Ave. de Paris, Versailles.
9 am - 7 pm; Mondays 10 am - 6 pm.
49

ENGHIEN-LES-BAINS
a place of dreams
A spa town less than fi fteen kilometres away from Paris? No, you’re not
dreaming, but it is a place of dreams. Since the turn of the century, spa activities,
festivals and all kinds of entertainment have brought these lake shores to life
around the theme of luxury, spa, games, jazz, digital art and the dolce vita.
MUSIC
See
p. 16
• ENGHIEN JAZZ FESTIVAL
27 June to 1 July
A full programme of high-octane
concerts from a string of big names is in
store for the Enghien Jazz Festival, now
in its 13 th year.
Enghien-les-Bains
From Paris, SNCF Paris Gare du Nord station.
FESTIVAL
• BAINS NUMÉRIQUES
9 to 16 June
This 7th international festival at Enghien
is a must-see celebration of digital
art incorporating sound, image and
dance, and offering open-air discovery
trails, shows, concerts, exhibitions
and installations across the town.
Canada takes centre stage this year
in a mouth-watering programme: K,
ébauche numérique, featuring dance
sequences linked up to sound and
movement sensors, Algo & Ritmo, a
neo-music hall performance using
images, and MACHines, an exhibition
comprising techno-fantastic digital
installations. And don’t miss out on the
festival’s crowning piece: a huge electro
concert held on a fl oating stage on the
lake, headlined by Arnaud Rebotini, alias
Zend Avesta.
+33 (0)1 30 10 85 59. www.cda95.fr
Enghien-les-Bains
TAKE A BREAK
• SPARK LUCIEN BARRIÈRE
The name of this luxurious complex on the shores
of the lake is synonymous with sports and spa
treatments. Imagine complete well-being within a
bubble of elegance and serenity where you are free
to make up your own cocktail of water, light and
energy, choosing from treatments (water therapies,
Japanese baths, massages, etc), spa facilities
(infi nity pool, water trail, sauna, solarium, etc.)
and fi tness options (water aerobics, gym, cardiotraining,
etc.) This complex really does have sparkle.
7:30 am - 10 pm. +33 (0)1 39 34 10 50. www.spark-enghien.fr
• CASINO LUCIEN BARRIÈRE
This is the only casino in the Paris region – and
it’s an exciting place to be with its dazzling lights
and view of the lake. Five hundred of the latest
slot machines await you with touch screens and
Hollywood scenarios, along with around forty
gaming tables in the spacious lounges (English
and French roulettes, Black Jack, Stud Poker, Texas
Hold’em Poker etc).
Different games rooms have their own opening hours.
+33 (0)1 39 34 13 17. www.lucienbarriere.com
• CAFÉ DU LAC
As its name would suggest, this restaurant specialising
in something between traditional and inventive cuisine
is situated on the shores of the lake at Enghien. And its
terrace is simply heavenly!
+33 (0)1 39 34 11 13. www.lucienbarriere.com
50 Stay in touch via Paris Tourisme and new-paris-idf.com

AUVERS-SUR-OISE
an artist’s paradise
Pastel greens, every blue under the sun and beautiful stones... Spend a day under
the sunny skies on the banks of the river Oise and you will understand why Van Gogh
and an entire generation of celebrated painters from the late 19 th century made
this place their little capital of art.
OUTDOORS
• OUTDOOR INSPIRATION
The streets of Auvers, the church,
town hall, Dr Gachet’s house, the
Oise river and the surrounding
meadows inspired Corot, Daubigny,
Cézanne, Van Gogh and more.
Take a spellbinding walk through this
outdoor museum, with a guide or
under your own steam.
For walks, guided tours and boat trips
on the Oise, visit the Tourist Offi ce.
+33 (0)1 30 36 10 06
www.lavalleedeloise.com
WHAT TO VISIT
• CHÂTEAU D’AUVERS
This stunning classical building built in the 17th century
for one of Marie de Médicis’ advisors invites you on an
interactive journey through time entitled “Back
to the time of the Impressionists”. And until 2
September, the “Between Earth and Sky” (Entre Ciel
et Terre) exhibition, at the Château and several other
locations, will be revealing how light, clouds, refl ections
and plant life constantly inspire contemporary artists.
Tuesday to Sunday. +33 (0)1 34 48 48 48
www.chateau-auvers.fr
• AUBERGE RAVOUX, VAN GOGH’S HOUSE
Van Gogh spent the last two months of his life here in 1890. He painted around seventy canvases in
the village and surrounding areas, which he would hang to dry right here in his bedroom. The Auberge
has been restored to its original state, where the spirit of the painter still lives on. The welcoming
environment, traditional cuisine and souvenirs from the artist’s café bring the place’s memories to life..
Wednesday to Sunday. +33 (0)1 30 36 60 60. www.maisondevangogh.fr
FESTIVAL
• AUVERS FESTIVAL
1 June to 6 July
It’s all about life, discovery and freedom. This classical
jewel will be hosting composer Pascal Zavaro, and
offering an exceptional programme around him and
his work. Highlights include: Fauré’s Requiem and
Handel’s Dixit Dominus performed by the Ensemble
vocal de Lausanne for the opening night on the 1
June; Corsican singing with the Chœur d’hommes de
Sartène on 9 June; the pianist Hélène Grimaud on 20
June; the violinist Sokolov on 23 June; closing night on
6 July with Brahms’ Requiem performed by the Maîtrise
de Paris and its Male Voice Choir.
Most concerts will be held at Notre-Dame-de-L’Assomption
church. +33 (0)1 30 36 77 77. www.festival-auvers.com
free partly free to do as a family
Auvers-sur-Oise
• DIRECT TRAIN FROM PARIS
TO AUVERS-SUR-OISE
Until 21 October, Transilien SNCF is
offering a direct round-trip every
Saturday, Sunday and bank holiday from
Paris Gare du Nord: leaving at 10:08
(arriving in Auvers at 10:43), returning
from Auvers at 18:06 (arriving in Paris
at 18:39). For all other days, take RER
line A to Cergy-Préfecture or RER line C
to Pontoise then bus no. 9507 or take
SNCF the train from Saint-Lazare station
to Pontoise, then change for Auvers.
51

Edouard Manet, Olympia (1863) © Musée d’Orsay / Sophie Boegly.
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