A First-Timer’s Guide to Navigating the Paris Métro
The Paris métro is fast, efficient, and surprisingly easy to master. Here’s everything you need to know to ride like a local, from buying tickets to avoiding common mistakes.
Huguenot Paris: The Oratoire du Louvre, Temple du Marais and Temple de Pentemont
Three Paris churches tell the story of France’s Protestants: the Oratoire du Louvre and its Coligny monument, Mansart’s Temple du Marais on rue Saint-Antoine and the former abbey chapel of Pentemont on rue de Grenelle.
When Vaux-le-Vicomte’s Splendor Sparked Royal Jealousy and Created Versailles
Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte is located 55 kilometers from Paris, and its 1661 unveiling directly led Louis XIV to create Versailles using the same architects (Le Vau, Le Brun, Le Nôtre) after arresting owner Nicolas Fouquet.
Your Guide to Sainte-Chapelle: Paris’s Jewel of Stained Glass
Hidden on the Île de la Cité, Sainte-Chapelle holds the world’s most spectacular medieval stained glass. Here’s how to visit this Gothic masterpiece and what makes it unforgettable.
Inside the Conciergerie: Paris’s Royal Prison
Once a medieval palace, then the most feared prison of the Revolution, the Conciergerie on the Île de la Cité tells one of Paris’s most dramatic stories through its Gothic halls and reconstructed cells.
The Paris-Maastricht Treaty: How a Dutch City Changed European History
The Maastricht Treaty (Treaty on European Union) was signed in Maastricht, Netherlands on February 7, 1992, with France as a key signatory and French President François Mitterrand as a driving force behind its creation.
Mary, Queen of Scots in Paris: Notre-Dame and the Collège des Écossais
Mary, Queen of Scots married the Dauphin Francis at Notre-Dame de Paris on 24 April 1558. Here is where we find her Paris story today, from the cathedral to the old Scots College on rue du Cardinal-Lemoine.
Your Guide to the Luxembourg Gardens: Paris’s Perfect Park
From sailboats on the grand basin to secret corners and the Senate palace, the Luxembourg Gardens offer a masterclass in Parisian elegance and leisure.
When JFK Came to Paris: The 1961 State Visit
John F. Kennedy’s state visit to Paris, 31 May to 3 June 1961: the Élysée, the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles, his famous line at the Palais de Chaillot, and the avenue that carries his name.
When Shakespeare’s Plays Reached Paris
How Shakespeare reached Paris: Voltaire, the first Hamlet at the Comédie-Française in 1769, Victor Hugo on Place des Vosges, and the Jardin Shakespeare in the Bois de Boulogne.