Showing 1-6 of 6 results
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Ballon Eutelsat
The Eutelsat Balloon run by Aeroparis in Parc André Citroën will take you 150m off the ground and provide fabulous views of Paris and the Seine but don't expect to get very far; the helium-filled balloon remains firmly tethered to the ground. Passengers are not allowed on board in windy conditions. Be sure to call in advance.
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Jardin des Plantes
Founded in 1626 as Louis XIII's herb garden, Paris' botanical gardens are a serious institute rather than a leisure destination, but fascinating all the same. They're split into sections including a winter garden, tropical greenhouses and an alpine garden, as well as the school of botany. (There's also a menagerie.) The most scenic transport to get here is Batobus.
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Jardin du Luxembourg
When the weather is warm - or even just slightly sunny - Parisians of all ages flock to the formal terraces and chestnut groves of Luxembourg Gardens. There are art galleries, activities and plenty of room around the grounds just to run about.
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Parc du Champ de Mars
Running southeast from the Eiffel Tower, the grassy 'Field of Mars' (named after Mars, the Roman god of war) was originally used as a parade ground for the cadets of the 18th-century École Militaire (Military Academy), the vast, French-classical building (1772) at the southeastern end of the park, which counts none other than Napoleon Bonaparte among its graduates.
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Pletzl
When renovation of the Marais began in the late 1960s, the area around rues des Rosiers and des Écouffes - traditionally known as the Pletzl and home to a poor but vibrant Jewish community - was pretty run-down. Now fancy boutiques coexist with Jewish bookstores and kosher butchers' shops, restaurants and felafel joints.
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Sorbonne
One of the world's most famous universities, 'La Sorbonne' was founded in 1253 by Robert de Sorbon as a theological college for just 16 pupils, going on to have its own government and laws. The main campus' imposing buildings, domed chapel and lime tree-shaded squares dominate the Latin Quarter, while its students dominate the local bars and cafés.
Showing 1-6 of 6 results
