Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie

At the northern end of Parc de la Villette, the huge City of Science & Industry has all sorts of high-tech exhibits. Bring a picnic and spend the day here.

There are two main exhibit areas inside, in addition to a planetarium (level 1; admission €3; 10am-6pm Tue-Sat, to 7pm Sun), two cinemas, a tiny aquarium (level 2; admission free; 10am-6pm Tue-Sat, to 7pm Sun) and a 1950s French Navy submarine (€3; 10am-5.30pm Tue-Sat, to 7pm Sun) that can be visited.

On the ground floor is the brilliant Cité des Enfants, with imaginative, hands-on demonstrations of basic scientific principles in two sections: for 2- to 7-year-olds, and for 5- to 12-year-olds. In the first, kids can explore, among other things, the conduct of water (waterproof ponchos provided), a building site and a maze. The second lets children build toy houses with industrial robots and stage news broadcasts in a TV studio. Visits to both last 1½ hours and are scheduled five times a day (seven on weekends), beginning at 10am. Reserve several days in advance.

The huge Explora (levels 1 & 2; adult/child €8/6), the heart of the exhibitions at the Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie, looks at everything from space exploration and automobile technology to genetics and sound. Tickets are valid for a full day and allow you to enter and exit at will. Access to some temporary exhibits costs an extra €2.

The giant mirrorlike sphere known as the Géode (tel: 08 92 68 45 40; www.lageode.fr in French; adult/child €10.50/9, 3D films €12.50/11; 10.30am-8.30pm) shows hi-res 3D and Imax films (40 minutes each) projected onto a 180-degree screen to surround you with the action. Free headsets for an English soundtrack are available.

The Cinaxe (€4.80; 10.30am-5pm), a cinema with hydraulic seating for 60 people, moves in synchronisation with the action on the screen. Shows begin every 15 minutes.