Five Free Things to Do in Paris

In the next in our series about free attractions, we move away from the UK and look at some of the free attractions that Paris has to offer. The French capital city has a reputation for being fairly expensive, but there are plenty of free attractions that you can visit in order to reduce the overall cost of your trip.

If you are lucky enough to be visiting Paris on the first Sunday of the month, you can visit many of the city’s museums free of charge. Participating museums include The Louvre, The Picasso Museum (Musée National Picasso), the Musée D’Orsay, the Musée Rodin and the Pompidou Centre.

However, there are also many other attractions in Paris that are free at all times. Here are five things that you can do for free during your stay in the city:

1. Take a free guided tour of the Fragonard Perfume Museum (9 Rue Scribe, 75009 Paris). The Parfumerie Fragonard’s perfume factories are in Grasse, in the South of France, but it has several stores in Paris as well as the museum.

2. Take a walk in the Jardin des Tuileries. The Jardin des Tuileries stretches from the Louvre to the Place de la Concorde, and is the perfect place to take a stroll. The gardens were begun by Catherine de Medici and were redesigned by Andre le Nôtre between 1665 and 1672. The gardens contain some wonderful sculptures, and there are cafes and a small lake.

3. Visit Maison de Victor Hugo (6 Place des Vosges, 75004 Paris). It’s free to visit this museum which is located in the apartment in the Hôtel de Rohan-Guéménée in which Victor Hugo, the poet, playwright and novelist who wrote Les Misérables and Notre-Dame de Paris (The Hunchback of Notre-Dame), lived between 1832 and 1848. Exhibits include manuscripts and other items relating to Hugo’s life.

4. Explore Pére-Lachaise Cemetery. Visiting a cemetery might not be the first thing that comes to mind when planning things to do on a holiday, but Pére-Lachaise Cemetery is a popular place, mainly because it was the final resting place of Jim Morrison, lead singer of The Doors. Other famous people buried in Pére-Lachaise Cemetery include the novelist Honoré de Balzac, the actress Sarah Bernhardt, the composer Georges Bizet, the dancer Isadora Duncan, the playwright Moliere, the singer Édith Piaf and the novelist, poet and playwright Oscar Wilde.

5. Visit Notre Dame Cathedral. Notre Dame is one of the best-known landmarks and most popular tourist attractions in Paris and although you’ll need to pay for access to the Cathedral Towers and the Crypt, admission to the main part of the building is free of charge. You will be able to admire the Great Organ, the Choir Organ, the South Rose Window and the sculpture of Notre Dame de Paris. The exterior of the building is also stunning, with its imposing West Facade, which features sculptures and friezes, and you can also see the cathedral’s famous gargoyles.

Image: © Wam1975 | Dreamstime.com

Tags: Fragonard Perfume Museum, free attractions, Jardin des Tuileries, Maison de Victor Hugo, Musee Rodin, Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris, Pere-Lachaise Cemetery, Pompidou Centre, The Louvre, The Musee D'Orsay, The Picasso Museum