20 Unusual Things to do in Paris
Yes! You have seen it all! You have been to all the top sights in Paris that makes it one of the most visited cities in the world. You most definitely visited the Eiffel Tower, the iconic Notre Dame Cathedral, the Arc de Triomphe and all the other great tourist attractions. But there is more to Paris than only the famous and popular sites. There is so much more you could do in this French capital that is unique, different, and unusual. If you’re one of the more adventurous kinds and like doing things a little different than the rest, then this list of unusual things to do will surely interest you. Try out a few or all of it to experience a different Paris, the City of Lights. It is more fun to enjoy these unique attractions bag-free. Maximize your time in the city by leaving your unwanted bags with Vertoe Luggage Storage Paris and discover a unique and unusual Paris.
1.Paris Sewer Museum
You read that right. A Museum of Sewers in the sewer itself! The Paris Sewer Museum tells you the history of the sewage system in Paris. Organized tours of the sewer were first started in 1889. The Museum also details the role of sewer workers and methods of water treatment and the machines used for it. The Paris sewer system is nearly 2600 km long and makes it the biggest and most modern sewer in the world. And if the name and the mention of the place make you cringe, fear not as it is not as stinky as you would imagine.
2.Take a Balloon Ride in Parc André-Citroen
To enjoy great views of the city in an adventurous way, head to Parc André-Citroen and get into a hot air balloon. What makes this hot air balloon experience even more unique is that it is officially the largest hot air balloon in the world. The park is the only place in the city that offers hot air balloon rides. The balloon can fit about 30 passengers and goes up to 150m in the sky. Enjoy your balloon ride and breathtaking views of the city for approximately 10 minutes.
3.Have an Ice Cream at Berthillon
Berthillon is a landmark for people who love ice creams. It’s a family-run business and has been run by 5 generations now. You can choose from about 80 different options of flavor like strawberry, salted caramel, plain old chocolate, and tempting flavors like wild strawberry and pink grapefruit. Berthillon’s ice cream is famous worldwide, and people come from all over the world to sample their ice cream. They make their ice cream exclusively from natural ingredients, with absolutely no chemical preservatives or sweeteners. They serve some of the world’s best ice creams.
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4.Explore the Bois de Boulogne
The Bois de Boulogne is the second-largest park in Paris. Take a tour of the park and relax in its green surroundings. There is a playground for children, picnic areas, and bicycles, and boats for hire on the Lac Inférieur. This makes it the perfect family outing spot. There are many areas to explore in this park. The Jardin d’Acclimatation located in the park is an amusement park and wildlife reserve, perfect for children. The park has two lakes and eight ponds and outdoor leisure activities like riding stables, shooting galleries. The park is also home to two Michelin-starred restaurants – La Grande Cascade and Le Pré Catelan.
5.Tour the Canal St. Martin
The Canal St. Martin in the 10th arrondissement is about 2.8 miles long and connects to the Seine. It’s a lovely place for a quiet stroll, a picnic, bohemian shopping, and scenic biking. Choose to cruise along the canal on a boat and admire its charming areas, or you can picnic along the banks and share a drink with friends and family or bike along its banks. The canal St. Martin is dotted with swing bridges, Venetian-style footbridges, and lined with chestnut trees. You will find plenty of chic bistros too where you can chill and relax and share a drink or two. The interesting part of a boat cruise along the canal at St. Martin is the lock systems of the canal. The locks let the water gush at record speeds to allow the boats to pass through the bridges.
6.The Catacombs
This is perhaps the most unusual place to visit. The Catacombs of Paris is an underground system of tunnels that were once used long ago when limestone quarries were mined. Due to overflowing graves, the skeletal remains of about 6 million Parisians were moved here. It is about 200 miles long, but only a little more than a mile of the Catacombs is open for visitors to explore. The Catacombs are narrow and have low-ceilinged corridors. Once in, you will have to explore it all the way out to the exit. Inside the ossuary, the bones are stacked artistically forming pretty patterns, creating crosses and other images.
7.Visit Père Lachaise Cemetery
Another eerie neighborhood to visit in the French capital is Père Lachaise Cemetery. It’s the largest cemetery in Paris and the most visited cemetery in the world. Many famous personalities are buried here, which include 40 singers, 40 composers, and 75 painters. Keep yourself light weighted when visiting this tranquil place by keeping your bags at baggage storage near you in Paris. Stroll among the graves and visit the tomb of Marcel Proust. You will find a few madeleines placed on the stone by the fans. A weeping willow stands next to Alfred de Musset’s gravesite, his favorite tree. But of all, Jim Morrison’s tomb is the most visited. Every 3rd of July, many of his fans come to pay their respects on his death anniversary.
8.See the Eiffel Tower’s Secret Apartment
Yes, that’s right! A secret apartment in the Eiffel Tower! When Gustave Eiffel finished building the tower in 1889, he added a secret apartment for himself. The secret apartment is on the third level of the Eiffel Tower, almost 1,000 feet above Champ du Mars. At that time, many were envious of Gustave’s apartment with the best view of Paris. Gustave kept his apartment private and invited only a couple of guests, among which Thomas Alva Edison was one. Gustave also included a fully functional laboratory in his apartment to work. Today, the secret apartment is kept intact and only open to the public to have a quick glance. Two wax figures of Thomas Edison and Gustav Eiffel have been added to recreate the setting they worked in.
9.Take a Trip to the Museum of Magic and the Automata Museum
Surely the Louvre is the most popular and most visited museum in Paris. But if you want to make a visit to a museum more fun and interesting with your kids, you should consider visiting Paris Magic Museum. Book luggage storage with Vertoe Paris and have a fun museum tour and experience. They are both located next to each other beneath the Marquis de Sade’s house. The Paris Magic Museum opened in 1993 and has seven dedicated rooms. You will find all kinds of items relating to magic shows like magic wands, “secret” boxes, wizard hats, optical illusions, wind-up toys, magic mirrors, see-through glasses, posters, etc. It also puts on magic shows. The Automata Museum, on the other hand, is a museum of robots and has a collection of 100 intricate automata and robots. There are many old coin-operated automata that you can operate yourself.
10.Plan a Trip to the Palais Garnier
The Palais Garnier is a 1,979 seat Opera house built by Charles Garnier. It is an architectural marvel that opened in 1875. The building looks magnificent with golden pillars and sparkling chandeliers. The most impressive and stunning parts are its majestic stairs, the Grand Foyer, and the beautiful fresco in the center of the ceiling. The stairs are a stunning white marble grand staircase with a balustrade of red and green marble. The Grand Foyer looks gorgeous with gold leafing and stunning mosaics. And the lively and colorful ceiling was painted by Marc Chagall.
11.Café des Chats
If you’re a cat lover, you will most definitely love this place. Café des Chats is the Cat Cafe. You can sip a cup of tea or hot chocolate and enjoy their delicious food while you caress and play with one of the many cats in the cafe. The cafe was opened in 2013 by Margaux Grandelon. All the cats at the cafe are adopted from animal shelters. You will also find little cards on the table that tell about the different stories and personalities of the cats. You’re allowed to pet them and let them sit on your lap, but you should not disturb them if they are asleep or pick them up.
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12.Climb up the Pantheon in Paris
There are two famous Pantheons you can go see in Europe. One in Rome and the other in Paris. The Pantheon in Paris was originally built as a church by Louis XV dedicated to St. Genevieve. It has now been converted into a resting place for France’s great men like Voltaire, Rousseau, and Pierre and Marie Curie. Climb up the 276 steps to the top of the Pantheon to enjoy great views of the city. The dome is often referred to as the “Balcony of Paris” because of these exquisite 360-degree views.
13.Paris Street Art
The Louvre certainly has the most incredible and famous art collection but, if you’re looking to explore the local street art, then you should head down to Canal St. Martin. This is where you can admire some beautiful and talented street art in Paris. Join in a street art tour of Paris to learn more about the movement and impact it has had in the city. Visit many different multicultural neighborhoods of Paris, and learn about their local charms through the artwork itself.
14.Picnic along the Seine
Go for a Parisian picnic along the Seine. Pick a spot along the banks and enjoy your drinks and food while sinking in the beautiful sights of the sun setting down the river. Don’t forget to pack a bottle of rosé, baguette, cheese, and a bakery treat, bottle opener, cups, and a knife. While there, you can also check out the Bouquinistes and glance at the vintage books, cards, and posters.
15.Wander through the La Promenade Plantée
Go for an unusual walk to the La Promenade Plantêe, which is the world’s first elevated park opened in 1993. This elevated park is built on top of an abandoned rail line and viaduct. It runs for about 3 miles long and is a long, narrow stretch of trees and flowers. You will mostly find many rose bushes and is a lovely spot for picnicking, napping, or reading a book. There’s a walking path and bicycle path and is a popular place for joggers.
16.Dine at Dans le Noir
This will be a completely new experience, especially for your senses. Diners here are led into a pitch-black darkroom to dine in complete darkness. Dans le Noir is co-funded by the Paul Guinot Foundation for Blind People, and the entire restaurant is worked by the visually impaired. You will have no idea as to who your fellow diners are, how big the dining room is, and how many of you’re seated in the room. And if you’re feeling a little more adventurous, you should try their surprise menu and try and guess what you are eating. This unique dining experience is a great way to heighten your senses.
17.Take a trip to the Sinking House and the Sacré-Cœur
The Sinking House of Montmartre is not actually not sinking but merely an optical illusion. Nevertheless, it makes for a great Instagram photo to capture. To capture the sinking effect of the house, all you have to do is tilt your camera to the left so that the bank of grass is level in the photo. And while you are there, visit Sacré-Cœur, which is just next to the Sinking House. It is a Roman Catholic church and minor basilica dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Built at the summit of Montmartre, which is the highest point in the city, you will enjoy one of the most beautiful panoramic views of the city.
18.The Ice Kube Bar
If you are looking for an unusual drinking experience, leave your bags with Vertoe Paris and head to the Ice Kube Bar at the Paris Kube Hotel. It’s a bar made completely out of ice designed by champion ice sculptor Michel Amann, who used 20 tonnes of ice to sculpt the bar. You will be provided with a winter coat and a pair of gloves at the entrance. Guests are given only 30 minutes to spend at the bar. You will be served a set of three house cocktails that you can enjoy at the frozen bar counter or be more daring and sit on one of the ice benches. The Ice Kube Bar is a freezing -18 degrees.
19.A day Trip to Provins
Provins is one of the most beautiful medieval towns and is only an hour away from Paris. It was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001. It is well known for its medieval architecture and well-preserved walls, constructed between the 11th and 13th centuries. Go for a stroll, explore and discover the Medieval Ramparts and Tour César, a fort which was also used as a prison. Visit the La Grange aux Dîmes, an ancient covered market from the 13th century, and explore its underground tunnels. Provins is also known to hold the best medieval fair in France.
20.Join a Graffiti Workshop
Round up your list of unusual and unique things to do in Paris by enrolling yourself in a Graffiti Workshop. Being the home ground of many famous artists and musicians, feel and be inspired to take on creative activity in your visit. Unleash your artistic talents and leave your mark in Paris before you say goodbye to this city of lights and love. The Graffiti Workshop is run by a local artist who gives you the chance to design your very own mural and then paint it on a wall.
This brings us to the end of 20 Unusual Things to do in Paris. Make your experience more fun and crazy by storing your bags at Paris Baggage Storage and go bagless. If you’re looking for crazy, unique, unusual, and weird, I hope you find this list useful. Hope I was able to guide you to some of the crazy things to do and places to go to. Try a few of them or maybe all of it for a different tour of Paris. See places that regular tourists would not contemplate going to. Experience a whole other side of Paris.