Paris in July - 2025, Paris on foot/Travels

Here we are again in Paris in July. Thank you to Emma @ Words and Peace who is hosting this event this year as well. We are already guided into the various themes of this year. Head over to Emma's website for more information.

I was actually in Paris in May this year. I had 12 days, all to myself, to wander around this wonderful city. Visiting museums, author houses and in general following in literary foot steps. I will take you along on the ride and hope you will enjoy these scenes from Paris. If you are interested in following my trips, my interests in history and anything cultural, travel etc, I am writing a newsletter (once a week at its best) about my travels and my interests. Head over to The Content Reader Newsletter on Substack if you are interested. You can check it out without subscribing, but I would be happy if you do. It is free, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

But now it is all about PARIS.

Finally in Paris.

I have been looking forward to this trip for a long time. I arrived in style, ordering a car to pick me up at the airport. It took one hour 20 minutes to arrive at the hotel. It is nicely situated in the 5th arrondissement and close to many of the things I want to see. The first evening I just took a short walk in the neighbourhood, saw Pantheon (closed) but it is also mighty to look at from the outside. I visited the Église Saint Etienne du Mont. A beautiful church with quite unique decorations. Here you find the shrine of St. Geneviève, who is the patron saint of Paris.

From there I went to a restaurant on a nice street where you could sit outside. The food was nothing special but the wine was good. Then a short walk back to the hotel.

Jardin de Luxembourg

The next day was May 1, so most of attractions and shops were closed. I decided to take a walk and started with the Jardin de Luxembourg, a popular park, only about a km from the hotel. The first thing I saw when entering the park was this sign.

It is so nice to see a sign with what is permitted!

It is a very popular park for running, walking or just sitting down on the grass or on chairs that are placed all over the park. It was Marie de’ Medici, then widow of King Henry IV, who constructed the Palace at one side of the garden, as her new residence. Today the garden is owned by the French Senate, which meets in the palace. It is a nice place for recreation in the middle of Paris.

The Senate, former palace of Marie de Medici

Saint-Germain-des-Prés

This is an area well known to Swedes, since our greatest football player Zlatan Ibrahimovic played here for some years. It turns out to be a lovely area, with small cosy streets, lined with restaurants and bars. It is know as the Latin quarter, but stretches outside SGPs limits. Here you find famous cafés like Les Deux Magots, Café de Flore, le Procope, and the Brasserie Lipp. Famous for being the hangouts for artists and writers at the beginning of the 20th century. Later on it was the centre of the existentialist movement, which is associated with Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir. In other words; a lot for me to discover in this area.

Champs Elysée

I continued down to the Seine and walked along the river on Quai d’Orsay. It is surrounded, on both sides, by impressive and elegant buildings, many of them museums today. I passed by the French National Assembly before crossing the bridge Pont Alexandre III, passing by the Grand and Petite Palaces, museums today. Continuing on to Champs Elysée and starting the long road up to the Arch de Triomph.

You pass by all the elegant shops and restaurants, where you find the most famous, and expensive brands. I was hoping to be able to take a photo, not having to walk all the way up, but alas. Trees are planted along the road and hide the arch until you are standing in front of it. I crossed over to the other side and had a faster walk down this elegant road. At the end you come to Place de la Concorde.

Place de la Concorde

This square is the largest in Paris. In the old days it was a place for public executions, including this of Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette and Maximilien Robespierre during the French Revolution. In those days it was called Place del la Révolution. It got its current name in 1795 as a gesture of reconciliation. Place de la Concorde means ‘Harmony Square’.

Place de la Concorde. One of these places where it is impossible to take a good photo

From here I walked towards home, and could not find anywhere to eat until I reached Jardin de Luxembourg again. I found a nice restaurant, sitting outdoors, with a view to the gardens. I think I forgot to say that it was a hot day, around 28 degrees C (82F). Tired after a full day of walking, I slowly made it back to the hotel. I did 15 km that day.