Quais de Seine

Spend a day like a parisian

Follow our guide to enjoy the city like a real local, far from the typical tourist routes.
  1. Inspiration
  2. Itineraries
  3. Spend a day like a parisian

There are not only monuments and museums in Paris. In spring and summer, Parisians delight in a festival of terraces, walks, gardens and sweet nights.

A morning in Paris

Starting at the foot of the Eiffel Tower let's get off to an energetic start with a jog along the newly pedestrianized banks of the Seine. As you run, the vista - with its houseboats and the centuries-old facades of the Île Saint-Louis - make the experience exceptional.

At Pont Marie, head north to the charming Place du Marché Sainte-Catherine, right next to the Place des Vosges, for the essential ingredient of a Parisian day: a coffee. Settle in comfortably on the terrace, in the shade of the white mulberry trees.

Well ensconced on your rattan chair, enjoying your hot coffee, you can then ask for a newspaper at the bar or just observe the ballet of the passers-by.

The bustle of the boutiques on the Rue de Rivoli, though very close, seems a long way off.

A trip to the market

Mornings in Paris are also market time. Just a 15-minute walk away, you will find one of the city’s oldest and most typical markets: the Marché des Enfants-Rouge, where young workers mix with locals in a cheerful and lively village square.

Tablées au Marché des Enfants Rouges
Marché des Enfants Rouges
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An afternoon shopping

Your afternoon will be devoted to shopping, the preferred pastime of many Parisians. And you're in luck, you are in the Upper Marais, the epicenter of Parisian style, overflowing with trailblazing addresses.

Stroll the streets around Rue de Poitou and Rue de Bretagne where you will discover, for example, Empreintes, a concept-store dedicated to crafts where everything is made in France. It's your chance to stock up on crockery, ceramics or jewellery made by local craftspeople.

Empreintes
Empreintes

For fashion, ready-to-wear labels such as Sandro, Maje or Claudie Pierlot stand alongside an Isabel Marant flagship, and designer boutiques including Lemaire or Maison Kitsuné.

Vitrine de la boutique Sandro
Sandro

But look at the time! It's already time for the aperitif, that sacred moment of the day. Walk down the Rue du Temple and take a well-deserved break at the Perchoir Marais, the rooftop bar perched on the roof of the BHV Marais.

Away from the hustle and bustle, in a hybrid Moroccan-Swedish decor, your cocktail is served with views over the Rue de Rivoli and the roof of the town hall.

Le Perchoir dans le Marais
Le Perchoir

In the evening

For dinner, jump on line 1 at Metro Hôtel de Ville to Gare de Lyon (10 minutes) to reach the pop-up venue Ground Control, which all Paris talks about every summer. Set up on a former SNCF site, this large open-air space brings together the best of Parisian street food: PNY’s veggie burgers, Rozell & Co’s organic patties and Asado’s grilled meats… To be enjoyed with a rosé on a deckchair while listening to a DJ’s mix!

Ground Control
Ground Control

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  • Copyright image: CRT IDF/ATF/Liiinks/Olivier Wong