Guide anecdote

You pass them every day in Paris without noticing: these little bollards and posts hide a royal history.

In Paris, bollards, posts and wheel guards lining the sidewalks have protected façades, pedestrians and terraces for centuries. From carriages to scooters, a retrospective on the history of these urban sentinels we pass by without really seeing.

What happened to Paris's only Lantern of the Dead? Discover the history of this vanished monument

In the heart of the Halles district, the Cemetery of the Innocents once housed an eerie funeral light. This Lantern of the Dead disappeared along with one of old Paris’s most impressive cemeteries.

On this day, May 21: the birth of FIFA in Paris, a look back at a key date in football history

Did you know? FIFA was founded in Paris on May 21. We revisit this pivotal date in football history, the moment that helped turn a global passion into reality.

Why is this Paris-region church known as the "Prism of Light"?

Along the banks of the Marne, a little-known Art Deco church is bound to surprise! Dubbed the Prism of Light, it hides a hidden treasure of Val-de-Marne.

From the Panthéon to the Arc de Triomphe, this Île-de-France stone has helped shape Paris’s famous monuments.

Extracted in Seine-et-Marne, the Château-Landon stone has helped build or restore several of Paris’s major monuments, from the Arc de Triomphe to the Sacré-Cœur. A geological heritage of Île-de-France, quiet but clearly visible throughout the capital.

In the Paris region, the former home of a famous publisher has become an art center.

Just a stone's throw from Paris, the House of Arts in Châtillon sits in an elegant townhouse. It is closely tied to a famous French publisher who revamped it in the 19th century.

Did you know? Paris's green parakeets are believed to have arrived via Orly and Roissy airports.

These green birds that can be spotted in the parks of Paris and the Île-de-France region are ring-necked parakeets, an exotic species that is now well established. Their presence is thought to trace back in particular to birds that escaped near Orly and Roissy airports.

This former goldsmiths' factory has become an artist residency, and it is open to visitors.

In Saint-Denis, just outside Paris, the former Christofle factory—once a shining star of French goldsmithing—has transformed from a centuries-old silverware workshop into a vibrant hub for artists. From an industrial temple of the 19th century to a cultural workshop of Greater Paris, this historically significant site now opens its doors to visitors through guided tours and special events.

Are you familiar with the history of the peach walls? Here’s why this site is designated a Remarkable Garden.

In this commune east of Paris, a remarkable garden hides away, a vestige of the city’s agricultural past. We tell you the story of Montreuil’s Peach Walls.

Where does that intriguing Renaissance façade, planted in a municipal garden, come from?

In Saint-Germain-en-Laye, a Renaissance façade emerges at the heart of the Jardin des Arts, like a long-forgotten set piece. But what is it doing there exactly, and what is its history?

This city on the outskirts of Paris used to boast one of the region's most prolific vineyards.

Before Argenteuil became one of Val-d’Oise’s great towns, it was a powerhouse of wine in Île-de-France. Its hillside slopes long bore vineyards, making it one of the Paris region’s most important winegrowing areas.

Why did the Museum of Romantic Life, once pink, change its color?

This is an intimate museum, utterly charming, formerly recognizable by its pink facade and green shutters. Yet after a makeover during renovation work, the Musée de la Vie Romantique has unveiled a new look since reopening. Why this change?

This house in Val-de-Marne was the home of one of the pioneers of photography.

In Bry-sur-Marne, in the Val-de-Marne department, the Louis Daguerre House preserves the luminous memory of a photography pioneer, the inventor of the daguerreotype and a master of visual illusions.

What exactly are these two columns that loom over the Place de la Nation?

In Paris, the two columns at Place de la Nation intrigue as much as they dominate the landscape. What exactly are they? What were they used for? What lies inside? Here’s the explanation.

This building in the Paris region is the last surviving remnant of the world's first airfield.

In Viry-Châtillon, in the Essonne department, the Port-Aviation Officers' Mess hides an astonishing tale: the story of the world's first organized airfield, inaugurated in 1909, where aviation pioneers let their quirky flying machines roar.

Are you familiar with the Lady of the Lake, that stunning climbing sculpture in the Paris region?

In Évry-Courcouronnes, a strange sculpture seems to rise from the water. It’s known as the Lady of the Lake, and it marks France’s very first artificial climbing structure.

Did you know? : The founder of the Nobel Prize lived in the 93

Alfred Nobel, the inventor, industrialist, and founder of the famous Nobel Prizes, lived for a time in Sevran, in Seine-Saint-Denis. In the 1880s, he established a laboratory there and worked on several inventions. A little-known presence that connects this town in the 93 to one of the world’s best-known distinctions.

What exactly does the name La Chapelle refer to in the Gare du Nord neighborhood?

La Chapelle is a name you hear regularly in Paris, not least because this district is home to Gare du Nord. To such an extent that people rarely question its origins. So, what does that name refer to?

This church, one of the oldest and most overlooked in Paris, gave its name to the Chapelle district.

In the north of Paris, near Gare du Nord and the Porte de la Chapelle, a discreet church has left its mark on the map of the capital. As heir to a very ancient sanctuary, it lent its name to the old village and then to the Chapelle district, one of the most historied corners of the 18th arrondissement.

This royal chapel on the outskirts of Paris is the younger sister of the Sainte-Chapelle on the Île de la Cité.

In Vincennes, at the gates of Paris, a royal chapel hides in plain sight, directly inspired by the famous Sainte-Chapelle on the Île de la Cité. Founded by Charles V, the Sainte-Chapelle of the Château de Vincennes carries forward the idea of a Gothic reliquary, while carving out its own distinct architectural identity.