Don't miss

Place des Vosges and Victor Hugo’s house


Formerly known as the “place Royale”, this square has remained intact – miraculously so – since it was commissioned by Henri IV in 1604. The thirty-six townhouses have constituted a perfect symmetry from the day they were built, with their brick façades, deep-pitched slate roofs and the ground floor made up of a gallery of arcades for walking. Add a few musketeers and you’d think you were in a swashbuckling adventure film… or back to the splendid carrousel that inaugurated the square in 1612 to celebrate the wedding of Louis XIII and Anne of Austria. Since then, each house has boasted a rich history of art, literature and many a famous name. Madame de Sévigné was born at the Hôtel de Coulanges; Cardinal Richelieu, Théophile Gautier, Alphonse Daudet, and the tragic actress Rachel, also lived there, as well as Victor Hugo, from 1832 to 1848. Transformed into a museum, his apartment in the Hôtel de Rohan-Guéménée reveals the story of his life, from the antechamber of his youth to his death bed, not forgetting a visit to the Chinese salon, where he played out his love affair with Juliette Drouet. If you look closely, you’ll see their initials in trompe-l’oeil.
Hôtel de Rohan-Guéménée - 6, place des Vosges (4th).
M° Saint-Paul.
Tél. : 01 42 72 10 16.
Daily: 10am-6pm, except Mon and public hols. Permanent collections free.
www.musee-hugo.paris.fr


Pompidou Centre


“This will cause a stir” President Pompidou is rumoured to have said about the contemporary cultural design centre that bears his name. In fact, when the project was completed by Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers in 1977, it was described as a factory and a refinery. The architects had envisaged it as a futuristic vessel. Made of glass and steel, an escalator zigzags up its exterior in a transparent tube, matched by vertical pipes, also on the outside, representing blue for air, green for water, yellow for electricity and red for the elevators. The interior has a surface area of 7,500 sq.m. on each of its five floors. Contemporary culture is for everyone, and the choice here is impressive: exhibition rooms, performance spaces, a cinema, and a gallery for children, etc. and, of course, the national museum of modern art. Design in the 20th century and current movements are explored via a thematic approach that combines all forms of visual art and audiovisual expression.
Place Georges-Pompidou (4th).
M° Hôtel-de-Ville.
Tél. : 01 44 78 12 33.
Daily: 11am-9pm, except Tue and 1 May. “Musée et expositions” : this ticket gives admission to the Musée National d’Art Moderne, to the exhibitions and panoramic terrace.
€8 to €12 according to period. Under 18s (museum and exhibitions) and 1st Sun of the month: free. 18-25s: free.
www.centrepompidou.fr



Hôtel de Ville


Do you know the Maison aux Piliers? Of course you do – it’s on the place de Grève! On this square, you can ice-skate in winter, watch top match events on big screens, and take part in free activities every summer when the banks of the Seine turn into Paris-Plages. Feeling lost? Well actually, that’s understandable. In the 12th century, the administration of Paris was entrusted to the corporation of water merchants, who controlled navigation on the Seine. Etienne Marcel, the provost of the merchants, transferred the seat of the municipality to the Maison aux Piliers – the current site of the Paris City Hall – in 1357. The square – then place de Grève – became a spot for popular merrymaking… and public punishment. Crowds congregated to witness all sorts of executions until 1830. Workers also used to wait for work here, giving rise in the 19th century to the expression “être en grève” (to be on strike). As for the Hôtel de Ville (Paris City Hall), which replaced the Maison aux Piliers, it burnt down over eight days, in 1871, during the events of the Commune. Completed in 1882, the current building reflects the splendour of the 3rd Republic. A sumptuous interior boasts chandeliers, gilding and wood panelling, while the external neo-Renaissance façades are decorated with a profusion of niches and no less than 378 sculpted works.
Mairie de Paris (4th).
M° Hôtel-de-Ville.
Tél. : 01 42 76 50 49.
Free guided tours (English, German) of the salons of the Hôtel de Ville, by prior appointment only, according to official events. Rooms accessible to disabled people.
www.paris.fr



Musée Picasso


Completed in 1659, the mansion which houses the museum has retained the cheeky nickname “Salé” (salty) in memory of the ostentatious tastes of its first owner who made a fortune by taxing salt. Behind its monumental façade, you can admire a unique collection of works by Picasso. 203 paintings, 158 sculptures, more than 3,000 engravings and drawings, sketchbooks, etc.
Hôtel Salé. 5, rue de Thorigny (3rd).
M° Saint-Paul. Tél. : 01 42 71 25 21.
Daily: 9.30am-6pm, except Tues and some public hols. Closed for renovation work from end Aug 2009 to 2012.
€8.50 – RR: €6.50. Under 18s and 1st Sun of the month: free.
www.musee-picasso.fr