165 Cool and Unusual Things to Do in Paris - Atlas Obscura

Unusual Attractions in Paris

Catacombes de Paris

The Catacombs hold secrets much stranger than the bones stacked within them.

Père Lachaise Cemetery

France's most famous cemetery, with some of its most curious tombs.

Petite Ceinture

Abandoned railway line circling the city of Paris.

59 Rivoli

Notorious artist squat renovated into legal studios.

Bibliothèque nationale de France (National Library of France)

This massive library holds what was once largest book collection in the world.

House of Nicolas Flamel

The oldest stone house in Paris was built by its most famous alchemist.

Shakespeare and Company

This iconic Parisian bookstore doubles as the "Tumbleweed Hotel" for traveling writers.

Montmartre Cemetery

A horde of stray cats rule in this secluded Parisian cemetery under a bridge.

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Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Paris

Chevilly-Larue, France

Rungis International Market

Walk through spectacular aisles of hanging meat and wagon wheel–sized cheese at the world's largest wholesale food market.

Roger La Grenouille

This frog-themed restaurant was frequented by Picasso, Saint-Exupéry, and more.

Au Roi de la Bière

Once a 19th-century brasserie, this McDonald's exterior celebrates Alsatian design and the "King of Beer."

Grave of Antoine-Augustin Parmentier

The tomb of history's greatest potato promoter is surrounded by tubers.

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Atlas Obscura Trips

The Culinary Crossroads of Marseille

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Stories About Paris

According to the Musée de l'Homme in Paris and many historians and forensic experts, this is the skull of French philosopher René Descartes. Swedish researchers disagree.

Was René Descartes a Victim of Skull Blasting?

Centuries after the philosopher’s death, lingering controversy over his remains highlights a macabre practice of profiting from the dead.

by Gemma Tarlach

October 25, 2021

Filmmaking in the Porte des Lilas station.

The Ghost Subway Station in Paris Where Films Come to Life

In Porte des Lilas, it’s lights, camera, Métro!

by Hannah Steinkopf-Frank

The cake has such an elegant presentation, you almost don't want to cut into it.

Making the Miraculous Cake of the Patron Saint of Bakers

Test your pastry-making prowess with gâteau St. Honoré.

The organ at Notre Dame was spared direct damage from the fire and ceiling collapse, but needs to be cleaned and restored.

Understanding the Majesty and Complexity of Great Organs

Notre Dame's famed instrument is being dismantled and restored following the 2019 fire.

September 3, 2020

James Baldwin worked on his first novel in Paris, and he ultimately spent decades living in France.

The Hidden Histories of Black Americans in Paris

Follow in the footsteps of James Baldwin, Josephine Baker, and Langston Hughes.

by Karen Chernick

August 21, 2020

Reels of nitrate films from the Cinémathèque Française, stored in a fort in Yvelines, France.

Exploring the Haphazard Archive of a Paris Film Legend

Henri Langlois rescued thousands of rare reels, but was "famously bad" at caring for them.

January 13, 2020

What could go wrong?

The 19th-Century French Frenzy for Species Swapping, in a Single Chart

Quaggas, ibises, and tapirs, oh my!

by Jessica Leigh Hester

October 17, 2019

A policewoman guards the railway car memorial at Drancy in 2005, after an attempt to burn it.

The Dark Past and Unsettled Present of a Paris Housing Project

“Drancy is like the French bad conscience.”

by Elizabeth Svoboda

August 30, 2019

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