On a first visit to Paris, it’s only natural to want to see all the highlights of the city so you don’t miss a thing. Plenty of people put together a careful schedule that’s really just a checklist of sights, monuments and places other people told us we have to visit. After all, if we haven’t seen the Eiffel Tower, had hot chocolate at Angelina and stood in line to see the Mona Lisa, why did we even come to Paris?
Don’t worry, these feelings are perfectly normal when visiting Paris, or really any destination in the world.
After visiting Paris at least once and checking off the big sights, some of us feel a pull to discover Paris more deeply, beyond the familiar tourist layers. As a city that hasn’t stopped evolving since people first settled here almost 2,300 years ago, there’s no shortage of places to lose yourself in the cultural and historical richness Paris offers, and it has something for everyone.
You can explore Paris through guided tours, follow a ready-made route, or use the Francophiles Anonymous site. That way you can learn chapters of Paris’s past and present, summarized in a safe and accessible way with a pinch of nostalgia that turns even dark moments into a tidy Disney-style story.
But there’s also another, more contemporary Paris, and to discover it we need to step out of our comfort zone and try experiences that haven’t been fully mapped out yet by bloggers and travel sections.
For example, picture this: you’re walking past an art gallery that’s just about to host an opening night for a new exhibition (what’s called a “vernissage” in French), and instead of telling yourself “I’d love to go in, but I’d feel awkward” and walking on, you dare to step inside, say Bonjour or Bonsoir, drink some free wine, chat with the artists and the gallery owners, and walk away from this unplanned experience with a story you’ll remember for years.
In my opinion, any new experience that makes us feel like we’re in unfamiliar territory is worth the effort. Worst case, you’ve lost an hour. Best case, you walk away with a memory you’ll treasure. And the more you dig into the history of a place or the people connected to it, the more you’ll see how closely Paris’s past and present are intertwined.
The list below isn’t necessarily a route, but a list of alternative places or experiences in Paris worth combining with your existing itinerary. You won’t find these places on any “top ten must-see” list.
But they are fascinating, contemporary, far from mainstream, and might even give you a few butterflies walking in. Best of all, you don’t need special connections in Paris’s inner circles to get there.
Most of these places are better suited to an adult crowd. Wherever something is suitable for a younger audience too, I’ll say so specifically.
Gallery opening nights
Gallery opening nights (vernissages) are a bit of a wild west. Every gallery has its own schedule. You can search “vernissage” together with “Paris” and see if anything comes up for the dates you’ll be there.
If you decide to try it, there are a few neighborhoods with a concentration of galleries, some of them open to the general public:
- In the Latin Quarter, on Rue des Beaux Arts and the surrounding streets
- In the 8th arrondissement, around Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré
- Around Place des Vosges, near the Bastille, with a fairly stable set of galleries
- My personal favorite area is near the Richelieu – Drouot metro station in the 9th arrondissement, where dozens of small galleries line the streets branching off Rue Drouot
One reason for this high concentration is a major art auction house, the Hôtel Drouot, which is worth a visit on its own. The Hôtel Drouot has 16 auction rooms where more than 70 auction houses hold sales on a daily basis. Whether you want to pick up a piece of French history or just watch antique and art collectors battle it out like in the movies, you’re more than welcome to stop by.
- Admission is free
- Everything is in French
- It’s recommended, though not required, to check the website beforehand to see which auctions are happening on a given day.
- Kid-friendly
- The Hôtel Drouot is close to the Grands Boulevards to the south and the Nouvelle Athènes neighborhood to the north.
Address: 9 Rue Drouot, 75009 Paris
https://drouot.com/
The Electric Circus: Cirque Électrique
Unlike the common view of circus elsewhere in the world, in France, contemporary, non-commercial circus (the opposite of something like Cirque du Soleil) is considered a legitimate art form in its own right, and it gets real respect from both audiences and the government, which helps keep it alive. Contemporary circus is a meeting point of different art forms, blending and borrowing from every kind of performing and visual art to take the audience on a unique multi-sensory journey.
With that idea in mind, the founders launched a cultural experimentation project in 1995 called Cirque Électrique. The concept blended classic circus, cabaret, theater, art brut, opera and several other genres.
If the Moulin Rouge has a true spiritual heir, this is it. It’s not commercial at all, and visiting on the right night will leave you with an impression unlike anything else. The first time I was there, I had no idea what I was walking into. In one tent there was a cabaret show in German, in another an experimental film was playing, and outside, people in completely avant-garde outfits told me this is just how they dress every day. I left feeling like I’d visited a surreal space, and I loved every minute of it.
- There are kids’ programs on weekends and school holidays, in French
- Most of the content is in French, but it doesn’t take away from the experience
- The real magic happens on weekends. It’s worth checking the program on the website beforehand
- Weekday and weekend daytime activities are kid-friendly; evening shows are not
- Close to Parc des Buttes-Chaumont in the 19th arrondissement and to Doc (see below).
Address: Pl. du Maquis du Vercors, 75020 Paris
https://cirque-electrique.com/
Dance with tomorrow’s stars at Le Centquatre
Le Centquatre (pronounced “sank-katr”), also known as the 104, is a public cultural center in Paris that opened in 2008.
In 1870, the Archbishop of Paris, who was responsible for burials in the city, ordered the construction of a massive new building to serve Paris’s growing population. It was built in the 19th arrondissement, and its main entrance was at 104 Rue d’Aubervilliers, which is where the place got its name.
The site operated for more than 120 years, and at its peak it handled 150 funerals a day.
In 1905, France passed the law separating church and state. Management of the site moved from the church to the city, which later used it for various purposes. Over the years the building fell into disrepair until it finally closed in 1998.
Fortunately, the building was listed as a historic site in January 1997, and the Mayor of Paris at the time, Jean Tiberi, included it in an urban renewal project. In 2003, the city approved a plan to turn this somewhat morbid space into a multicultural venue, and Le Centquatre opened its doors on October 11, 2008.
Today the venue spans 16,000 square meters and can hold up to 5,000 visitors. It serves as a residence for 200 artists, has two screening and performance halls with 200 and 400 seats, plus an exhibition space.
Artists from every discipline are invited to work in the open space or book closed-off studios, which means the public (that’s you) can watch them at work. If you’ve ever dreamed of dancing tango, breakdance or ballet alongside people who might one day become household names (I personally know one who trained there), this is the place.
The venue regularly hosts contemporary art exhibitions and has become one of the gathering spots for young Parisians into urban dance, art, and other creative pursuits.
There are restaurants on site, a huge secondhand shop, a library, a space for young children, and a whole lot of calm.
- Most activities are kid-friendly; for performances, it depends on the show
- Close to the Bassin de la Villette, which connects to the Canal Saint-Martin, and a bit farther on, Parc de la Villette
Address: 104 Rue d’Aubervilliers, 75019 Paris
Meet today’s bohemians at Doc
A place somewhat similar to Le Centquatre, but on a smaller scale: this is an associative project dedicated to the visual arts.
Doc was founded in 2018 when 95 artists turned the former Jean Quarré high school, in the 20th arrondissement of Paris, into a home for artists, craftspeople, photographers, actors, musicians, jewelry designers, fashion designers, publishers, set designers, writers, video editors, playwrights, and more.
If you thought Rivoli 59 was a real encounter with artistic bohemia, here you’ll meet a whole collective of working artists. Some of them will one day show at the big Paris galleries, like the Palais de Tokyo or the Galerie Durand-Dessert, so here’s your chance to say you met them before they made it.
It’s an associative venue with very reasonable prices, and it regularly hosts exhibitions, concerts, theater performances, sound and light presentations, and free workshops and seminars.
- Open to the general public only for events or by prior arrangement
- Borderline suitable for kids
- Close to Cirque Électrique, Parc des Buttes-Chaumont, and the Ménilmontant neighborhood.
Address: 26 Rue du Dr Potain, 75019 Paris
Street art at LES FRIGOS
Les Frigos is an arts center in the 13th arrondissement of Paris. Originally it was a refrigerated storage warehouse built in 1920 (hence the name Les Frigos, “the fridges”). It was abandoned in 1971, after the main food market moved away from Les Halles, which had operated since roughly the middle of the 12th century for about 800 years until 1970, when it was demolished and replaced with a rather unfortunate shopping center. The food market itself moved to the new international market in Rungis, which remains Europe’s largest wholesale market to this day.
In 1985, a collective of artists took over the abandoned building. They saw great potential in the many empty spaces, separated by thick concrete walls. They formed an association and began paying rent to the owner, SNCF (France’s national railway company). Today more than a hundred artists live and work there, and their association is called “91 Quai de la Gare” (after the address). Beyond their own personal work, they run projects for the benefit of local residents to help push back against the gentrification of the Left Bank.
The place is fascinating: the contemporary use of old architecture, the diversity of the artists, and a sense of authenticity that’s missing from so many places today.
- Les Frigos is open to the public by prior arrangement, or for exhibitions, film screenings, open nights and special events that take place several times a week. Check their website for updates (it has an English version).
- Open days are kid-friendly; for events, it depends on the type of event.
- Close to the Bibliothèque François-Mitterrand and Paris’s Chinatown to the south, and Parc de Bercy and the Cinémathèque Française to the north.
Address: 19 Rue des Frigos, 75013 Paris
https://www.les-frigos.fr/
End-of-the-world cocktails at Atomic Cat
Everyone’s heard of those “secret” speakeasy-style bars tucked behind restaurants. It’s a fun concept, but one that’s already existed in Paris for more than a decade.
What do you think of an apocalyptic bar that took the concept just a bit more seriously? Atomic Cat opened in 2021, as a sort of reaction to the “Covid apocalypse” (that’s what they call it). The bar sits underground, like a bunker, and is designed like a movie set depicting a place that survived the end of the world. It hosts a multidisciplinary alternative scene with cabaret, live performances, costume nights and more, alongside an excellent bar, a friendly staff, and a few photo opportunities you’ll be happy to post on Instagram or Facebook. It’s worth following their program, since they always have special events going on.
- Not suitable for kids
- Close to Place de la Bastille and the Bastille neighborhood
https://www.atomic-cat-bar.com/
Address: 6 Pass. Thiéré, 75011 Paris
A drinking club with a running problem: Hashing
If you like meeting new people, running, and drinking, on your next trip to Paris, consider joining one of Paris’s hashing groups, which combine running with beer and plenty of humor.
Hashing was originally created by a group of British expats living in Malaysia in 1938. The concept has spread over the years, and today there are more than 1,600 Hash groups worldwide, including 15 in France.
At each gathering, runners follow markings left along the running trail. To make it interesting, there are misleading clues and false trails designed to slow down the leading runners. At set intervals there’s a rest stop, where cold beers are waiting, and at the end of the trail everyone gathers for a picnic or brunch.
There are two groups in the Paris area. One is based in Saint-Cloud, a southwestern suburb of Paris, called the Sans Clue Hash. They typically run between Paris and Saint-Cloud, and their routes include more nature and lesser-known, enchanting spots.
The second group is the Hash House Harriers, who typically run within Paris itself.
The Sans Clue group runs on Sundays, and the Paris Hash group runs every second Saturday of the month.
Both groups welcome visitors who’ve run with other groups before, as well as complete first-timers.
What should you bring?
Comfortable running shoes, decent English, and most importantly, a sense of humor.
It’s recommended to contact the organizers through their websites beforehand to find out the exact location, the cost (usually around 5 euros per participant), and other details.
- Not suitable for kids
- The location changes every week.
https://sanscluehash.fr/
https://parishash.wordpress.com/
An alternative, and also somewhat commercial, Paris
As of this writing, in 2023, Paris is in the middle of preparing for the 2024 Olympics, and at the same time has been going through a deep gentrification process for a few years now, for better or worse. In a reality like this, every venue needs to turn a profit, or it has no reason to exist and simply disappears from the landscape.
So every place, even an alternative one, has to find a business model to monetize itself. Some places manage to strike a balance between the original spirit that made them popular and the need to turn a profit. Others have kept the name but have become something completely different, and sometimes disappointing. I’ll admit, I decided to leave out a few places I remembered fondly from recent years, because I was disappointed by them while researching this article.
Before visiting any of the places below, I recommend doing a quick search and reading recent reviews, to see whether the place is still right for you.
Looking for more lesser-known places in Paris?
Feel free to check out Liran’s article on the movie theaters on Rue Champollion. And if you’re on the hunt for more secret spots, take a look at the secrets of Paris.
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