Centre Pompidou
The Pompidou’s modern art collection is Europe’s largest, but the museum is just as well known for its radical architecture. Architects Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers effectively designed the building inside out, with plumbing, pipes, air vents and electrical cables forming part of the facade. Up top there’s a roof ten-ace, while, outside, Place Igor Stravinsky is a fun place to linger.
Outdoors
The Seine
Nicknamed la ligne de vie de Paris (the lifeline of Paris), the Seine cuts through the city centre and its riverbanks are inscribed on the Unesco World Heritage list. On the Right Bank, east of the Hotel de Ville, walkways and cycleways whizz past the water. On the Left Bank, a 1 ½ -mile stretch from the Pont de I’Alma to the Musée d’Orsay is dotted with bars, restaurants and floating gardens.
Jardin Des Tuileries
Filled with fountains, ponds and sculptures, the formal 28-hectare Tuileries Garden, which begins just west of the jardin du Carrousel, was laid out in 1664 by André Le Nôtre, who also created the gardens at Vaux-le-Vicomte and Versailles. The Tuileries became the most fashionable spot in Paris for parading about in one’s finery. It’s still a wonderful place to lounge in a deckchair or regroup after a trip to the nearby Louvre.
Basilique Du Sacré-Coeur
Sacré-Coeur is a veritable experience: the view from the ten-ace is one of those perfect Paris postcards and it’s said you can see up to 20 miles on a clear day. Ivy-clad streets climb the hill of Montmartre to a funicular that glides up to the church and white domes (metro tickets can be used). Below, musicians perform on the steps and people picnic on the hillside park (6am-10.30pm).
