Few cities can match Paris in its rich cultural, artistic and historic heritage. And few residents are as confident as Parisians in their expertise in good living.
That uniquely French joie de vivre is especially apparent in the fine summer months, as the little joys of life are embraced by Parisians citywide.
An old travel mantra tells you to avoid Paris in summer, when its citizens traditionally go on vacation. Some restaurants and shops do close in August, but you’ll hardly notice.
France’s ministry of culture sponsors an eclectic Summer Festival in July and August (www.quartierdete.com). Its diverse programs — flamenco, trapeze artists, international folk dancers, traditional French theater — take place all around the city, and many are outdoors and free.
Some of summer’s best diversions take place along the Seine. Landscaped promenades, tailor-made for strolling and biking, line the banks of the river.
Just downstream from Notre-Dame, there’s an engaging people zone with an open-air art gallery, music, and salsa dancing.
Parisians spill onto the river’s bridges and embankments just at that magic hour when the setting sun begins to color the evening sky. It’s the perfect time to share a simple picnic with friends. Join in: It’s an ambience that no restaurant can touch.
If you’d rather toss a frisbee than ponder the river’s reflections, head to the one-mile stretch of the Right Bank (just north of Ile de la Cite) where the city government trucks in 2,000 tons of sand in midsummer to create a whimsical temporary beach (plage) from mid-July through mid-August.
With climbing walls, “beach” cafes, stylish swimsuits, volleyball courts, and trampolines, it’s an ideal place to see Paris at play. Other areas of town, such as Bassin de la Villette in the northeast corner of Paris, have their own artificial beaches.
Summer also means art after dark: Some sights and museums — such as the Eiffel Tower and Notre-Dame Cathedral — keep longer hours. Still others host special summer-only events.
Notre-Dame puts on a sound-and-light display about the history of the church. In nearby Versailles, weekend summer nights are a cool display of gushing fountains, lighted displays and fireworks.
Paris’ always lovely parks work overtime in summer as playgrounds for all ages. The sprawling Esplanade des Invalides is just right for afternoon lawn bowling (boules). Puppet shows, pony rides, rental toy sailboats and a wading pool enliven the Luxembourg Gardens.
A temporary amusement park pops up at the Tuileries Garden, complete with a huge Ferris wheel. An open-air cinema at Parc de la Villette screens English and French films (no charge if you sit on your own blanket).
The Paris Jazz Festival swings its hip beats in June and July among the spacious lawns and gardens of Parc Floral. The city’s many old churches do double-duty as venues for chamber music concerts.
I like seeing the City of Light at night on a taxi tour or a boat cruise, or even by bike. Paris is enthusiastically bike-friendly, with a popular loaner bike system for locals and dedicated bike lanes.
Or join a bike tour. The lively summer-evening tours cruise through town past floodlit monuments (try Fat Tire Bikes, www.fattirebiketoursparis.com).
Summer in Paris requires patience and flexibility. It is peak tourist season, and it’s hot. City buses are like rolling greenhouses. If you don’t make reservations or get a museum pass, you’ll swelter in lines at the Eiffel Tower or Louvre.
But for the thoughtful and well-prepared traveler, summer in Paris is an exhilarating time to feel the groove of a city simply in love with life.
rick@ricksteves.com, or P.O. Box 2009, Edmonds, WA 98020.
© 2013 Rick Steves/Tribune Media Services, Inc.
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