Who are we kidding, we all dream of taking the perfect picture with the Eiffel Tower in the background, whether you visit Paris for the first time or have been many times; because the “City of Light” awakens a love that never ends. With so many amazing corners, why always limit yourself to the same photos? Let me share a few different ideas for your next trip.
Murals of the Marché des Batignolles
As I have already mentioned in other articles, I love urban art and one of my favorite artists is the French Seth Globepainter, who painted seven colorful murals outside the Marché des Batignolles, paying homage to children’s literature with great characters such as Alice in Wonderland and The Little Prince.
Its murals are located exactly at the intersection of Rue Brochant and Rue Lemercier and since it is not a very touristy area, you can spend as much time as you want taking pictures and videos in front of them.
Colonnes de Buren
The official name of this work is “Les Deux Plateaux”, made by the French artist Daniel Buren (1986), which is located in the Domaine National du Palais-Royal, between the beautiful palace garden and what is now the Ministry of Culture. The work consists of 260 octagonal columns of different sizes, with black and white stripes.
Shakespeare and Company Bookstore
For decades, this bookstore has been a Paris classic for English-speaking and expatriate readers and writers. Opened since 1951 by the American George Whitman, he originally called it Le Mistral, but later changed the name in honor of the bookseller and publisher Sylvia Beach, founder of the original Shakespeare and Company in 1919, which was also located in Paris.
The history of Whitman and his bookstore is beautiful, I advise you to read it on their page before going, so that you enjoy your visit even more. Don’t be scared to see it full of tourists taking photos, ignore them and remember this phrase from Whitman so that you can live the experience that he wanted you to have: “I created this bookstore as a man would write a novel, building each room as if it was a chapter and I like that people open the door, the way they open a book, a book that takes them to the magical world in their imagination”.
La Maison Rose
Well, this spot is quite touristy, especially since it has been featured in series like Emily in Paris, it has become one of the influencer’s favorite places. But that does not matter, it is worth navigating the sea of tourists and wait for the right moment to take a great picture.
It took us a while to be able to take photos that looked a little “less crowded”, but I think we wasted more time being gossipy looking at the dozens of pictures taken by girls who -I assume were influencers- and they were absolutely gorgeous.
Is it worth going to see it? Of course! But I will tell you quickly the story of this little house, so that at least you know what you are looking at. The exact date of its construction is not known, but it was bought in 1905 by the Catalan painter Ramón Pichot, who used it as a study. Famous friends like Dalí and Picasso visited him there. After marrying the model Germaine Gargallo in 1908, it was she who painted the house pink and opened the La Maison Rose restaurant. Over the years, it changed owners and continued to be visited by many artists. Currently, its reopening took place until 2017, thanks to the granddaughter of who owned the house in 1948.
The surrounding streets are also super pretty, they are less congested and you can take beautiful photos of Montmartre, especially if you are lucky to have a blue sky. At that point, I was walking down Rue de l’Abreuvoir with the typical pose of “take my picture and make it look like I don’t notice anything”, while Sous le ciel de Paris sounded in my head. Yes, even if you think that how exaggerated, that is how excited I was.
Under the Chagall sky
If there is a visit that you should not miss, it is to the Palais Garnier, the same theater that inspired the work of The Phantom of the Opera. In this 19th century neo-baroque building, you will be able to take spectacular photos on its majestic staircases and in its main room richly decorated with gold leaf and chandeliers, reminiscent of the Gallery of Mirrors in Versailles.
But one particular spot that I loved for the photos was on a balcony in the theater room, where you can capture the large 8-ton chandelier with crystals and 340 bulbs and the impressive ceiling painted in 1964 by Marc Chagall. Yes, here you will probably have the little song from the Lloyd Webber musical playing in your head.
Rue de l’Université
Obviously, I couldn’t leave without giving you this tip for a photo “almost” without people very close to the Eiffel Tower. On Rue de l’Université, on the stretch between Champ de Mars and Av. De la Bourdonnais, you can take beautiful pictures of the tower, from an angle that seems “more residential”.
When we went, the street was closed to vehicles and it surprised me that it was so alone, since even Google Maps indicate it as a point to take photos. We were there for a long time, together with a few others, experimenting with pictures and videos. It is not the classic image from the Place du Trocadéro or Champ de Mars, but it does give another perspective of the most emblematic landmark of France.
Travel tip: If you can, take a tripod with Bluetooth control, they are very cheap, practical to carry in a small bag and they work wonderfully.
If you want to travel to France and would like me to organize your trip 100% customized through our travel agency Tripdreaming, please contact me at silvia.lucero@tripdreaming.com.
