Ah, Paris, the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, its mythical parks, its eternal beauty, in short, the City of Lights. Beyond these must-see beauties, Paris holds other wonders, less known but with the same effect: "wow!". Just scroll down the page to discover 7 unsuspected treasures hidden in Paris...
A Giant Caryatid in the 3rd arrondissement
Looking at it from below gives you chills because this three-story high Caryatid is imposing and beautiful... As for the reasons for its existence, we know that it was sculpted by Auguste Emile Delange in 1858. However, its meaning remains quite unclear even today. Some say it represents charity, while others (Raymond Queneau) think it is a tribute from a lucky man to gambling. It's up to you to form your own opinion.
© thesartorialist
57, rue de Turbigo - 3rd
A very precious museum
Just next to the Luxembourg Gardens hides the splendid Mineralogy Museum. Inside, there are no less than 100,000 samples of minerals and gemstones, including meteorites and 700 different types of minerals... Inside, it's an explosion of colors and jewels to contemplate over and over again. The collections, in Paris since 1815, are so dense that the museum is considered one of the richest in the world. Not to mention the former Hôtel de Vendôme where it is located: magnificent.
Mineralogy Museum - Ecole des Mines
60, boulevard Saint-Michel - 6th
The natural garden in the heart of the city
Incredible but true! On the heights of the 20th arrondissement, a very peculiar garden is revealed for an urban environment. The natural garden of Paris it certainly is. Even though the native plants found there were planted by humans, they grow all by themselves, just like big ones. Anything is possible.
© marieannebruschi
Natural garden
120, rue de la Réunion - 20th
The most beautiful library
Those who have already had the chance to study/hang out there will agree with me. The Sorbonne Library is one of the most beautiful in Paris, if not THE most beautiful. A haven of calm and serenity, well let's say.
Let's go, a stress-relieving place to (truly) study.
© parisjetaime
Bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève
10, place du Panthéon - 5e
The last "jubé" of Paris Well, there are surely many of you who don't know what it is since there is only one left in Paris. A "jubé" is a gallery that separates the nave and the choir of a church. The one in the Church of Saint-Etienne-du-Mont was built in the early 16th century and is, luckily, still admirable today. It would be a shame to miss it...
© jasonenguyen
Place Sainte-Geneviève - 5e
The "Louvre of the Ass"
Before the big brands that line the most beautiful avenue in the world today, it was known for its beautiful and imposing private mansions. There are few left, but one that particularly catches our attention is the "Louvre of the Ass", I named the Païva Hotel (1856). This nickname comes from the fact that it has sculptures and paintings of nudes. Naughty, the Russian adventurer who owns this gem! Today it hosts social gatherings that we imagine to be more boring than in the past...
© juanchristmas75
Païva Hotel
25, Avenue des Champs-Elysées - 8th
The Astronomical Observatory
40 meters high to be closest to the stars... The Sorbonne Observatory is used to admire the Paris sky, like never before.He had never seen it before, that is to say from above. Good to know: it is the oldest observatory still in operation! Wow...
© mapsandatlases
61, avenue de l'Observatoire - 14e
Cover photo: © The Connexion