This Weekend in Paris: Journées du Patrimoine (European Heritage Days)

Bon lundi!

Have you ever walked around Paris and imagined what decadent interiors lie behind the walls of the buildings? I had always wondered this about Paris’ town hall, Hôtel de Ville. Until the weekend came when I no longer had to imagine the grandeur behind the normally closed-to-public doors and got the opportunity to go inside, for free.

That same special weekend is upon us (September 20-21, 2014): Journées du Patrimoine.

For one weekend, many museums, historical buildings, and points of interest open their doors to the general public and often do so free of charge. This weekend is part of the European Heritage Days. The idea to make certain buildings and monuments accessible to the public originated in France, and now it is a weekend observed throughout Europe. This means if you are not in Paris but elsewhere in France or Europe, see if there are any happenings going on where you are. It's a wonderful weekend of getting to see places that are part of the fabric of European heritage and history, open to all.

If you are lucky enough to be in Paris, there are countless sights to choose from so consult the official website ahead of time and make a plan of attack! 

Many sights and monuments that are already normally open to the public participate and offer free entry (such as Sainte-Chapelle or the towers of Notre-Dame). My personal preference would be to visit buildings only open to the public this one weekend out of the year. And I would start with the beautiful Hôtel de Ville:

Hôtel de Ville was so magnificent inside I want to go again this year!

More to follow on this, but for some immediate inspiration check out my past posts on two sights I saw last year, Hôtel de Ville and Musée des Arts Forains. Stay tuned! 

Featured
Behind the Doors of the French National Assembly
Behind the Doors of the French National Assembly
An Inside Peek of the Banque de France
An Inside Peek of the Banque de France
This Weekend in Paris: Journées du Patrimoine (European Heritage Days)
This Weekend in Paris: Journées du Patrimoine (European Heritage Days)
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After Christmas Special: Le Musée des Arts Forain
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Carnivals and Carousels
When a Hôtel is not a Hotel
When a Hôtel is not a Hotel

Chartres en Lumières

Most people treat Chartres as a day trip or stop-over on the way to or from Paris. It’s star attraction, the Chartres Cathedral, can be toured in an hour (allow more time to really explore it thoroughly). There are a few other sites to see for those who want to extend their time in town. But beyond that, why did I choose to stay overnight (especially when I have housing in Paris)?

I couldn't pass up seeing the city lit up at night for Chartres en Lumières.

Between April and October, the town puts on a show at night. I first heard of this event from a post on Out and About in Paris and it stayed in the back of my mind, only to resurface when Michael mentioned he wanted to visit Chartres again. 29 historical buildings participate, and the highlight of the nightly event is the projected light show on the main facade of the Cathedral.

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Day trip from Paris: Chartres, France, Part II

10 Things to do in Chartres besides the Cathedral

Let’s be clear. If you are going to Chartres, you are making the trip to visit its incredible cathedral. It truly is something special and deserving of your time and focus while in town. It’s perfectly acceptable to treat Chartres as a stop to see the Cathedral and then move on. But should you choose to hang around longer, there is plenty more to do.

I spent the weekend (a full day and a half) in Chartres. With more than enough time to see the Cathedral, I had plenty of time to explore. Let’s follow my route around town so I can show you what else the city has to offer:

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Day Trip from Paris: Chartres, France, Part I

If you’ve heard of Chartres, you’ve most likely heard about it in the context of one famous building that lies in the center of town. The town of Chartres is a popular day trip from Paris because it is close (about an hour drive or via train) and it has one magnificent star-attraction that towers over the town: the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres, or commonly referred to in English as the Chartres Cathedral.

You also must know if you've spent any amount of time in Europe that cathedrals and grand churches exist all throughout France and the rest of Europe. I’m at a point in my European travels that I have a bit of “cathedral fatigue.” I know, the three-years-ago-me would have rolled her eyes and be tempted to slap the present-me at even the thought of how that could be possible. Just think what she would do knowing that I admitted it. But the point is, after a while, one huge old church seems similar to the next and the novelty starts to wear off.

So hear me when I say that despite my church fatigue, Chartres Cathedral is something very special. Special enough to plan a weekend trip around it, even considering that we had seen this very cathedral three years ago.

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This Week: Chartres, France

Bon lundi!

If you've been following my adventures, you know that on the last weekend of August Michael and I went on a surprise trip. I am really bad at giving surprises because I’m that person who is just bursting with excitement. My Grammy is the same way, pulling me aside before my birthday to show me the gift that I would be open months later. We just can’t help but share the joy of gift giving. But this year for Michael’s birthday I held it together. I managed to surprise him with a weekend trip to a town nearby that he’s been wanting to return to: Chartres.

To be honest, as I was concocting my plan only a few days prior to the weekend I had a moment of panic. Most people do Chartres as a day-trip from Paris, seeing the famous Cathedral, stopping for lunch, and heading back out. Was it a mistake to go for a weekend? Would we run out of things to do?

Nope, not at all. This week is all about Chartres, how I fell in love with the magnificent cathedral all over again, and what lies beyond the town’s star sight. Oh, and there was a light show too. See, so much to share this week, I can barely hold it in!

Find out where to find a house decorated entirely in mosaics this week!  

Have you ever been to Chartres, France?

Paris Practicalities: 15 Ways to Maximize Your Budget in Paris

In the "Paris Practicalities" series, I lay out some basic advice for the foundation of a trip abroad for the well-informed and savvy traveler.

Paris has a reputation for being a notoriously expensive city to visit. While it is pricey - especially when compared to neighboring countries Spain, Italy, and Germany or even the rest of France - it doesn't have to be a ridiculously pricey destination. Here are 15 ways you can maximize your budget during your time in Paris:

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Park it in Paris: Parc de Belleville

In the "Park it in Paris" series, I write about the city's parks - some of the best spots to relax, people-watch, and mingle with the locals.

There are some parks in Paris that intrigue me because people give them glowing reviews. Then there are parks that peak my interest because there are large gaps of knowledge that I want to fill in.

Parc de Belleville falls into the latter category.

Before visiting this park, I only had heard murmurs from others that this park is known for its prostitutes who surface at night. Yet its tagline in Google maps kept staring out at me, promising “a hilltop park with panoramic city views.” As you might have already gathered, I’m a sucker for scaling heights to get a view of the city. Especially one with a view of the Eiffel Tower. No matter how many times I see it, I still fall in love with her all over again, snapping more pictures though my hard drive is full of images of the Iron Lady. All I have to say is I’m not sure why it took me so long to trek over to the 20th arrondissement to have a look for myself.

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A Birthday Celebration Meets Famous Cathedral

Bon lundi!

You know how I was all “let’s have a staycation and stick it out while everyone else abandons Paris?” Well, I almost made it through the month staying put. But then I realized that Michael’s birthday was coming up. He has been wanting to go back to Chartres ever since our first trip there in 2011. They had recently started restoration work on the famous Chartres Cathedral and we've been interested to see the progress made. That was the inspiration behind my spur-of-the-moment, last minute decision to book a surprise weekend trip.

Besides, this little getaway would make me feel more "French." Let me explain. 

There’s a term in French for this time of year called la rentrée. It literally means “the return” in English, and the closest expression that I can think of that we would use is “back-to-school.” But la rentrée is more than just the start of a new school year. It’s a time of everything starting back up again. The shops and restaurants that were closed for a good month or so open their doors again, locals return from their month-long vacations, and everyone is rejuvenated to get back into the normal swing of things. It feels similar to New Year’s to me - a time to look forward to the year ahead and connect to friends who you haven’t seen for a while due to all the vacation disruptions. 

So, even though I stayed within an hour of Paris, our little trip to Chartres this past weekend makes me feel like I can rentrée with the best of them. Looking forward to a fabulous fall!

The front of the Chartres Cathedral, or its official French name, the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres 

Anyone else coming back from summer vacation? Where did you go?

Walking along Berlin's East Side Gallery

Here's the final reveal of the week. One of my favorite sights in Berlin that I shared with you on Wednesday was the Reichstag. Preferably visited at sunset to see its glass dome lit up in brilliant reds, oranges, and purples, offering a great 360-degree view of Berlin. Now it's time to focus on the other highlight of my two-day trip to Berlin. Hint: it’s another wonderful free sight. And also offers a link to the history of the city, the spirit of Berlin, and its hopeful future. 

It’s a walk down Berlin’s East Side Gallery.

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Best View for a Berlin Sunset

I only had two full days in Berlin this summer so I had to be super selective when deciding what to see. Especially as I started to realize just how big Berlin really is during my preliminary research. For example, I found that a walk from my hotel’s neighborhood of Mitte to trendy Friedrichshain was an estimated 50-minute walk...and those were two sections of town right next to each other! So the challenge was on: lots of ground to cover, so much to see and do, little time, big decisions. Challenge accepted. 

Thankfully I came across a post on Guten Blog, Y’all on a visit to the Reichstag. Margo strongly recommended coordinating a reservation to tour its glass dome at sunset for a beautiful view of the city. Inset my imaginary personal ad here - forget the long walks on the beach. Mine would be more along the “enjoys views of cities from above anytime, but particularly at sunset.” Need I say that a visit to the Reichstag then would be part of a perfect date? 

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From Paris to Berlin

Bon lundi!

My two overall take-aways from Berlin this July are: Berlin is a really huge city (the second largest in the EU, London being the largest). And it is quite a cool European capital city.

Two full days wasn't enough time, but I loved what I did experience. (My time in Berlin was sandwiched in between the time visiting my uncle in Germany and Prague.) There is certainly tons to do in Berlin, and I'm going to whittle the list down to my two favorite sights and share them with you this week. Get ready! 

Auf Wiedersehen for now!

A connection to Paris right at the famous Brandburg Gate! (Though this square is named Pariser Platz in celebration of victory in overthrowing Napoleon so not the warmest welcome to the French.)

If you're missing a Paris-fix this week, follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and Google+ to keep up-to-date!

Park it in Paris: Lac Daumesnil in Bois de Vincennes

In the "Park it in Paris" series, I write about the city's parks - some of the best spots to relax, people-watch, and mingle with the locals.

Writing really can be therapeutic. I’m sorry if I’ve allowed you to step into the role of my attentive psychologist as I keep making declaration about myself. I love weird modern statues! I am always up for a climb to get a view of a city from above! And today’s new piece of info - I love boats! (If you do too, good news - you certainly have not heard the end of my enjoyment of a good boat ride.)

My affection for boats is a fickle one. I know little about boats and how they operate, but I know one thing: I love boat rides, on any type and any size boat. In fact, it’s odd that I still haven’t been on a cruise given this soft spot for being on the water. 

But enough about me. All this to say that over a year ago, I latched onto the idea of renting a boat to go out on Lac Daumesnil in Paris’ Bois de Vincennes. It’s been on my Paris bucket list, and feeling newly inspired to get serious about checking off those lingering items, Michael and I went set out last Saturday take a boat out on the lake.

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A New View of Paris (and it's among my favorites!)

If you've visited Paris before, it's likely that you've noticed a strange-looking building in central Paris. On rue de Rivoli between the Hôtel de Ville and Châtelet metro stops stands a tower. A tower that rises up alone and unattached to another building, surrounded by a small park. It's the type of monument you remember because it raises questions and elicits intrigue. Where is the rest of the building? Or is it supposed to be a tower standing on its own? What's it purpose?

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