Hôtel des Invalides, Jardin des Tuileries and Notre-Dame have been on our must see list on day 2 of our journey through Paris.
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There is so much to see in Paris. With just one full day in this beautiful city we made a rough plan of where we wanted to go so we could be able to enjoy the city by walking from sight to sight.
We started from hotel La Bourdonnais (as mentioned in the previous post) which is a perfect starting point in Paris and walked to the Hôtel des Invalides. We picked up some water and snacks on the way and arrived there within 15 minutes. Basically a walk around the corner.
Hôtel des Invalides
The Boulevard des Invalides lead us to the Place des Invalides which gave us an impressive view at the Hôtel des Invalides. In the other direction along the Avenue du Maréchal Gallieni was the stunning Pont Alexandre III.
Fortunately, trees cover the park on both sides of the Avenue du Maréchal Gallieni, so that we had the opportunity to have a snack and avoid the heat a little bit. 🥵
We crossed the bridge to the Grand Palais and the Petit Palais. Unfortunately, the Grand Palais was closed due to construction.
Along the Champs-Élysées to the Louvre
Walking the Champs-Élysées with hundreds of tourists gave us a glimpse of how popular Paris is. Either they come from or are going to the Place de la Concorde which was our next destination, too.
After crossing the Place de la Concorde and entering the Jardin des Tuileries the noise turns from “cars, busses and scooters” to “(a lot of) people taking a walk”.
There are places with benches, chairs and some tables between the trees where you can sit and relax. There is none of the rush of this big city, so you can walk calmly through the gardens and enjoy the scenery.
We took a little break under the trees in front of the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel, a place pretty crowded with people looking for shelter from the sun.
Next to the Arc there is a food truck which provides sandwiches, fresh waffles and cold drinks. So, if you are not prepared with food and drinks, you can recharge yourself pretty well here.
As we crossed the Place du Carrousel to the Louvre, we could already see the line of people waiting for tickets. We expected a lot of people would be there and didn’t really plan on getting a ticket, but it was a bit disappointing anyway.
We decided to keep exploring Paris and went along the Seine to see the Musée d’Orsay. With time ticking down we didn’t even think about going in, but we put it on the list for our next visit.
Bridges of Paris
Heading east, crossing Pont Royal and enjoying our way along the Seine to the Pont des Arts. From here you have a great view on the Académie des Beaux-Arts.
After crossing the Pont des Arts we took a turn on the Quai Du Louvre and crossed the Seine once again on Pont Neuf. For a short break we turned into a street with a building that turned out to be the Palais de Justice which was closed due to constructions.
On the opposite site of the street there is Place Dauphine which is a nice little park with benches, restaurants and cafes. Away from tourists and loud streets, locals were having snacks and enjoying themselves playing games of boule. It was like a little hideout in the middle of Paris.
Notre-Dame
We went on to the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris which – after the fire on 15 April 2019 – is still a construction site. Containers and fences are still blocking the view which does not stop the thousands of people streaming on and off the square every day.
The Rue Du Petit Pont lead us in the direction of our hotel and at the Saint-Séverin we turned into a small alley which lead us through postcard-like-Paris.
After arriving at the hotel a few hours later – with very sore feet and legs – one things was clear: we need to come back to Paris and visit all the other great places we couldn’t see on that one day. 🥰
Those were two very exhausting and exciting days and we need way more time to enjoy all the sights and places.
Also read our post about our first day in Paris Eiffel Tower – Visiting Paris for the first time
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