World TravellerGuide to travelling the world

With some of the most famous monuments in the world, Paris is visited by millions of tourists every year. Iconic places such as the Eiffel Tower, Champs Elysees and the Louvre are huge tourist attractions but there are also many hidden gems that are not in any of the guide books. Many of these sites are located away from the main tourist areas and Paris hotels, but they are well-worth travelling a little further afield to see.

Paris is world-renowned for its fine wine so Le Musee du Vin is a great place to learn more about everyone’s favourite tipple. Showcasing the techniques involved in French winemaking, the museum opened in 1984 and is also home to a restaurant and tasting room. The museum – housed in the former cellars of the Passy Abbey – is both interesting and educational and timing your visit when the restaurant is open is a good tip. Every visitor receives a glass of wine with their entry ticket, as well as the chance to take part in a wine tasting class.

A little known fact about Paris is that the UNESCO World Headquarters are located in the city nearby the Eiffel Tower and several cheap hotels. Tourists looking for a guided tour of the headquarters will need to make arrangements in advance but UNESCO’S Garden of Peace is available to visit at any time. This Japanese-style garden can be viewed in its entirety by standing on a platform in the upper garden but the “Nagasaki Angel” is what makes the garden really special.

Plucked from the bombed ruins of Nagasaki in 1945 after decorating the face of the Urakami Church in the city, this stone angel was presented as a gift to UNESCO in 1976 and placed in the Garden of Peace. It was the only thing left of the church after the atomic bomb was dropped and is seen as a sign of hope.

image from flickr

There are numerous chapels and churches in Paris, but the Chapelle Expiatoire (in the 8th arrondissement) is often overlooked by many tourists. The chapel was a burial site for beheaded members of the French royal family, which were exhumed in 1815. The remains were identified and moved to the French mausoleum at Saint-Denis but the chapel is still a reminder of the former inhabitants of the plots and is an interesting place to visit. The remains of 3,000 people who died during the French Revolution are entombed there today.

image from flickr

With so many unique and wonderful places to visit in Paris it’s hard to get around to seeing them all. Instead of the usual tourist traps why not think outside the box a little and discover some of the amazing hidden gems that the French capital has to offer.