A free afternoon in Paris is a stroll along the Seine
You’ll never be bored in Paris, even if your wallet is empty. There is always something happening, something you can plan for, or something you just wander into. Perhaps my favorite thing to do in Paris, day or night, is to stroll along the Seine. The Seine, in case you don’t know, is the river that cuts through Paris East to West. Therefore, locals refer to the North side as the Right Bank and the South as the Left bank, since that’s how the river flows.
My typical river route starts in the fourth arrondissement on the right bank of the Seine, just around Pont Marie. If you take like 1 to Saint-Paul or line 7 to Pont-Marie you’ll be right there. Head down the stairs so that you can walk west along the river. This is strategic for two reasons. First, I’m not a morning person so a nice evening walk westward ensures I catch a pretty sunset. Second, you’ll see the Eiffel Tower come into view above the buildings.
Two Islands
As you continue along the Seine you’ll pass two islands. The first is directly across Pont Marie and it’s called Ile Saint Louis. It’s the smaller and lesser-known of the two islands. The second island a little further down is Ile de la Cité and is famous for a lot of reasons.
It is the very center of Paris, there is even a little gold disk embedded in the ground marking it as ground zero for Paris. It was where the Parisii tribe first established their settlement around 200 B.C.
You’ll be able to see Notre Dame from the right bank of the Seine. Another place of note is Pont Neuf. This bridge connects the right bank, Ile de la Cité, and the left bank. For a tourist’s purposes, it is worth noting because its where a lot of the bateau mouches (the boats that cruise the river) take off from.
Bateaux Mouches – Take a tour!
A boat ride along the Seine is a great way to see the city and enjoy the sites within an hour. Most of these tours either start at Pont Neuf or the Eiffel Tower and take you up to Ile Saint Louis, the Eiffel Tower, and back. They often come with a glass of wine or champagne, or even dinner!
This tour includes a drink and starts from the foot of the Eiffel Tower!
This tour includes an audio guide and also begins at the Eiffel Tower!
Love locks and what-not
The next bridge along the river is famous for a few reasons. This is Pont des Arts. If you’ve heard of it, you’ve probably heard of the locks placed on the bridge as a sign of everlasting love. Cute, except in 1979 the bridge was dismantled and rebuilt in part because of how much strain those locks created. To be fair, the bridge had also suffered a lot of bombardment during the world wars, and then a barge hit one of the pillars! Can’t blame it all on love.
The bridge was also a filming location for the film Amelie (I’ve never watched it. I probably should, it seems delightful, but the cover art and Amelie’s expression creeped me out.)
Two Twin Museums
As you continue on you’ll pass the Louvre on your right and the Musée D’Orsay across the river on your left. If you cut into the Louvre you’ll be able to stroll past the pyramids and into the Tuileries Gardens.
One thing I love about Paris is how condensed it is. If you walk in a straight line from the Louvre pyramids, through the Tuileries, and on, you’ll end up on the Champs D’Elysée.
But! For the purpose of this little blog, we are strolling along the river. At this point it might be worth popping back up to the street level because you will likely pass some bouqinistes.
The bouqinistes are the green stalls attached to the wall above the Seine and they are classic paris. They sell things like used books, records, posters, magnets, and paintings. I think these make great souvenirs!
Fun fact: Bouqiniste comes from the French verb “bouqiner,” which means to read, but in the informal sense. Think “curling up with a good book.” Isn’t that lovely!
Two Miles Later
I don’t know about you but a two-mile stroll (about 45 minutes of walking) goes by pretty quick when it’s in Paris. Two miles from our starting point puts you at Pont Alexandre III, perhaps the most extravagant bridge in Paris.
My tip is to stay on the right bank side and cross the street towards the more western big golden pillar. The photo opps from this location are ideal. I think the Eiffel-Tower-to-subject ratio is perfect. It says, “hi! I’m in Paris,” without shoving it down your throat.
I’ll end this little blog here by suggesting you check out my photography portfolio if you are interested in an affordable and fun photoshoot while you are in Paris!
