11 free activities to do in Paris

activité gratuite paris

You wish to visit Paris and you don't want to spend too much on your activities? Paris is one of the most prestigious destinations in the world, but that doesn't mean that exploring it has to cost a fortune. Indeed, the capital offers several ideas for activities to do at a lower cost or even for free. The city is known worldwide for the diversity of its cultural offer (museums, historical monuments...); tourist and sports opportunities are not lacking either in the city of love and romance. Find in this article the best plans to fully enjoy a cheap getaway in Paris.

1. Walking the aisles of the Saint-Ouen flea market

Throughout France, markets are among the main tourist attractions in cities. Paris is no exception to the rule. The Saint-Ouen flea market is the place to be if you like antiques. There are many antique and second-hand dealers offering all kinds of curiosities. The Saint-Ouen market covers about three hectares; it may take you a whole afternoon to stroll through all its alleys. In any case, as you pass from stall to stall, you will soak up the warm atmosphere that reigns in the Parisian market.

2. Admire the architecture of the Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral

During the reconstruction work, the most emblematic religious building in France remains closed to the public. Visitors can nevertheless approach it to admire its architecture. Notre-Dame de Paris is indeed one of the most beautiful achievements of Gothic art. Eight hundred years old, the Parisian monument is a precious witness to the pages of the history of the capital and the country; likewise, part of the evolution of Gothic art is visible through its architecture, the cathedral presenting the characteristics of the primitive Gothic and the flamboyant Gothic.

3. Getting to Père-Lachaise Cemetery

The Père-Lachaise cemetery is one of the most famous cultural places in Paris. Also appreciated for its historical interest, it owes its fame to the many personalities who rest there, such as Edith Piaf, Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde and Molière. At the same time, the estate is a green park. Take advantage of the peaceful setting of the cemetery to stroll along its cobbled paths or simply sit on a bench in the shade of a tree.

4. Visit a free museum

The City of Light is full of museums that you can visit for free. For certain establishments, this free admission is valid every day and all year round. For example, admission is free for the National Museum of the Legion of Honour and Orders of Knights (7e), the Compagnonnage Museum-Bookstore (6e), the Musée Curie (5e) or the Musée de la Préfecture de Police (5e); in some museums, free admission is provided for access to the permanent collections: Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris (16e), Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace (Le Bourget), Musée Bourdelle (15e), Cernuschi Museum (8e), Petit Palais - Musée des Beaux-Arts de la Ville de Paris (8e)…

For other museums, free admission is limited to certain periods of the year, such as the first Sunday of each month (all year round): Musée national d'art moderne - Centre Pompidou (4e), Musée des Arts et des Métiers (3e), National Museum of the Middle Ages (5e), Eugène Delacroix National Museum (6e)…

You can also take advantage of free night-time admission to certain museums, such as the Louvre (first Saturday of each month) or the Musée des Arts et des Métiers (every Thursday). Finally, many establishments grant free admission to the permanent collections to young people under 26 years of age who are nationals of EU Member States, and to teachers in the National Education system. Among these establishments, the Louvre (1er), the Jean-Jacques Henner National Museum (17e) or the Gustave Moreaux National Museum (9e)…

Here are 2 examples of museums where access to the permanent collections is free.

4.1 Museum of Modern Art of the City of Paris

The Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris has one of the most important collections in the country. Visitors flock there to discover its 10,000 or so works of art. Among these gems are paintings by masters such as Pablo Picasso, Juan Gris, Henri Matissse, Alberto Giacometti, Georges Braque and Yves Klein. The visit is also an opportunity to admire the architecture of the Palais de Tokyo.

4.2 Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace (Le Bourget)

The Air and Space Museum also attracts many visitors. There are more than one hundred and fifty models of aircraft, but also various spacious objects, including art objects on the theme of the balloons of the 18th and 19th centuries.

5. Participate in sports sessions

Make the most of your time in the capital to take part in trial courses or sports sessions. Various groups, associations, clubs and town halls offer different disciplines, including boxing, zumba, yoga, tennis or calisthenics. The sessions usually take place on Sunday mornings, although you can ask the organiser for the schedule of weekday sessions.

6. Geocaching

You may not know much about geocaching or you may have heard a bit vague about it from your friends... Whatever! It's an exciting activity that is gaining more and more followers. It is in fact a giant treasure hunt with the objective of finding the "geocaches" hidden by the other participants. By going to Geocaching.com, you will find a list of all the geocaches, but also information such as their location or level of difficulty. Caches come in a variety of sizes, and this usually affects the size of the cache. In any case, there is always a small notebook in a geocache that you have to sign to indicate that you have been to the place where it is placed.

7. Explore the capital with a greeters

Who are the greeters? They are volunteers who agree to give a free tour of the city during a walk. This encourages an authentic meeting between the visitor(s) and the greeter. Accompanied visits are for tourists the opportunity to discover the city of romance from a different angle, far from the black tourist sites of the world. The greeter does not adopt the classic reflexes of the professional guide; he or she will show you, in a natural way, his or her neighbourhood and the surrounding area. Each greeter can accompany a maximum of six visitors. In any case, this is a great opportunity to get to know each other. You just have to go to the Greeters.paris page to register and discover the available volunteers.

8. Attend an auction

You are free to attend an auction, even if you just come out of curiosity. Among the addresses we can recommend is the Hôtel Drouot, where famous paintings are displayed alongside antique furniture. Attending a session allows you, in a certain sense, to travel through more or less remote eras, all the more so as the establishment is the oldest auction house in the world.

9. Visit the gardens of Versailles

It was to rest - and incidentally to "escape" the capital and its cumbersome plots - that King Louis XIII had a modest hunting lodge built on the outskirts of the city. Louis XIV profoundly transformed his father's peaceful home by building sumptuous apartments, the Hall of Mirrors and a palatial chapel. He also embellished it by having André le Nôtres lay out gardens of exceptional beauty. The visit is a wonderful opportunity to plunge back into this world of royal splendour which has so much marked the History of France. Take the opportunity to admire the splendour of the most visited castle in the world.

10. Take a rollerblade ride

It's an original way to discover Paris. Sign up for one of the hikes proposed by Paris Roller or Roller & Coquillages, two associations particularly active in the capital. Open to all, they take place every Friday evening and Sunday afternoon. It is an activity that you can practice with friends or family. It may also be an opportunity to meet new people. The participants roam the streets of Paris in complete safety, the rides being escorted by police motorcyclists.

11. Attend a film course

If you want to learn more about how the world of cinema works, the courses given at the Forum des Images should be of interest to you. Each week, several specialists approach the seventh art from the point of view of their respective disciplines. Among the speakers are theorists such as film historians, but also psychoanalysts and sociologists. Admission is free, but it is recommended that you reserve your place without delay on the Forumdesimages.fr website, indicating the theme that interests you.

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