After visiting Paris for more than 50 years, both for business and pleasure, there are still places that make me fall in love with this city again and again.
So, let me take you on a journey through Paris; and experience the city through my eyes.
Originally published in May 2020 | Updated September 2026
Saint-Germain-des-Prés — my Paris neighbourhood
One of my favorite neighbourhoods is Saint Germain des Prés in the 6th arrondissement. A good starting point for lots of activities. On walking distance the Seine, Notre Dame, Montparnasse, the Marais and I always feel safe when I’m on my own. That means I son’t have to go by the Metro to go to a restaurant. There are fashion shops from Armani to Zara and there is a pleasant informal atmosphere in the streets.
Walking along the Seine
One of the things I love most about Paris is simply walking along the Seine.
You don’t need a destination. Start somewhere in Saint-Germain-des-Prés and follow the river. Watch the boats pass, look at the bridges, and stop whenever something catches your eye.
For me, the Seine is part of the rhythm of Paris. It connects so many familiar places, but it also reminds me that you don’t have to rush from one highlight to another. Sometimes the best way to experience a city is simply to walk and see where it takes you.
I have learned that some of my favourite moments are the unplanned ones: a view from a bridge, a beautiful building reflected in the water, or simply sitting for a while and watching Paris go by.
Saint-Sulpice and a little Dan Brown
Just a short walk from the lively streets of Saint-Germain-des-Prés is the beautiful church of Saint-Sulpice.
For many visitors, the church became especially well known after Dan Brown included it in his novel The Da Vinci Code. Walking inside, you can easily understand why a place like this captures the imagination: the atmosphere is quiet, mysterious and completely different from the busy streets outside.
Even if you haven’t read the book, Saint-Sulpice is worth stepping inside. Paris has many famous landmarks, but sometimes it is the quieter places that stay with you.
Paris Café Culture: More Than a Coffee
For me, visiting Paris is not complete without sitting in a café and simply watching the city go by.
Parisian cafés have always been more than places to drink coffee. They have been meeting places for writers, artists, philosophers and anyone with time to sit, talk and observe.
One of the most famous is Café de Flore, on Boulevard Saint-Germain. Of course, it is a place that attracts visitors from all over the world today, but its history is part of what makes it special.
Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir were among the intellectuals who spent time in the cafés of Saint-Germain-des-Prés. The idea that these two great thinkers once sat here discussing life, philosophy and writing makes having a coffee feel like being part of a small piece of Parisian history.
And perhaps that is what I love most about café culture in Paris. You don’t need to do anything. You simply sit down, order a coffee, and for a little while, you are part of the city around you. Most well known are Café de Flore and les Deux Magots, both on the boulevard Saint-Germain.
A Dinner Among Books
To stay in the atmosphere of literary Paris, I also love Les Éditeurs, near the Odéon.
The name means “The Publishers”, and books are very much part of the character of this place. It feels like a natural continuation of the café culture of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, where writers and ideas have always been part of everyday life.
I also like that Paris offers places where you can feel completely comfortable on your own. A small table, a good meal, a glass of wine and the people around you — sometimes that is all you need for a perfect evening in Paris.
Two places I would visit for interiors and books
In the 6th and 7th arrondissement there are a lot of interiorshops. I used to list them for you but now, in 2026, AI can do this better than I can. but I would still like to draw your attention to the following two shops
- MUJI, 30 Rue Saint-Sulpice, 75006; natural and simple design. This Japanese based company wants to sell well designed, attractively priced and unbranded (yeah!!) products. When I was with a friend and told her that I wanted to buy a dustpan and brush in Paris, she laughed, but let’s be honest, isn’t it great to buy something simple that looks good. Sometimes the smallest, most ordinary object becomes a souvenir. (You can now order online in the Netherlands, but you still cannot visit a Muji Store in our country).
- TASCHEN, 2 Rue de Buci, 75006; with a selection of beautiful Interior Design books, as they mention themselves: “Shop the most coveted books from fashion to film, and everything in between”. Their limited editions are spectacular.
Discovering Paris slowly — by bike or on foot
After you have seen the most important things on a first visit to Paris, highlights like Tour Eiffel, Notre Dame, Sacré Coeur (maybe with the help of a red bus tour) it is nice to discover more on a bike. In Paris bikes are to rent all over the city. Velib’ has about 20.000 bike and it’s easy to use.
A few years ago we (me and daughter Madeleine) visited Bercy Village a paved courtyard bordered with historic, white stone storehouses around the Cour Saint-Emilion. A name that reminds us of the former largest wine market in the world on this location. And what is more fun than cycling along the Seine? (my bike was from the parking garage).
Enjoy Paris your own way
I have learned that there is no right or wrong way to experience this city.
Of course, Paris has its famous highlights, and some of them are definitely worth seeing. But you don’t have to check everything off a list to fall in love with Paris.
Take your time. Wander through the streets. Sit down at a café. Walk along the Seine. Step inside a church, browse a bookshop, or simply watch the world go by.
Paris is a city that reveals itself in different ways to everyone. And perhaps the most beautiful way to experience it is to follow your own curiosity and create your own memories.
So, enjoy Paris — your own way. After all, that is exactly how the city becomes yours.
A tradition that began twenty years ago: a cocktail to kick off the holiday!
If you love Paris you will also enjoy another weekend city tip/city trip: Berlin
Want to see Paris through my eyes? I recently made a video about experiencing the city without trying to see everything. You can watch it here.
