Owen Lyncholynch@mathstodon.xyz
May 22, 2026, 2:42 PMI'm trying to stick to my "ask mastodon rather than chatgpt" habit: does anyone have recommendations for interesting places to visit in Paris?
Replies
- Owen Lyncholynch@mathstodon.xyzMay 22, 2026, 4:22 PM
The responses to this prove that humans rock :)
Skewray Researchskewray@mathstodon.xyzMay 22, 2026, 2:49 PM@olynch Catacombs. Get there really early, though.
May 22, 2026, 2:53 PM@olynch The list is just endless. What are you interested in? Monuments, museums, parks?
You can also have a look here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tourist_attractions_in_Paris
- May 22, 2026, 3:17 PM
@olynch Random selection of personal favorites: parc Montsouris (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parc_Montsouris), bois de Vincennes (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bois_de_Vincennes), basilique du Sacré-Cœur (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacr%C3%A9-C%C5%93ur,_Paris), hôtel des invalides (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Invalides). (I would have recommended the palais de la découverte if it wasn't closed currently.) The catacombs are very interesting but you need to book a week in advance. Also, @gro-tsen.bsky.social wrote blog posts in French about parks, forests and hikes in the region:
http://www.madore.org/~david/weblog/d.2024-02-16.2785.tourisme-idf-p1.html
http://www.madore.org/~david/weblog/d.2024-02-23.2786.tourisme-idf-p2.html
Matt Massicottemattiem@mastodon.socialMay 22, 2026, 2:58 PM@olynch I was truly stunned by the Arc de Triomphe. If architecture and/or monuments is even remotely interesting I cannot recommend it enough.
Cass Alexandrucxandru@types.plMay 22, 2026, 4:00 PM@olynch the Musée des Arts et des Metiers (a science and technology museum). It features prominently in Umberto Eco's "Foucault's Pendulum"
May 22, 2026, 4:07 PM@olynch Sainte-Chapelle is really cool (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sainte-Chapelle)
Andrew MillarA_J_Millar@fediscience.orgMay 22, 2026, 7:53 PM- May 22, 2026, 9:13 PM
I can also cosign the recommendation of Le Train Bleu
Matthew Dockreyattoparsec@clacks.linkMay 22, 2026, 4:14 PM@olynch The Rodin museum
Timo Laine (he/him)timolaine@mastodon.greenMay 23, 2026, 5:53 AM@attoparsec @olynch The Rodin museum is excellent and intimate.
Daveydavey_cakes@mastodon.ieMay 22, 2026, 4:16 PM@olynch the Louvre is amazing but the Musee d'Orsay is also brilliant, you can see it in one go without your brain melting, and it doesn't have crowding problems like the Louvre
AmazingMeagenAmazingMeagen@8bitorbust.infoMay 22, 2026, 4:17 PM
Gail Parentigparenti@mstdn.socialMay 22, 2026, 4:21 PM@olynch The Père Lachaise Cemetery is fascinating.
May 22, 2026, 5:08 PM- AmazingMeagenAmazingMeagen@8bitorbust.infoMay 22, 2026, 4:22 PM
Le Cripamphibiecripamphibie@mastodon.onlineMay 22, 2026, 4:37 PM@olynch if you are into climbing at the top of a tower to enjoy the view, I would recommend to climb the Tour Montparnasse and not the Eiffel Tower, here is why :
- Eiffel tower is crowded and queues are soooo long.
The Eiffel tower is nice to see from afar.
- Tour Montparnasse is not known as a touristic place, so it's not crowded at all.
The opening hours are larger, so you can schedule to have the sunset.
The Montparnasse tower is really ugly, so when you are at the top, you don't see it.
Lien Raglienrag@mastodon.tedomum.netMay 22, 2026, 7:27 PMThe panoramic lift at the Arche de la Défense is nice too (but La Défense itself, not so much).
Bankbintjedoublesandal@mastodon.artMay 22, 2026, 8:30 PM@cripamphibie @olynch Tour Montparnasse is closed afaik. But indeed that was my preferred option until two months ago. You can still climb the Arc de Triomphe though, which is nice too.
- Le Cripamphibiecripamphibie@mastodon.onlineMay 22, 2026, 9:37 PM
@doublesandal @olynch thanks for the update !
Yes arc de triomphe is nice too, and the building itself much more interesting as well ! 
badscooterbadscooter@bzh.socialMay 22, 2026, 9:01 PM@cripamphibie @olynch bonjour, la tour Montparnasse est fermée pour travaux en ce moment.
- Le Cripamphibiecripamphibie@mastodon.onlineMay 22, 2026, 9:37 PM
@badscooter @olynch Merci pour l'update !
CynBlogger™️🇺🇸 ❌👑cynblogger@sfba.socialMay 22, 2026, 4:43 PM@olynch
Marmottan museum (smaller, intimate venue for Monet & other works)
Cluny museum (medieval)
Sainte Chapelle (absolute!) check street flyers for concerts scheduled - spectacular!)
Search online for parks — they’ll all be beautiful. I like Jardin du Luxembourg & Jardin des Plantes
Take a boat ride on the Seine. When possible, use buses instead of the Metro (you see more of the city).
The French Quarter & Ile St. Louis are SO “Paris”
Don’t avoid the “touristy” places — they’re popular for a reason.
Basilica St. Denis — first Gothic church, original stained glass, much history (& Notre Dame, of course)
Rick Steves has a great guide book for attractions.
Bread, croissants, crepes, coffee, butter! Street crepes are excellent (if you like cheese)
Bon voyage! Best city in the world — enjoy!
May 22, 2026, 5:16 PMRightly don’t avoid the touristy places, but I would tend to avoid the restaurants near the touristy places. Just a couple of streets away the food will often be better and almost always less expensive.
May 22, 2026, 4:46 PMMy favourite restaurant in Paris is Le Potager de Marais. Its vegan.
If you like fashion, its near the Pierre Cardin museum where you can see a whole lot of mannequins in space age fashion.
How long will you be in Paris? What cultural sectors are you most interested in? (History? Writing? Art? Music? Transport?)
Jules she/herafewbugs@social.coopMay 22, 2026, 5:33 PM- May 22, 2026, 5:07 PM
@olynch Don't pay Louvre prices for snacks. Instead, go into a random grocery store and buy a bag of chocolate croissants.
Beggar MidasBeggarmidas@mastodon.socialMay 23, 2026, 7:37 PM
May 22, 2026, 5:14 PM@olynch
Find a patisserie and focus an afternoon on finding it, and buying something you'd never buy at home. La Pâtisserie Cyril Lignac and Pâtisserie Pain de Sucre have featured in my past trips. Not specifically because they were special or popular - any pâtisserie will do, especially if it's nowhere near a tourist site.Pick a museum and go there. Any one. Don't see it all, and don't worry about it.
Catacombs.
Find Jim Morrison.
Quixoticgeekquixoticgeek@v.stMay 22, 2026, 5:17 PM@olynch museum de arts et mesiers. I cannot recommend this museum highly enough. Forget the Louvre, this is the one Paris museum to visit.
Jarjantifajarjan@mederland.nlMay 22, 2026, 5:18 PM@olynch
Smoke a joint with Jim Morrison 😁
kralcttam ☕️kralcttam@mastodon.socialMay 22, 2026, 5:19 PM@olynch Musee d'Orsay if you like Impressionism, and who doesn't?
- CynBlogger™️🇺🇸 ❌👑cynblogger@sfba.socialMay 22, 2026, 5:20 PM
@olynch
P.S.
if you haven’t already booked your accommodations, you can save a LOT of money by finding an apartment where you can cook a bit. Restaurant food is VERY expensive, but groceries are not. I saved enough $$ this way to pay for (adventurous) taxi rides. 
Ciarán Ferrieccferrie@mastodon.ieMay 22, 2026, 5:21 PM@olynch the Institute du Monde Arabe is an incredible building with some amazing exhibitions
May 22, 2026, 10:11 PM
May 22, 2026, 10:24 PM- Jules she/herafewbugs@social.coopMay 22, 2026, 5:32 PM
@olynch the Marie Curie museum! https://musee.curie.fr/
Dr Micha Campbellmichcampbell@fediscience.orgMay 22, 2026, 5:36 PM@olynch it's such a great city. You could fill a weekend just walking around soaking it in and stopping at appropriate intervals for wine and cheese.
Of the big museums I've only been to the Musee d'Orsay, their impressionist collection is wonderful.
I had an outstanding meal here - tiny bistro, family feels, incredibly good food.
Benjamin Sonntag-Kingbenjamin@piaille.frMay 22, 2026, 5:45 PM@olynch If you search for unusual places
You have la mouzaïa
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quartier_de_la_Mouza%C3%AFa
Or la butte bergeyre close to butte Chaumont parc.
Kelsey Jordahlkajord@hachyderm.ioMay 22, 2026, 6:08 PM@olynch the crowded places are crowded for a reason, I won’t tell you not to go to the Louvre or Notre Dame but you don’t need my recommendation for them.
Good suggestions elsewhere in this thread, I will add a couple of my favorite sites of ancient Roman Paris: Musée Cluny and Arène de Lutece.
- Kelsey Jordahlkajord@hachyderm.ioMay 22, 2026, 6:11 PM
@olynch I have not been, but next time I get to Paris I want to visit an original public meter standard: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-last-original-standard-metre-paris-france
Lynn DLynnD@cosocial.caMay 22, 2026, 6:17 PM@olynch one of my favourites is the Musée de Moyen-Age (a.k.a the Cluny) https://www.musee-moyenage.fr/en/home
I agree with others who have said to stay away from the restaurants/cafes in the touristic areas. They are overpriced, and the food is mostly subpar.
Maria Langer VOTEDmlanger@mastodon.worldMay 22, 2026, 6:20 PM@olynch @godber I'm having trouble believing that anyone would ask ChatGPT, a large language model that is incapable of having an opinion, a question like that. Of course it's going to give you a list of top tourist attractions (like you might find on Wikipedia). But are those "interesting" places? Or places that people go just to be able to tell other people that they went there?
Austin Godbergodber@az.socialMay 22, 2026, 6:28 PMI talked with ChatGPT about what to visit in Dublin a few years ago, it was pretty much like looking at a list on Wikipedia or Google. But it did kind of walk me through a decision tree of interests to narrow things down, which I did NOT do for Owen here. The audio chat interface was new at the time and the experience was good enough to be worth the ten minutes I spent on it. It told me where to find the bog men just fine. I didn't even know I wanted bog men.
- Maria Langer VOTEDmlanger@mastodon.worldMay 22, 2026, 6:37 PM
May 22, 2026, 7:06 PM@olynch Jardin des Plantes. Wonderful gardens and greenhouses. And I'm gonna get hate for this maybe, but Pizza Wawa on Rue des Halles. Delicious.
nellie-mnellie_m@autisticpri.deMay 22, 2026, 7:13 PMI’ve never been to Paris but I feel #askMastodonRatherThanChatGPT should totally be a hashtag.
Ronanronanmcd@mastodon.greenMay 22, 2026, 7:14 PM@olynch musée cluny. Really special place, with some fantastic comic book (bd) shops in the vicinity.
There's also an antiques market in front of st sulpice which is pretty cool- way upmarket, Rolexes etc. Not sure how often it's on though
acmacm_redfox@jawns.clubMay 23, 2026, 10:42 PM
Nullstring 🏴☠️0x00string@infosec.exchangeMay 22, 2026, 7:16 PM@olynch yes! in the catacombs you can see this sick awesome bone temple place: https://www.catacombes.paris.fr/en/history/ossuary
VirginicusVirginicus@universeodon.comMay 22, 2026, 9:40 PM@0x00string @olynch Possibly the #1 place where both meanings of “sick” are equally applicable.
nick rothwellcassiel@post.lurk.orgMay 22, 2026, 7:30 PM@olynch I’ve not seen a reply recommending the Beaubourg - it’s worth a visit if a bit touristy. But for a sublime architectural experience get out to the Grande Arche. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grande_Arche
Itsdanwitsdanw@universeodon.comMay 22, 2026, 7:35 PM@olynch Highly recommend Musee Rodin, Sainte-Chapelle, and Montmartre and the Basilique.
Owlor 🦋Owlor@meow.socialMay 22, 2026, 7:38 PM@olynch They say the top of tour Montparnasse has the best view in all of Paris... cus it's the only plave where you don't have to see tour Montparnasse.
- Owlor 🦋Owlor@meow.socialMay 22, 2026, 7:41 PM
@olynch I also remember finding a street that was basically wall-to-wall creperies. If you see cups on the table, those are not for coffee, those are for cider.
That confused me a lot, I ordered tea and they brought a separate cup for tea, I didn't figure out until I got home and talked to a french friend that those cups where for cider.
villonvillon@bildung.socialMay 22, 2026, 9:04 PMDasselbe wurde auch mal über den Eiffelturm gesagt. Dass man diese Hässlichkeit von dort aus nicht sehen muss.
The same was once said about the Eiffel Tower. That you don’t have to look at that eyesore from there.
#parisAnsonsten die Passagen erkunden, die noch vorhanden sind.
Otherwise, explore the passages that are still there.
Auf den Spuren von W. Benjamin.https://www.thisisparis.blog/de/%C3%BCberdachte-Passagen-Paris/
Mark Burtonmarkhburton@mstdn.socialMay 22, 2026, 7:47 PM@olynch
The Albert Khan museum: incredible photography collection from around the world.
https://albert-kahn.hauts-de-seine.fr/en/
May 22, 2026, 8:01 PM@markhburton @olynch I came here to say this! I've never been there yet, but there was a documentary series on TV about Albert Kahn and his collection (colour photos from around the world BEFORE WORLD WAR I) some ten years ago or so, and I've wanted to see it ever since.
Another place maybe worth visiting: the urban forest that has replaced the open square in front of the Hôtel de Ville (City Hall). Not far from Notre Dame. https://parissecret.com/en/urban-forest-parvis-hotel-de-ville/
BobDevneyBobDevney@wandering.shopMay 22, 2026, 8:05 PMGreat memories from my 2013 trip:
Un grand oui to Musée de Moyen-Age, Sainte-Chapelle, Arène de Lutece (rediscovered Roman arena).
Go green at Jardin du Luxembourg, Jardin des Plantes, Place des Vosges & Promenade plantée René-Dumont linear skyway park.
Louvre: focus on 5 works. Include Vermeer's sublime "The Lacemaker" & "The Astronomer" & Uccello's astonishing "Battle of San Romano."
All-chocolate lunch at Jacques Genin, then dinner galettes at Breizh Café.
