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Hidden Gems & Secret Spots in Paris (that locals don’t know about)

Last Updated on 23rd January 2024 by Sophie Nadeau

Peek behind that doorway and wander a little further down that cobbled lane. If you want to catch a real glimpse of the really authentic hidden Paris then there are plenty of secret spots in the City of Light just waiting to be discovered. And so, whether it’s your first, fifth, or hundredth time in the City of Love, then here are the top Paris hidden gems that you won’t want to miss on your next trip to the French capital city!

Hidden gems and secret spots in Paris, France. Here's your guide to non touristy and unusual things to do in the City of Light (Parisian museums and monuments!)

Best Hidden Gems of Paris

#1 Go in search of hidden Paris in Butte Bergeyre, 76 Rue Georges Lardennois, 75019 Paris, France

Head to the North of the city and a little off the beaten tourist path. There, you’ll come across a micro-arrondissement atop of a little mound accessible by just one winding road and two twisting pedestrian walkways. This is Butte Bergeyre, a little settlement filled with art-deco houses and its own secret vineyard in the 19e arrondissement of the city.

Butte Bergeyre, unusual places to see the sacre coeur in paris

#2 Find a relaxing place to read in the Jardin des Colonnes, Place de l’Abbé Jean Lebeuf, 75014 Paris, France

Head to the 14e arrondissement of the city, far and away from the beaten tourist track that visitors to Paris normally take.

After all, in comparison with other nearby arrondissements, the 14e is lacking in the final resting place of Napoleon, Pont Alexandre III and many other iconic Parisian landmarks that would typically take tourists south of the Seine.

Instead, this quirky arrondissement needs to be explored further and more in-depth than a simple stroll, as it is only by walking around that you’ll stumble on the secrets this district reluctantly offers up.

One such hidden spot in Paris is that of Jardin des Colonnes, a secret garden permeated by the scent of sweet smelling lavender and visions of a futuristic façade. Sit here and admire this 20th Century masterpiece. Read a book, bring a picnic, or simply sit and watch the world go by.

My secret Paris locations: quirky and non touristy spots in Paris, France. Jardin des Colonnes, 14e arrondissement!

#3 Be amazed by some architecture at Notre Dame du Travail

One of the quirkiest churches in Paris can be found in the 14e arrondissement, not far from the metro station of Pernety on the 13th line.

Although on the outside Notre Dame du Travail looks fairly standard in the Haussmannian architectural lineup, it’s only once you venture inside that the church will start to give up her secrets.

Admire the wrought iron frame that makes this church so fascinating, and contemplate for a few moments inside its vast interior…

Nearby, the rest of the 14th arrondissement provides plenty of interesting things to see, including the Paris Catacombs and ascending to the top of the impossibly high Tour Montparnasse.

Notre Dame du Travail, 14e arrondissement, Paris: is this the quirkiest church in paris, france?

#4 Delve into Paris’ underground at the Musée des Egouts (Paris sewer museum)

Those looking for Paris’ darker side (literally; this place is underground!) need to look no further than the Paris Sewer Museum. Located near Pont de l’Alma in the 7th arrondissement of the city, the Musée des Égouts documents the voyage of Parisian sewage as it winds its way under French streets on a daily basis.

The museum also documents the intricate plans and complicated history that transformed the streets of the city from open sewer to a modern masterpiece (ie; the Paris we all know and love today!). 

paris sewer museum - most unusual museums in paris

#5 Look for secret Montmartre at Square Marcel Bleustein-Blanchet

Most tourists flock to the Parvis de Sacré-Coeur, glide around the basilica’s exquisite interior, wander the cobbled area of Place du Tertre where artists congregate and then venture no further. They don’t see the hidden history of Montmartre, explore its unusual past or even see its secret vineyard.

Most tourists don’t enjoy the smaller museums the arrondissement has to offer, and nor do they tend to sit, stop and watch the world go by for a little while. But on your next trip to Paris, I urge you to do just that.

Head to the pretty green and terraced space of Square Marcel Bleustein-Blanchet, which was once the site of a former windmill. Find a bench to perch on. Sit. Stop. Wait a while; you’ll be surprised by how much more of Parisian life you witness this way…

Square Marcel-Bleustein-Blanchet: my secret Paris locations: the best green space in Montmartre, Paris, France

#6 Explore Paris’ secret side in the Collège des Bernardins

The little-known and hidden in plain sight Collège des Bernardins is located in the Latin Quarter of the city, not far from the iconic dome of the Paris Pantheon. It is from the Pantheon than a patriotic French flag flies strong and proud.

From almost every viewpoint in the 5e arrondissement of the city, the tricolours of blue, white and red can be seen, signalling that this is an important place to the Parisian landscape and history of France.

But what you may not know is that nearby, there is an even older secret once ecclesiastical building, hiding in the shadows of a small alleyway. Collège des Bernardins was founded as early as the 13th century, where it was used to house ecclesiastical members who attended lectures at the nearby Sorbonne.

The Latin Quarter actually got its name from students of the Sorbonne in the middle ages wandering around and solely conversing in Latin with one another. Today, the cloisters and surrounding buildings are used as a cultural hub and host plenty of fascinating and philosophical talks and lectures.

My Secret Paris locations: Collège des Bernardins: an ancient cistercian school in the heart of Paris, France!

#7 Study and work in a medieval mansion at Bibliothèque Forney

For English speakers, the name of ‘Hôtel de Sens‘ is actually a little deceptive. After all, it’s not the kind of hotel where you can book a room and spend a night or two. Instead, it’s a medieval family mansion, and the oldest surviving one of its kind in Le Marais which was once home to members of the church and wealthy Parisian families.

While the exterior of the building is medieval, pretty and contains one bullet lodged to its façade (a casualty of the French Revolution), the interior has been transformed into a unique library specialising in the arts and humanities. It’s open for anyone to visit, though if you want a library card to take out books, you’ll need a passport-style photo and some form of ID.

Hotel de Sens, Paris, France

#8 Wander the Paris Pet Cemetery

Located a little way out of the peripherique of Paris Proper, you’ll find the Paris Pet Cemetery, which also happens to be the oldest pet graveyard in the world. The Cimetière des Chiens et Autres Animaux Domestiques was founded in the late 1800s.

Today, the Paris pet cemetery is the final resting place of dogs, cats, horses, and even some more unlikely animals. A monkey, chicken, and even a sheep are also interred here. Located on the outskirts of the city, for a few euro you can visit for yourself and the nearest metro station is Gabriel Péri (metro line 13).

paris pet cemetery

#9 Marvel at a house museum in Musée Jacquemart-André

Beautiful tapestries hang on the walls, and equally sumptuous rugs grace the floors. The entire building is adorned with all manner of artworks, objets d’art and other trinkets.

Such was the life of the wealthy French elite in the 19th Century. Perhaps most notable of all is the impressive collection of Italian Renaissance artworks.

Although the Musée Jacquemart-André is now a museum welcoming tens of thousands of visitors annually, it was once family home to a Protestant banking family who built up the collection over the course of their lifetimes. Now, you can see the beautiful French interiors for an entrance fee that’s well worth the price!

Hidden Paris: Secret spots in paris you'll love: Musée Jacquemart-André

#10 Go searching for unique and rare books in the Abbey Bookshop

Tucked away on a little side street in the Latin Quarter, and not far from the Paris Pantheon you’ll find a small bookshop where the books quite literally spill out onto the street.

Located on a cobbled road not far from the iconic English speaking Bookshop of Shakespeare and Co, The Abbey Bookshop misses out on much of the press it deserves in favour of its more famous neighbour.

But that doesn’t mean that you should miss this gem of a store. Wander in and peruse the shelves, all the while sipping on a hot and welcoming coffee as you search for the perfect rare, unique and vintage novel!

The road itself, Rue de la Parcheminerie, is so called because during the Middle Ages, this was where all the scribes and paper makers were based.

Hidden Paris: Secret spots in paris you'll love: abbey bookshop

#11 Admire the architecture of Fontaine des Innocents

In the middle of where you’d least expect, i.e. next to the shopping hall in the 1st arrondissement of Les Halles, Fontaine des Innocents dates back to the 16th-century, making it the oldest public fountain in Paris. Once named the ‘Fountain of Nymphs,’ this hidden Paris gem is well worth checking out if you’re ever in the area.

Rather shockingly, the Renaissance fountain is not the only hidden history lurking within this popular French square close to Forum Les Halles.

Instead, though Place Joachim-du-Bellay may be filled with eateries and people relaxing today, the square was once the site of a centuries-old cemetery…

Fontaine des Innocents & Cimetière des Innocents in the 1st arrondissement of Paris, France

#12 Visit the smallest church in Paris, Eglise Saint-Seraphin-de-Sarov

Situated in the off-the-beaten-path 15th arrondissement of the city, an area of Paris with no major monuments or attractions to offer but plenty of beautiful parks and residential areas, it’s safe to say that the 15eme doesn’t see the level of tourists that say, le Marais or Montmartre have!

However, tourists who venture to this part of Paris will be richly rewarded should they opt to visit 91 rue Lecourbe. For there, behind a button, a carriage door, and through two courtyards, you’ll soon discover Eglise Saint Serpaphin de Sarov, a wooden ecclesiastical building which is easily the most unusual church in Paris!

Eglise Saint-Seraphin-de-Sarov: Hidden Gem of the 15th arrondissement, Paris, France

#13 Discover the Paris Meridian

One of the more hidden gems of Paris is quite literally hidden! You see, in times gone by, the Greenwich Meridian in London had a competitor: that of the Paris Meridian. Once upon a time, each country would have had its own prime Meridian.

However, this inevitably made shipping schedules, communications between countries, and world timing pretty tricky! As time went by, it was decided by an international community during the 17th-century that a ‘prime meridian’ be chosen.

Today, the ‘Paris Meridian’ is commemorated with a series of medallions making their way through the city which are known as the ‘Arago Line’.

The Curious History of the Paris Meridian

#14 Admire Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel

Situated just steps away from the Louvre’s glass-domed pyramid the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel was constructed in the early 1800s to commemorate Napoleon’s military victories.

In fact, though most visitors have only heard about the “main” Arc de Triomphe (l’Arc de Triomphe de l’Étoile), there are actually a number of triumphal arches scattered across the city.

Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel: Paris' Other Triumphal Arch

#15 Cour des Petites Écuries

If you’re looking for a unique Paris hidden gem where you can enjoy a glass of wine with friends and simply watch the world go by, then you need to look no further than La Cour des Petites Écuries and the adjacent Passage des Petites Écuries.

Situated in the lesser-touristed district of the 10th arrondissement of Paris, the secret lane is easy enough to miss if you don’t know where to look!

Popular among locals come Friday and Saturday nights, it’s the kind of place where you’ll find well-priced happy hour pubs and several fine dining establishments.

Cour des Petites Écuries: A Hidden Gem of the 10th arrondissement of Paris, France

#16 Passerelle Debilly

Though everyone has heard of the iconic Pont des Arts, there is yet another bridge spanning the Seine which offers an even better view of the Eiffel Tower (especially at sunset). 

Passerelle Debilly was constructed in 1899 and opened just in time for the World Fair of 1900. Built so as to serve as a pedestrian footbridge connecting the two sides of the Seine, we can’t recommend this beautiful Parisian hidden gem enough!

Passerelle Debilly, paris, france

#17 rue des Thermopyles

Situated in the less-touristed 14th arrondissement of Paris, rue des Thermopyles is a delightful road characterised by its larger cobblestones (a rarity in intra-muros Paris) and abundance of wisteria during the late springtime.

A residential road which feels more like rural France than central Paris, the road is more of a Paris hidden gem than its non-Haussmannian counterparts such as rue Cremieux and the likes. Nearby, Notre Dame du Travail is an early 20th-century church which is equally as fascinating.

rue des Thermopyles, Paris, France

#18 Snap a photo of the pigs at Galerie Vivienne

While visiting Galerie Vivienne, it’s worth noting that one hidden Paris gem which many visitors and locals alike miss is the window stacked with books and home to three little pig sculptures which can be found on the street side, just outside of the rue Vivienne entrance to Galerie Vivienne. As this window is street-facing, it can be seen outside of opening hours, even when the gallery is closed to visitors.

pigs galerie vivienne paris

#19 Discover Moulin de la Galette

Perched close to the top of the Montmartre hill, Le Moulin de la Galette is an iconic windmill turned restaurant in the very heart of the 18th arrondissement of the city.

Located along the ever-so-famous rue Lepic, the windmill dates all the way back to the 17th-century and has a surprising history, including being painted by many an impressionist painter. Curious to know more? Discover the lost windmills of Paris here.

Lost Paris Windmills: a quick history behind the longforgotten Montmartre Windmills, 18e, Paris, France

#21 Visit the Paris Mosque

Situated in the 5th arrondissement (the Latin Quarter) of Paris, the Grande Mosquée de Paris is one of the largest Mosques in France and dates back close to a century.

This serene and beautiful location boasts a wonderful and secluded central courtyard garden, which even has plenty of wisteria trees which bloom during the springtime.

After visiting the Mosque, I highly recommend heading to the next door café and restaurant. A particular speciality of note is the mint tea for sale for €2 and the various sweet pastries (many of which are almond and pistachio based), which are also for sale for €2 each.

Grand Mosquée de Paris wisteria

#22 Discover the history of flooding in Paris

Dating back to way before the Roman Empire, before the Seine was gifted its current name, and when the city was still known as Lutetia, Paris still flooded on a grand scale just as often as it does now. That is to say, once or twice every decade or so.

Today, there are several flood markers across the city which mark the spots where the Seine rose to particularly high levels. As well as a marker on rue des Chantres in the Île de la Cité district of the city, which indicates just how high the waters got during the 1910 floods, another important marker is that of the Zouave statue.

Used as a local ‘yardstick’ of sorts, the stone likeness of a soldier under Pont Alma, and known as ‘the Zouave’ indicates just how high the water has risen. The water level reached the soldier’s shoulders during the 1910 floods.

To give you an indication, whenever the water rises to the soldier’s shoes, the Seine is closed for boats. In 2015, the water rose to a total of 6.5 metres above the normal level, reaching the statue’s waist.

Zouave statue, Pont de l'Alma

#23 Watch the sunset through the centre of the Arc de Triomphe 

One of my favourite hidden gems is not a secret spot per se but is instead an event you simply must go and witness for yourself during the late spring. Around the 10th May, instead of going up the Arc de Triomphe, snap a photo of the sun setting directly in the middle of it. Just don’t look directly at the suns! 

#24 Enjoy a tea at the Grand Mosque

Those looking to enjoy sweet treats and delicious tea in Paris should look no further than the tearoom of the Grand Mosque in the 5th arrondissement of the city.

Though the Paris Mosque itself is by no stretch of the imagination a hidden gem, its accompanying tearoom and restaurant boasts a beautiful terrace where you can sit in the open air and admire the mosaics while sipping on your mint tea.

#25 Stay in a boat hotel

If you’re looking for a particularly unique experience when it comes to staying in Paris, you should note that it’s possible to stay on a boat! The Off Paris Seine is a four-star hotel offering amenities such as free Wi-Fi and a swimming pool. Check prices and availability here.

#26 Discover the hidden façades of Paris

Wander through Paris for any given amount of time and you’ll soon notice a uniformity to the architecture. This is all thanks to the Haussmann renovations of the 19th-century which created the wide plane tree lined boulevards, sprawling cafés and lead-lined rooftops of the French capital that we all know and love today.

But what you may not know is that, in a bid to keep the aesthetics of the city in check, there are many fake façades of Paris, each hiding their own secret. Some façades which are actually fake and are actually empty behind so as to allow the metro to air itself include;

174 rue du faubourg saint denis, 145 rue lafayette, 29 rue quincampoix, 27 rue bergere, 44 rue daboukir.

Map of the best hidden gems of Paris

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Secret Paris: if you're looking for quirky and unusual things to do in Paris, then this guide will introduce you to the best Paris hidden gems and secret destinations in France
10 quirky, offbeat and unusual secret spots in Paris you'll fall in love with! Hidden Paris, Île de France, France.

Sophie Nadeau loves dogs, books, travel, pizza, and history. A Francophile at heart, she runs solosophie.com when she’s not chasing after the next sunset shot or consuming something sweet. She splits her time between Paris and London and travels as much as she can! Subscribe to Sophie’s YouTube Channel.

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Diana

Saturday 11th of February 2023

This is actually a very good list of sites I haven't heard of. I will check them out next time. The only ones that I wouldn't include is Les Egouts and Abby Bookseller, which is in every tourist list out there.

Sophie T

Friday 7th of May 2021

This blog post is a gem! Oh, if I could just hop in a plane right now... Thank you for sharing all those great ideas, I'm a big fan of your blog!

Peter Jacobs

Saturday 18th of May 2019

I am a periodic Parisien and share your appreciation of the Abbey Bookstore but it is so small and so overloaded with books that it makes Shakespeare and Company look like one of the old Border’s. One often has to wait for a patron to leave so that another can squeeze in. But the staff is friendly, knowledgeable and helpful.

Michelle

Saturday 9th of March 2019

Thank you, Sophie! I moved to Paris seven months ago with my husband and son and have finally settled into enough of.a rhythm that I'm able to spend a bit more time exploring. As a writer I can't wait to visit Biblioteque Fornay. I have visited some of the amazing libraries here but haven't seen that one yet.

Sophie Nadeau

Tuesday 12th of March 2019

Thanks for your message! I hope that you're having a wonderful time living in Paris- there are so many stunning libraries but Bibliotheque Forney is certainly one of the finest :D

Sonja

Sunday 28th of January 2018

Great ideas!!! I've never heard of any of them and it's great to read a list of different places to see in such a visited place!

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