Paris and the surrounding area will be celebrating local craftsmanship and know-how on 17, 18 and 19 November 2023 with the ParisLocal event
Find maps of tours by arrondissement and department to visit workshops and maybe even unearth some rare gems!
It's in the heart of Paris that the capital's cultural life beats most strongly. Around every corner, you'll see a new French treasure, one of the majestic jewels that make up the rich heritage of Central Paris. The Louvre Museum, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Pompidou Centre. Here, historic grandeur rubs shoulders with creative virtuosity. The artisans of beauty, art and luxury, from precious goldsmiths to top-of-the-range restorers. The essence of a Parisian identity is yours on this breathtaking stroll, one of those escapades that take you on a journey from the unusual to the eternal.
Take a stroll through the heart of Paris's 6th arrondissement and listen to the gentle murmurings of the past on this nostalgic stroll. A coffee on the terrace of the capital's oldest bistro. A stroll through the meandering quartier de Saint-Germain des Prés where the lively spirits of Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre still float. An authentic encounter with a creator of made-to-measure dresses, avant-garde designers or a chef who loves our local produce. The stroll is rich and the rest well deserved, on the green metal chairs lining the fountains of the Jardin du Luxembourg.
The treasures of Paris's 7th arrondissement can be seen from the banks of the river. On the Seine, passengers on the bateaux-mouches look up at the immense iron monument. On the quayside, passers-by can only make out the pointed top. The Tour Eiffel is like a beacon in the district. Nearby are the Quai Branly Museum, the Musée d'Orsay and the Hotel National des Invalides. The history of France and Paris is told here. It's a walk full of the power of heritage and creativity. In the adjoining alleyways, you'll find the artisans of luxury and haute gastronomy: an art dealer, a renowned shoemaker, a pastry chef trained by the greatest. Here, the Seine bears witness to the capital's historic past and the creations that will shape its identity in the future.
Take a deep breath and let the scents of nature and gourmet delights waft over this invigorating trail. Walk beneath the wild cherry trees in the Bois de Vincennes. Take a deep breath! The Renée-Dumont green corridor allows you to cross the 12th arrondissement of Paris on foot or by bike. Under the Viaduc des Arts, push open the door of a distillerie or a confiturerie. Smell the fumes of sugar and alcohol emanating from these artisans' workshops. Further afield, amid the dizzying noise of the Aligre market, enjoy a glass of locally produced and bottled wine or a steaming cup of coffee roasted just around the corner.
There are villages in Paris. Neighbourhoods of the capital where life seems quieter, where time passes to the rhythm of the slow footsteps of those who venture there. The 14th arrondissement invites you to discover authentic "village neighbourhoods", where cobbled streets lined with houses with colourful shutters and designer workshops intertwine. Here, craftsmen use their hands to make sweet soaps, marvellous lighting, delicate jewellery** and ceramics. An artistic life that becomes more lively in the evening, if you enter the theatres in the Montparnasse district.
There are districts where elegance and nobility are the very identity of the architecture. Take a stroll through the quiet, pastoral streets of Paris's 16th arrondissement. Observe the facades of the opulent buildings, cast an inquisitive eye through the windows of the grand private mansions and pass through the doors of the many museums, from the Palais de Tokyo to the Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris. Meet the people who bring life to the district. Artisans welcome you to their lairs: ceramists, painters, mosaicists. The creations of artists are honoured here, even in the arcana of the Fondation Louis Vuitton or the Musée Yves Saint Laurent.
Walk along a disused railway line in the heart of wild vegetation. It's an unusual and rejuvenating walk. You are indeed in Paris, but in one of the most unusual and innovative neighbourhoods, the 18th arrondissement. In these lively streets, the restaurants are organic cantines, the fashion is ethical and responsible, the educational farms are eco-friendly. Local residents produce 100% organic cheese and brew their own beer. You'll discover an eco-responsible recycling centre and a community publishing house. And to round off this invigorating walk, try your hand at wheel acrobatics in France's largest indoor skate park.
It's in the 19th arrondissement that some of the pages of the capital's new cultural life are being written. This former industrial district is home to the largest multi-cultural and artistic centre in Paris: the Parc de la Villette. In the middle of the lawns, in buildings that shine with their modernity, artistic and musical creation and scientific innovation are revealed to adults and young people alike. Further on, a local craftsman creates zero-waste textiles. Next door, an art gallery is promoting access to arts and crafts for all. Commitment is everywhere! Even on the banks of the Canal Saint-Denis, where the walls bear the mark of Street Art, which has planted its flag there.
Walk along the paths of a kitchen garden where a group of neighbours grow vegetables and flowers. You're in the 20th arrondissement of Paris, and you're getting a glimpse of the conviviality of a working-class neighbourhood with a village feel. Several "urban farms" have sprung up here in recent years. These are green settings, similar to the historic Parc de Belleville and Cimetière du Père Lachaise. From nature to popular culture, you'll stroll through lively alleyways, where you'll find terraces serving liqueurs and locally brewed beers, as well as pizzas and pastries prepared by the artisans du bon goût de Paris.
There are secret islands to be discovered on this tour of the outskirts of the capital. You'll need to venture out into the currents of the Marne in a canoe or kayak. You're in Nogent-sur-Marne in the Val-de-Marne département. Here, life flows along with the water and the guinguettes nestling on the quays. Higher up in the town, the mysteries of the river give way to the secrets of the craftsmen. They make theatre masks, dried flower arrangements, porcelain and fabric. To sneak into their workshops is to get a first-hand feel for the deep-rooted identity of a marvellous area of artistic creation at the gateway to Greater Paris.
