Paris Discovered: Explorations in the City of Light

Uncovering the Paris that charmed Thomas Jefferson in the 18th century and George Gershwin in the 20th, this guide—written by an historian and based on personal exploration, old maps, and documents—offers 50 walking destinations, many unfamiliar even to Parisians. Several excursions evoke the spirit of an age past by exploring the haunts of Heloise and Abelard, Frederic Chopin, the Impressionist painters, and the American expatriates of the 1920s. Images of the French Revolution are conjured by the neighborhoods of Les Miserables and the mystery of the lost dauphin. Other tours of the very earliest houses and churches—along with waterworks, medieval walls, and an underground river—provide a fascinating view into a thousand years of infrastructure. Recommendations are also included for the best ice cream in Paris or the hottest new spot for shopping at Viaduc des Arts.