Spring in Paris- a guide to my favourite places and shops
In this blogpost I'd like to take you on a tour in Paris where I'll share my favourite places and independent shops while we wander around along impressive buildings. And you'll discover the subtle signs of spring!
Under a cold and starry morning sky my husband and I cycled to the railway station to catch the train to Brussels where we took the train that would bring us to Paris. We arrived in this beautiful city covered by spring sunlight. We wandered around and slowly got absorbed by this vibrant city.
The soft spring sunlight made these French streets and houses look so beautiful. It was such a pleasure to walk around and be immersed in the the vivid atmosphere of Paris as we slowly made our way upwards to Montmartre.
More than 20 years ago my husband and I have also been in Paris and bought our double portrait cut out by an artist at Montmarte. Now after 22 years of marriage we wanted to have a new portrait. So here we go…
On the top of Montmartre one couldn't miss the Sacré-Coeur, bright and clear against a blue sky. We didn't visit this well-known place as we did it some years ago when we visited Paris with our daughters.
After a healthy and delicious lunch in a cozy cafe we walked in the direction of the Panthéon. Students and tourists were having their lunches outside at the square, enjoying the warmth of the sun on the first days of early spring.
I have to admit, Paris wouldn't be the same without the Seine and its amazing historical buildings. There's something incredibly enchanting in walking along the Seine and to be marvelled by these impressive wonders of architecture, especially on a sunny spring evening at sunset.
The Notre-Dame was almost restored and looked majestic from our walk along the Seine.
One of the things I loved most about strolling along the Seine was to nose in the books of these Bouqinistes de Paris. You’ll find used books, posters, antiques in their compact green bookstalls built on top of the quays.
Close to our B&B there was this colourful street, Rue Crémieux. Especially on a sunny day it looked cheerful and I loved all the greenery in front of this houses.
Paris is definitely a city with endless places to discover and around every corner there's something new to admire. Like these ancient houses with wood structures or when suddenly a church arises at the end of a street. We did a lot of walking and took the metro only on our last day. So you can imagine we often needed a little break to get a coffee (for my husband) and a chai latte (for me) with a French pastry. Oh, how I loved their delicious croissants with chocolate and almond cream or the one with pistachios and rose petals! This last one I bought in a bakery in 'Rue Mouffetard’ where they have the most tasty food shops.
Both my husband and I love to stroll at flea markets and going to brocante shops. And they have several ones in Paris, like this ‘L’Objet qui parle'. We didn't find anything special but I just enjoyed looking at their unique items from long times ago. For me, these shops are so typically French.
L’objet qui parle, 86 Rue des Martyrs
L’oeil du Pélican, 13 Rue Jean Jacques Rousseau
Fanette, 1 Rue d’Alencon
So let me take you to my other favourite kind of shops… maybe you can already guess it. Yes, bookshops!
Shakespeare and Company (31 Rue de la Bûcherie) is for sure the most famous one in Paris. It has such a long history and has a bookish and atmospheric interior. Especially the view out of the window in the cozy room on the second floor is just wonderful. In the cafe next door, you can have a drink and delight in the first pages of your new book.
Another independent book store with a wide selection of English books is the ‘The red wheelbarrow’(11 Rue de Medici).
There's also a nice cafe next door with an inviting name ‘Au Jardin’(In the Garden). Who doesn't like a little green and some garden vibes in the middle of a big and hectic city?
Time for some more green now as we walk towards le Jardin des Plantes. It's early spring so the garden still looked bare but the spring bulbs and first blossoms definitely added some colour!
And oh, how I loved the blooming mimosa. These bright yellow soft balls of sun which feels so soft and airy. It couldn't get more French, can it?!
Time for a little break with some chocolate now before we head to the more creative shops. I came across this small shop with delicious chocolates, especially the ones with dried fruit, nuts and spices were my favourite ones. They hade a huge selection to choose from.
L’instant cacao, 3 Rue des Petits Champs
As you all know, I love gardening and flowers, so I couldn't resist popping in some floral shops. I'd like to share the following two ‘Fleuristes de Paris’.
Did you notice the carpet of moss when you enter this shop? And what an amazing rustic facade. Just a shop that makes my heart sing!
Stanislas Draber, 19 Rue Racine.
The other floral shop is ‘Champ libre', 104 avenue Ledru Rollin.
If you would like to experience how an early 19th century shopping mall looked like, I invite you to discover this secret passage ‘Galerie Vivienne' (6 Rue Vivienne).
I wanted to visit ‘Le Musée de la Vie romantique’ and have a cup of tea in their ‘Salon de thé’ (16 rue Chaptal) but it was closed due to renovation works until March 2026.
So let's go to my most favourite shop in Paris. Yes, I've saved the best for last! This unique and charming shop ‘Mélodies Graphiques’ has the most beautiful and inspiring collection of stationery, notebooks, paper, antiques and everything in between for the paper and calligraphy lovers. I could have stayed here for hours, but there was my husband to get to!
Mélodies Graphiques, 10 rue du Pont Louis Philippe.
This street has a lot of paper, stationery and calligraphy shops so it's definitely worth taking a look if you're a paper addict like me!
And one last shop I want to add, is ‘Les Fleurs' (5 Rue Trousseau). This conceptstore has a lovely and beautiful collection of colourful items from different brands. It has just a cozy interior with old pieces of furniture and it's a nice shop to find some gifts.
The goal on our last day was le Tour Eiffel. When the "300-Meter Tower” opened its doors to the public for the Paris Wold Exhibition on May 15, 1889, the only way to climb up was via the stairs, to the first or second floor. Nowadays you can also take the elevator.
But we wanted to do it the old-fashioned way and after 674 steps, surrounded by the impressive structure of the Tower’s pillars, we arrived at the second level. We had a wide and breathtaking view over this gigantic city. A welcome reward after all these steps, I can tell you!
Going back home didn't go as we hoped for. Our train to Belgium was delayed, due to the discovery of a WWII bomb which needed to be dismantled before public transport could start again. So we had to stay a few more hours in Paris. We found a little terrace and with a hot cuppa, we watched all the traffic and chaos caused by this discovery.
Finally, in the middle of the night, we got home safely with a backpack and heart filled with beautiful memories. And one day, we will go back again…
