My favorite Paris walk

Place de la Concorde, Paris © 2012, Joan Klau

My favorite Paris walk is from Notre Dame, past the Louvre, through the Jardin des Tuileries (stop at La Musee de l'Orangerie as you exit), toward the Champs de L'Elysee. There are plenty of detours to recommend (Frommer's 24 Great Walks in Paris covers a lot of this terrain with good details) but I like to do this walk on my first day just to get my bearings, and then go back another day for the detours outlined below.

At the Place de la Concorde end of the Tuileries, walk up the ramp on left toward La Musee de l'Orangerie and take pictures like this down the Seine toward the Eiffel Tower. This is one of my favorite views of Paris.  If you only get this far, then you have completed my favorite walk and my work here is done.

From here, you have several options (you can of course stop and do these other options another day):

Cold/hungry? Stop in at Maison Angelina for the world's best hot chocolate (l'africain). It may look a little hoity toity, but it's not: the wait staff is equally friendly to blue-haired ladies who lunch and tired tourists. They also have other tasty bites - big and small, depending on your appetite. Delicious pastries - or I had an incredibly good nicoise salad there. Best way to get there is to exit the Jardin at the fountain and cross Rue de Rivoli – it’s #226 Rue de Rivoli. If you are done for the day, the Metro is conveniently located across the street.

Refreshed and ready for more walking? Go back through the Jardins to the Place de la Concorde and continue straight across on the Champs d'Elysee without getting killed by the motorists. You can do it! On the north side of the Champs d'Elysee, look for the park path (not the sidewalk next to the traffic) - much prettier views. When you get to Avenue de Marigny, you have several choices:

• Turn left across the Champs d'Elysee, walking between le Petit Palais and le Grand Palais (they sometimes have interesting exhibits), over the Seine to visit Napoleon's tomb in L'Hopital des Invalides (watch people playing boules on the sides of the parc). From here, you can:

• Catch the Metro to St Germain des Pres and rest your bones at a cafe.
• Walk to the Musee Rodin, then on to a café in St Germain des Pres.

• Continue straight on the Champs d'Elysee to Arc de Triomphe, which offers a well-worth-it view of the city layout and Paris traffic mayhem.  To get there:
• Either continue walking through the upscale shopping district of the Champs d'Elysee (it's like Union Square, but stretched out down one long slightly uphill boulevard) to the Arc de Triomphe.
• Or if you want to skip the shops, catch the Metro at Marigny to the Arc de Triomphe.

• Turn right and wander bustling city streets and parcs like a local.  Do NOT cross the Place de la Concorde - instead turn right out of the park, and take Rue St Florentin across Rue de Rivoli - turn right on Rue St Honore. You'll pass Place du Vendome, and eventually end up at the back end of Les Halles (turn left on Rue du Louvre). The east end of Les Halles is now mostly a teen-infested shopping arcade, but the jardins are pretty: on Rue St Honore, turn left on Rue du Louvre and wander the northern side of the park. Rue Rambuteau borders the northern side of Les Halles (detour up rue Montorgeuil for great outdoor markets and shops) and if you continue along it, you'll end up at Centre Pompidou, the industrial-looking modern art museum. If you are tired/hungry, I recommend Le Cavalier Bleu on the NW corner of the plaza overlooking the Pompidou.

Had enough? Catch the Metro (Tuileries stop) back to your hotel.