Fermer
Tell your friends
Your summer holidays in Paris
Paris is the place to be this summer 2012 for outdoor fun!
* Mandatory fields
Follow the route up and down, up your desire.
No need for a passport if you want to discover new cultures: the whole world meets in Paris ! Welcome in exotic surroundings, without the jet-lag!
Africa and Maghreb
Paris gathers several important communities originating from French-speaking countries of Africa and Maghreb. Discover the colourful areas of Goutte-d'Or and Barbès, and their neighbour Belleville.
Bustling with noise and always busy, Château-Rouge and Goutte-d'Or streets are named after exotic places: Oran, Tombouctou (Timbuktu), Suez... The most African of all Parisian districts looks like a true souk: expect wax cotton workshops, Caribbean restaurants, Tunisian cake shops, undefined exotic groceries, and black beauty parlours... Not to forget the infamous Marché Dejean, a Food market dedicated to the most incredible products... Think Brixton, think Harlem! (And watch your purse!)
On rue Polonceau, Malian tailors will cut you a bubu or convince you to buy distinctive Burkinabe fabrics to refurbish your living-room.
For a taste of Muslim culture, visit Barbès and the rue Myrrha. At Ramadan time, all shops offer piles of delicious pastries and breads, vegetable filled pancakes, or marzipans. Enjoy a baklava or a makrud! The busiest hours come at dusk, of course, when it's time to break the fast. You'll also find a great choice of oriental specialities at the Rose de Tunis bakery all year round, on Boulevard Ornano.
In June, the Goutte-d'Or celebrates with "La Goutte d'Or en fête ", its very multicultural nature with various shows, like concerts, dance and theatre.
Another well-known North African area is around Couronnes and Belleville. Shops are filled with traditional outfits (on the severe side) and the Rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud looks like Tunis. Ramadan time is celebrated with a festive immoderation, and the rest of the year, the best pastries can be found at La Bague de Kenza.
North-African culture is strong in other parts of the city, thanks to gastronomic restaurants or comfortable bath houses. You can choose to visit the Grande Mosquée de Paris (the historical Mosque), with its tea rooms and legendary baths, and, a few steps away, the Maison Franco-Orientale : it offers a wide choice of slippers, colorful skin lamps, rich fabrics or hookahs.
Every summer, it's time for the movie festival called Les Nuits de la caravane (Caravan's Night), projecting the very best of Oriental cinema in the courtyard of the unmissable Institut du Monde arabe . At fall, it's time for the Folles Nuits Berbères (Crazy Berber Nights), an extravaganza of circus, music and dance held in the Cabaret Sauvage . Ramadan has its cultural nights at the Café de la Danse.
Close to Paris, the multicultural borough of Seine-Saint-Denis is home to various celebrations of the numerous communities it gathers : one of the best known is Africolor, from September to December, but even the classical music festival of Saint-Denis gives honours to World Music.
The new Paris Ile-de-France suggests you some routes to visit Paris according to your desires: culture, architecture, fashion, shopping, jazz, nightlife … or according to the places you want to see : Belleville, Ménilmontant , Montmartre , The Marais , The Latin Quarter , Rive gauche , Concorde , La Défense , Versailles , Louvre , Eiffel Tower, Champs Elysées , Notre Dame … Organize your week-end or family trip with your children in Paris , France.