A few favorite spots in Paris during spring

Spring is one of my favorite seasons.  One of the reasons I love spring so much is because I can be outdoors in pleasant weather.  In addition, the days stretch out just a little longer and the flowers are in bloom.  So I’m really happy we got to travel so much this spring.  I rediscovered my love for Paris last month.  While I didn’t have as much time in Paris itself (we moved onto other spots in France), I loved walking around the city of lights.  Next time I hope to revisit a few favorite sites from previous trips.  In the meantime, I wanted to share a few favorite spots in Paris during spring.

A few favorite spots in Paris during spring

Jardin des Plantes

Our friends timed their Paris visit to coincide with our visit.  Since we needed a kid friendly venue, she suggested the Jardin des Plantes.  This is the main botanical garden in not just Paris, but France. But it’s just not a lovely garden, it is also a site for other cultural activities. It reminded me of Ueno Park in Tokyo which I detailed here.  This 28 hectares spot is perfect for a springtime stroll. It is also the site of the Muséum national d’histoire naturelle (the French National Museum of Natural History) in addition to a mineralogy museum, paleontology museum, and zoo. We visited the first and last sites since they were the most kid friendly sites.

The Natural History museum is a good size with the requisite imposing dinosaur skeletons.

Our girls really loved the zoo which is small and easy to cover in a few hours.  I felt sad for the orangutans here but they seemed well fed and active otherwise.

I had never been so close to flamingos!

Bonus: This is within walking distance of the Grande Mosque.  Stop here for an afternoon mint tea and middle eastern snacks.  It’s totally worth it!

Jardin des Tuileries

This iconic garden has a rich history and a prime location between the Louvre and Place de le Concorde. It’s even like an open air outdoor museum with more than 200 sculptures dotting the gardens.  No wonder it is referred to as an open air museum. Although it originally began as a royal garden, it became a public garden in the 17th century.  It is a vast space and I hope to get to the pond to do rowing with the kids next time.  I was happy introducing my little lady to her first carousel though and she adored it (and also got free extra rides).

Since it is by the Rue Rivoli, it is also a stone throw’s away from the popular Angelina Paris cafe.  The hot chocolate there is hyped up, but worth it if you want to inhale rich, melted chocolate.  I also love many of the pastries there – buttery, buttery goodness!

Palais Royal

Another lovely outdoor spot in the 1st arrondissement is the Palais Royal.  You may have seen the popular Les Deux Plateaux or Colonnes de Buren on travel pages and blogger’s pages.  Daniel Buren’s striped columns were initially designed to conceal ventilation shafts during a remodeling of the cultural ministry’s premises. There was controversy regarding these statues taking away from the surroundings.  But I find them to be a nice complement to them.  We also saw artwork being displayed by local artists on the side and it seemed like a nice, central place to run around as well as relax.

There are a few nice cafes nearby including the popular Cafe Kitsune of Japanese fame.  It’s a great place for snacks in a chic setting. I hadn’t stopped in Didier Ludot this time, but stop by to gawk at some amazing vintage French designer pieces.

I hope to visit Paris again soon and add to this list.  What are some of your favorite spots in Paris during spring?

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