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Walk from the Arc de Triomphe to the Louvre – Kids can race on the wide boulevards or stroll along the Seine, everything
in the world is possible. This is a favorite walk in Paris. Start at Etoile
(the Arc de Triomphe) and walk all the way down the Champs Elysees. |
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At the Place de Concorde, stop to look at that nifty
gold-tipped Egyptian obelisk. Continue on through the Jardin des Tuileries.
Stop at the Louvre, or keep on going. Cross the Quai du Louvre, go down
to the Seine and walk along the river until you reach Ile-de-la-Cite and
Notre Dame. |
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Climb up the Arc de Triomphe – Climb
up to the top of this grand monument for a stunning view of Paris. It’s
284 steps, the French girl behind us counted as we wound up and up the stairs.
From the top, the cars circling around Etoile look like bugs and there’s
an especially good view of the Eiffel Tower in the distance. Tip: Free with
the Paris Museum Pass. |
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Jardin de Tuileries – The Jardin de Tuileries
is one of the oldest public gardens, open since the 17th century. A favorite
spot for Parisian families for generations, stop for a ride on the historic carousel or the ferris wheel, take in a puppet show. On either side
of the carousel are two small playgrounds, one with little trampolines.
Rent a toy sailboat – kids will have fun sailing their boats on the
little pond. In summer, there are pony rides for little ones, as
well as a fun fair a large ferris wheel and rides. |
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 Musee
de L'Orangerie – The Orangerie is home to Claude Monet's exquisite Waterlilies paintings. The museum has just reopened, and the L'Orangerie
is one museum not to miss! In addition to Monet, there's also works by Renoir,
Cezanne, and Picasso. |
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The Louvre – There are several
ways to tackle the Louvre. You can read up in advance and look for things
that will appeal to your kids, or approach the Louvre like the darkest continent,
where you will discover amazing things. Click here to visit the official Louvre web site. |
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Tip: To avoid lines, use the entrance through the metro, the Palais-Royal–Musée du Louvre stop. |
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The Louvre has crowd-pleaser items such as the Mona Lisa (in a beautiful
new room in the museum), so stop by so that your kids can see the real thing. |
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The Mona Lisa is always mobbed, but don't miss three other amazing da Vinci paintings in the main Italian Renaissance hall - Virgin and Child with Saint Anne, Portrait of Isabella d'Este, and Virgin of the Rocks. Without the crowds, kids can see these paintings up close. |
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We looked at the Egyptian collection
which is also popular. Less obvious things are also fun, e.g. look at
the Renaissance triptychs to find all the angels and lilies (those painters
use the same images over and over again), or the Napoleon III apartments, furnished with gold, marble, silk and velvet. Kids will also enjoy going down
to see foundations of the medieval Louvre fortress and moat (southwest
corner of the Sully wing). |
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Tip: Admission to the Louvre is included in the Paris Museum Pass. |
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Delightful story of the Mona Lisa painting, famous for her mysterious smile. Who was the young woman, why was this painting special to da Vinci, how did Mona Lisa end up in the Louvre, and what happened when she was stolen. (Picture book)
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Fat
little book, perfect for small hands, full of artworks from the
Louvre – Egyptian antiquities, Greek and Roman statues (including
the Venus de Milo), medieval golden scepters and chalices,
French, Italian, Spanish and Dutch painters.
(Picture book)
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Not a kid's book per se, this fat little book is organized by each area of the Louvre – Egyptian antiquities, Greek and Roman statues, medieval golden scepters and chalices,
French, Italian, Spanish and Dutch paintings. Bring it along to plan your visit to the Louvre. (Guidebook)
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(More children's
books on other Paris and France pages) |
