A Cultural Walk Through Paris: Three Days, Three Neighbourhoods

Cultural Paris is not a contest over how many museums you can see. You stop in front of a single work, linger over it afterwards in a café, and walk home in the early-evening light. It is that breathing space that gives a journey its depth. Here, set in three neighbourhoods in the heart of Paris, is a proposal for three days at an easy pace.

Day one: the 2nd and the Palais-Royal, on to the Louvre

Begin in the morning with the Galerie Vivienne, on rue Vivienne. This nineteenth-century passage, with its mosaic floor and glass roof, looks its most beautiful in the quiet of the morning. Close by, the Bibliothèque nationale, Richelieu site, has reopened after a long restoration, and the Salle Ovale, under its glass roof, has a stillness you would not expect in the centre of the city.

Before noon, go on to the gardens of the Palais-Royal: the arcades, the alleys of lime trees, the striped columns of Buren. Beyond them lies the Louvre. Rather than trying to see the Louvre all at once, we suggest narrowing your visit to one or two departments you most want to see.

In the evening, a performance at the Opéra Garnier. From the 2nd, you can walk home afterwards.

Day two: the mansions and museums of the Upper Marais

The Upper Marais, in the 3rd, is a neighbourhood where seventeenth-century aristocratic mansions have become museums.

• · Musée Picasso: Picasso's collection, housed in the Hôtel Salé.
• · Musée Carnavalet: a museum that traces the history of the city of Paris itself.
• · Musée des Arts et Métiers: the history of invention and technology. A favourite with children too.

Lunch at the Marché des Enfants Rouges. In the afternoon, try wandering without a map through streets of galleries and designers' workshops. Being able to return to the apartment for a rest along the way is one of the pleasures of staying in the heart of the city as if you lived there.

Day three: the Left Bank, Saint-Germain-des-Prés

On the last day, cross to the Left Bank. In the 6th, visit the church of Saint-Germain-des-Prés and the church of Saint-Sulpice, then wander through bookshops and galleries. In the afternoon, sit on one of the green chairs of the Luxembourg garden and open a book: time spent the way Parisians spend it.

If you wish to go further, the Musée d'Orsay stands on the banks of the Seine, a few minutes' walk from Saint-Germain, and the footbridge opposite leads across the river to the Musée de l'Orangerie, in the Tuileries garden. Both are easy to reach from the heart of Paris.

Avoiding the crowds

For the major museums, booking timed tickets in advance is the rule. Just after opening and in the late afternoon are the calmer times. Opening days and hours vary with the season and the institution, so please check each museum's official information before you set out.

Having somewhere to come home to

A cultural journey takes more energy than you might expect. That is why being able to come home in the evening to your own living room, rather than to a hotel room, makes such a difference. Our apartments have two to four bedrooms, are all air-conditioned and have equipped kitchens. Our concierge is available seven days a week and can help arrange restaurants and transfers.

An intimate relationship with Paris, one neighbourhood at a time. The apartments are on the neighbourhood pages and in the collection. For a journey through food, see also our food guide.

The ACT 3 Team