This year’s Festival de Lumières at the Jardin des Plantes is the first time the event has been held in Paris and the region. Called Especes en Voie d’Illumination, ‘Species in the Process of Enlightenment’, it’s an incredible visual feast for adults and children alike that takes the form of a nocturnal walk along the paths and lawns, spread out over most of the park.
The history of Versailles is inextricably linked with Louis VIV, although there had been a residence there for centuries before he ascended the throne. As Dauphin, Louis XIV had loved to hunt in the forests surrounding the small chateau that his father Louis XIII had rebuilt from the original brick and stone hunting lodge. These works were ongoing until 1634, which laid the basis for the chateau we know today.
The season’s opening on 27 September this year marked the 350th anniversary of the Paris Opéra Ballet. Over the next 16 months, there will be ample opportunity for Champagne-popping as it celebrates its founding by Louis XlV on 28 June 1669.
This year was the 35th edition of European Heritage Days that take place in September every year. During the designated weekend doors are opened to thousands of monuments and sites, many of which aren’t normally open to the public, or offer only limited access. As visits are free, the idea is to encourage people to learn about their local cultural heritage, and become actively involved in safeguarding it, not only for the present, but for future generations.
When it comes to shopping, Paris offers such a wealth of choice with its boutique-lined streets and elegant department stores. It seems that almost everywhere you turn you will discover enticing little shops full of alluring goodies to tempt you.
