Behind the grand cobalt-blue coach doors of 52 rue de l’Arbre-Sec, the old Hôtel de Trudon (in the eighteenth century it belonged to the family of Cire Trudon 1643 candle fame, once the King’s official wax providers), you’ll find another portal into old-world Paris. Nestled into the back corner of the calm cobbled courtyard is […]
Haute Culture
Staircases as Art: The Fanciest Flights in Paris
Leave it to the French to turn such a thing of practicality into one of beauty. These six sets take stairs take to a whole new level of gorgeousness. Musée Picasso This is one of the most beautifully preserved Parisian staircases, and — with its lacy balustrade and floridly carved ceilings overhead — one of […]
The Prettiest Old Bookshops of Paris
Shakespeare and Company The iconic store has been nestled into this prime position (with its pinch-yourself view of Notre-Dame) since 1951, and a pilgrimage-like destination for lovers of literature, including lauded authors and misty-eyed writers-to-be. (Originally Le Mistral, the shop was reborn after Sylvia Beach gifted founder George Whitman the name of her own legendary bookstore, which had welcomed the likes of Ernest Hemingway back in the 1920s). […]