Paris Muse

We’re happy to announce version 2.0 of our iPhone app, Paris M&M. It has everything version 1.0 did, with the added feature of offline maps. While visiting Paris from another country, many people don’t have their phone connected to the internet. This is in order to avoid those insanely expensive international data roaming fees. Version 1 of our app relied on Google maps, which required your phone to be connected to the internet, but version 2.0 features offline maps which work regardless of whether you have wifi, 3g or no connection at all. Now you can explore the city and its great cultural attractions without worrying about expensive charges.

For the those of you who downloaded version 1.0, the update is free. For first-timers, we’re offering version 2.0 for only 99 cents. Considering the extensive database of museums and monuments, plus the unique feature of current exhibition listings and the offline maps, we think this a very fair price. We hope you do to, and we would love to hear feedback from you on how to make Paris M&M even better.

Download Paris M&M on the app store

“La Villette” covers 55 hectares and is the largest urban park in the city. Designed with culture in mind, it’s no surprise that plenty of interesting activities take place here year-round. The park released an official app last June which should make setting your agenda easier. It includes geo-location capabilities making it easier to find and learn about 26 of the park’s remarkable features. It includes interviews, photos, historical facts and practical information as well.

At the moment the app is only available in French, but English is coming soon.

Download it free here.

Photo: chogenbo

We’ve made some small changes to improve the user experience of our Paris M&M iPhone app. Plus, new museums and exhibitions have been added to the database, and we’ve added a new Facebook and Twitter share function so you can spread the word to your friends and colleagues.

Download it free from the app store today!

After 6 months of hard work we’re proud to introduce our free iPhone app for Paris Museums & Monuments, based on our homepage directory, Paris Museums.

No other app for Paris has as complete a listing for museums and monuments in Paris, and this is the ONLY app which lists temporary exhibitions. The best news of all is that it is FREE!

Continue reading “Paris M&M, our new free iPhone app for Paris Museums & Monuments” »

Portrait de Gustav Mahler (1902) by Emil Orlik

We’ve just sponsored a post on The Paris Blog:

The high season blockbusters have just opened in Paris museums. From a private home frozen in time at the Nissim de Camondo museum to the must-see Louvre, there are exhibitions to sate any sort of interest.

Can music make a museum show? The title of a current show at the Musee D’Orsay suggests oui. On the 100th anniversary of the Austrian composer’s death, “Exhibiting Mahler” plays Gustav Mahler’s “Symphony No. 4” as a soundtrack, but the visual realm is rich, too. Paintings, sculptures and photographs from the pre- and early Modernist period create an environment that fleshes out the Austrian composer’s world and inspirations. Through May 29.

Read the rest on The Paris Blog

The Institut d’Aménagement et d’Urbanisme of France says that Paris is the hottest tourist destination in the world. According to estimates, an average of 45 million tourists visit the city every year. Yes you read that correctly, 45 million. That’s more than the entire population of Spain! Tourists come from all over – from other parts of France and Europe, from Asia, Australia, America and even Africa. And, of course, many come for the magnificent array of cultural wonders this city bestows on the visitor. Breathtaking architecture, cultural richness and a rich history perhaps make Paris the cultural capital of the world.

The Culture of Paris
There are literally hundreds of museums and monuments all over the city of lights (just takes a look on our main site, paris-museums.org). And so, let’s be honest, a whirlwind trip through this city will never, ever, give you a true taste for what the city has to offer. Unless, of course, you are planning to stay here for months. There’s something for everyone in Paris, from the vibrant nightlife for the younger set, to nearby Euro Disney for family outings. Plus, there are some wonderful cities around Paris as well. But, of course, most visitors aren’t here for just these offerings. They are here for the arts, museums, music, fashion and the festivals of Paris.

Museums and Art Galleries in Paris

Paris has some of the most renowned museums in the world. There’s the Louvre, which could arguably take a month to visit entirely if you want to go through all the galleries and their displays carefully. The Louvre houses the famous Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo. You will also find works by famous artists such as Rembrandt, Rubens, Titan and Fragonard. It also exhibits architecture, history and archeology. Some other well-known museums in Paris are Musée Rodin, Musée Picasso (closed until 2012), Musée National d’Art Moderne, Musée Cluny and the Centre Pompidou (almost 5.5 million people visit this modern art mecca per year). Plus, there’s also the Musée de l’Orangerie, Musée Marmottan, Musée Jacquemart-André and hundreds of others.

Architecture and Historic Sites of Paris

Of course, Paris is not just a city to be seen from within the walls of a museum. It’s a city for pedestrians, where monuments dot the entire city landscape and majestic Haussmannian buildings line the streets. Take a free walk down the boulevards and avenues, sit in a cafe along the Champs Elysees or nestled somewhere in the intellectual hub of the left bank; Paris is the place to get lost in if there ever was one. It also boasts some of the most iconic structures in the world such as the Eiffel Tower; the Notre Dame, with its stained glass windows and dramatic towers; Opéra Garnier and the Saint-Chapelle. Also on your list should be the Arc de Triomphe, the Conciergerie (to see the prison cell of Marie Antoinette), and Les Invalides where Napoleon was finally laid to rest.

This is just a small sample of all that Paris has to offer, and of course there are many hidden gems throughout the city, not to be ignored. All we can say is by all means plan your trip to Paris, but also allow for serendipity. Who knows what you might discover.