Paris Muse

(source: Jorge Albarracin/Office du Tourisme de Paris)

As you know with the launch of Paris M&M, our free iPhone app, we here at Paris Museums love serendipity when it comes to exploring this vast city. But, just like a jazz musician improvises from a base of bebop scales, a little guidance always makes your journeys more enjoyable.

The Mairie de Paris (Paris City Hall) keeps this in mind with its Heritage Strolls. They are not associated with any of the organized tours, and each stroll is organized by a different theme. Just print out the documents (linked below) and follow whatever portion of the routes interest you the most. The Mairie says you’ll be tempted to duck into many of the museums along the way. Our app, which utilizes the built-in GPS of your iPhone, is perfect for keeping you informed of what attraction is closest to you.

Print out the walk that most interests you:

• The Vestiges of Ancient Paris Stroll: Discover the city’s rich ancient Roman heritage
• The Great Minds Stroll: Walk in the footsteps of great thinkers like Rousseau, Compte, Diderot and Voltaire
• The Paris Bell-Tower Stroll: A tour of some of Paris’ impressive Bell Towers
• The Mosaics Stroll: Thanks to their popularity at the turn of the century, mosaics can be found in edifices all over the city. This is a tour of some of the most remarkable among them
• The Paris Bridge-and-Statue Stroll: Explore some of the most notable bridges and statues along the world-famous Seine
• The Knights and Horses Stroll: A historic swath of the city punctuated by statues of military heroes featuring, for the most part, horses