Experience The Colorful Side Of Paris, France

When travelers think of Paris, they imagine standing under the Eiffel Tower or visiting the Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre and Notre Dame Cathedral. However, for those who have already visited the city, they might have missed some off-the-beaten-path locations that truly add color to life. Read on to find out about three colorful locations to visit on your next trip to Paris, France.

The Centre Pompidou, 4th arrondissement, Paris

The Centre Pompidou lies in the 4th arrondissement of the historical center of Paris and is a colorful, “inside-out” building. Both the exterior and interior of Europe’s largest modern art museum are equally surreal. On the outside, designers used large pipes in their design, while inside, the walls feature many-hued conceptual modern art.

In the early stages of planning the building, designers left the blueprint of the museum up to an architectural design competition. It ended up with three architects, two Italian and one British, winning the tender to design a seven-story, 1.1 million sq ft masterpiece. Meanwhile, even the building’s appliances are colored coded, with yellow for electrical wiring, green for plumbing pipes, blue for heating and cooling and red for the escalator, which is on the exterior of the building for more effect.

Meanwhile, the building itself is not the only colorful attraction. In fact, the famous Stravinsky Fountain nestling there features 16 many-hued sculptures each representing characters from songs composed by Igor Stravinsky.

Rue Crémieux, 12th arrondissement, Paris

Tucked away in the 12th arrondissement, this pretty, cobbled street used to be a secret known only by the locals. However, it has become one of the most Instagrammable streets in Paris, due to its multi-colored homes. While possibly not welcome to those who live there, this many-hued location is being increasingly sought out by filmmakers and fashion photographers. Of course, it also makes a great place to capture and share on Instagram.

Rue Crémieux can be found between Rue de Bercy and Rue de Lyon, and somehow doesn’t really feel like Paris. It more resembles colorful places like Portobello Road in London or the brightly-hued Burano in Venice, Italy. Besides the many shades of color, the homes also feature trompes l’œil paintings and shuttered windows. Moreover, terracotta pots filled with beautiful plants add to its color. The street received its name in 1897 to honor Adolphe Crémieux, who is renowned for defending the human rights of Jewish people living in France.

Carousel of Extinct and Endangered Animals (Dodo Manège), Paris

A unique carousel sits in the Jardin des Plantes in Paris. Dubbed the Dodo Manège, the carousel features animals that are already extinct, or heading that way. Meanwhile, typical carousel music plays as the creatures turn around.

The carousel was the brainchild of a scientist in comparative anatomy in the natural history museum next door. It was first installed in 1992, and since then many children have ridden on the back of iconic extinct animals. These include the dodo, the Barbary lion, the thylacine, or the sivatherium, an early species of giraffe. Among the Carousel’s herd, other endangered species are featured, including the panda and gorilla. Moreover, at the front of the attraction, a plaque gives details about the endangered and extinct creatures.

Make sure to explore the colorful side of Paris on your next visit to the City of Light.