{"id":3531,"date":"2016-01-22T20:01:04","date_gmt":"2016-01-22T19:01:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.book-a-flat.com\/magazine\/?p=3531"},"modified":"2019-05-03T18:26:26","modified_gmt":"2019-05-03T16:26:26","slug":"the-paris-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.book-a-flat.com\/magazine\/en\/the-paris-year","title":{"rendered":"The Paris Year"},"content":{"rendered":"

There\u2019s no right or wrong time to visit Paris. For all the leafy, undeniably romantic charm of the city in the spring, the stark grandeur of Paris in the winter has its fans too, and there\u2019s even something to be said for the dog days of August, when Parisians with the time and money decamp to the countryside or to the sea and the city appears to belong solely to the tourists.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

That being said, each season has not only a different character, but also a diverse range of festivals, sporting events and cultural activities. Here we pick a few of our favourites in a month-by-month guide to the Parisian year.<\/p>\n

January<\/h2>\n

After the bright lights and celebrations of Christmas and the New Year, Parisians can avoid the January doldrums with a trip to the circus or a festive ballet (Russian companies often visit at this time of year). The International Circus Festival of Tomorrow<\/strong> at the Pelouse de Reuilly brings together young circus performers from around the world in a bid to find future stars. January is also the time for Sales<\/strong> at all the city\u2019s most exclusive boutiques and department stores. Unlike in many other countries, where there seems to be one sale or another going on year round, sales in France are standardised and restricted, so there are genuine bargains to be had. The end of January or February also marks the start of the Chinese New Year<\/strong> and there are colourful parades and live entertainment, including lion and dragon dances, throughout the city, but especially in and around the Chinese quarter in the 13th arrondissement.<\/p>\n

February and March<\/h2>\n

The Six Nations Rugby Championship<\/strong>, the oldest rugby tournament in the world, takes place at the vast Stade de France and pits France against traditional rivals England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and Italy. The International Agricultural Show<\/strong> is a French institution and is held at the Porte de Versailles. The Paris Carnival<\/strong> is another age-old, colourful and noisy tradition, which wends its way through the city streets, ending up at the H\u00f4tel de Ville. Paris Fashion Week<\/strong> brings the world\u2019s top models, fashionistas, editors and photographers to the city for a preview of the forthcoming styles. Banlieues Blues<\/strong> is an annual jazz and blues festival that takes place in the northern suburb of St. Denis. The PAD<\/strong> fair is a pioneering event for art and design aficionados and collectors.<\/p>\n

\"Caf\u00e9
Saint-Germain-des-Pr\u00e8s, Paris\u2019s traditional jazz quarter<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

April and May<\/h2>\n

The Paris Marathon<\/strong> takes in some of the city\u2019s most popular monuments and includes a shorter breakfast run for children. International Workers Day on May 1st<\/strong> is a national holiday and is observed with generally good-humoured street marches or \u2018manifs\u2019. The Foire du Tr\u00f4ne<\/strong> at the Pelouse de Reuilly is Europe\u2019s largest temporary carnival and is reckoned to attract five million visitors each year. For those more culturally inclined, the city\u2019s museums offer free admission during the Nuit des Mus\u00e9es<\/strong> and stay open until 1 a.m. There are plenty of free (as well as ticketed) concerts during the St.-Germain-des-Pr\u00e9s Jazz Festival<\/strong>, in what\u2019s Paris\u2019s traditional jazz quarter. Meanwhile, one of the world\u2019s premier tennis tournaments, the French Open<\/strong>, takes place at Roland Garros and, after the close of the Cannes Film Festival, many of the top films are screened for Parisians during the Quinzaine des R\u00e9alisateurs<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

June and July<\/h2>\n

During the Paris Jazz Festival<\/strong> there are free concerts every Saturday and Sunday in the lovely Parc Floral in the Bois de Vincennes. There\u2019s more free music, from opera to techno, throughout the city on midsummer\u2019s night, 21st June, during the F\u00eate de la Musique<\/strong>. Beginning in June and continuing all summer, the Jardin Shakespeare<\/strong> in the Bois de Boulogne hosts an open-air theatre festival of plays by Shakespeare and others in both French and English. D\u2019Days<\/strong> is a popular and ever-growing festival of design at venues throughout the city. The Gay Pride Parade<\/strong> is a noisy and colourful affair centred around Paris\u2019s traditional gay neighbourhood, the Marais. July 14 is Bastille Day<\/strong>, a public holiday commemorating the storming of the Bastille at the start of the French Revolution, and is celebrated with a parade along the Champs-\u00c9lys\u00e9es and, at night, fireworks over the Trocad\u00e9ro. The world\u2019s most famous bike race, the Tour de France<\/strong>, arrives in Paris at the end of the month.<\/p>\n

\"Pont
The Pont des Arts in a summer’s day<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

August<\/h2>\n

Many businesses, including shops and restaurants, close for the whole month of August, so Paris can seem almost eerily quiet. There are, however, lots of fun things to do for those who stay in the city. Beginning in July, a large stretch of the Seine near the Pont Neuf is transformed into Paris Plage<\/strong>, a sandy beach with free sports and entertainment. Rock en Seine<\/strong> is an open-air rock and pop festival that takes place in the St. Cloud park, while the Parc de la Villette plays host to free open-air film screenings during the Cin\u00e9ma en Plein Air<\/strong> festival<\/p>\n

September and October<\/h2>\n

Parisians return from their summer break bronzed and ready to attack the stress of city life with a vengeance. September \u2013 la rentr\u00e9e, or \u201cthe return\u201d \u2013 is like January in many other countries, a crazy time when everyone wants to launch their product, new menu or book, sign up for classes or make good resolutions. For those who aren\u2019t too busy with all that, the Journ\u00e9es du Patrimoine<\/strong> (\u201cHeritage Days\u201d) offer a unique chance to see inside buildings \u2013 ranging from politicians\u2019 homes to the back-stages of theatres \u2013 normally closed to the public. The Paris Autumn Festival<\/strong>, running from September to the end of December, is the largest event of its kind in the world and takes in dance, opera, music, theatre, film and exhibitions at venues across Paris. The Nuit Blanche<\/strong> is a one-night, dusk-till-dawn event featuring free openings at many museums and all sorts of other concerts and performances and the city\u2019s M\u00e9tro and busses extend their hours accordingly. The biggest race meet of the season is the thrilling Prix de l\u2019Arc de Triomphe<\/strong> on the first weekend of October at Longchamp and Paris Fashion Week<\/strong> gives the city its second annual opportunity to prove its continuing pre-eminence in the world of style.<\/p>\n

\"Autumn
Autumn colours in Paris<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

November and December<\/h2>\n

Halloween<\/strong> is half-heartedly celebrated in Paris \u2013 mainly by shop window displays \u2013 and is nowhere near the big deal it is in the US. But its Catholic roots in All Souls and All Saints\u2019 days remain: the latter, 2nd November, is a public holiday and Paris\u2019s historic cemeteries are adorned with flowers. Next up is Beaujolais Nouveau Day<\/strong>, the third Thursday in November, with music and carousing in bars and restaurants all over town. The city\u2019s Christmas lights go on at the end of November and Christmas markets<\/strong> begin around the middle the month. As for the festival itself, Christmas Eve is a time for families, while Christmas Day is surprisingly sociable \u2013 restaurants and cinemas remain open, and it\u2019s a great time to go out for a winter walk in a famous park like the Luxembourg Gardens<\/a>. Ice rinks pop up all over the city over the winter months too, many of the locations charging only for skate rentals and nothing more.<\/p>\n

\n
The Dates<\/h5>\n
<\/p>\n

International Circus Festival of Tomorrow<\/a>
\nFestival du Cirque de Demain<\/small>
\n28th-31st January 2016
\nCirque Ph\u00e9nix, Paris 12\u00e8me<\/p>\n

International Agricultural Show<\/a>
\nSalon International de l\u2019Agriculture<\/small>
\n27th February-6th March 2016
\nPorte de Versailles, Paris 15\u00e8me<\/p>\n

Paris Carnival<\/a>
\nCarnaval de Paris<\/small>
\n7th February 2016<\/p>\n

Paris Fashion Week<\/a>
\n20th-24th January 2016
\n24th-28th January 2016
\n1st-9th March 2016<\/p>\n

Banlieues Blues<\/a><\/p>\n

PAD<\/a>
\nParis Art + Design<\/small>
\n29th March-3rd April 2016
\nTuileries, Paris 1er<\/p>\n

Paris Marathon<\/a>
\nMarathon de Paris<\/small>
\n3rd April 2016<\/p>\n

<\/div>

<\/p>\n

Foire du Tr\u00f4ne<\/a>
\n25th March-22nd May 2016
\nPelouse de Reuilly, Paris 12\u00e8me<\/p>\n

Nuit des Mus\u00e9es<\/a>
\n21st May 2016<\/p>\n

St-Germain-des-Pr\u00e9s Jazz Festival<\/a>
\nFestival Jazz \u00e0 Saint-Germain-des-Pr\u00e9s<\/small>
\n19th-31st May 2016<\/p>\n

French Open<\/a>
\nRoland-Garros<\/small>
\n16th May-5th June 2016
\nBoulevard d’Auteuil, Paris 16\u00e8me<\/p>\n

Paris Jazz Festival<\/a>
\nParc Floral de Paris, Route de la Pyramide, Paris 12\u00e8me<\/p>\n

F\u00eate de la Musique<\/a><\/p>\n

Th\u00e9\u00e2tre de verdure du Jardin Shakespeare<\/a>
\nAll\u00e9e de la Reine Marguerite, Paris 16\u00e8me<\/p>\n

<\/div>

<\/p>\n

D\u2019 Days<\/a>
\n30th May-5th June 2016<\/p>\n

Gay Pride Parade<\/a>
\n25th June 2016<\/p>\n

Tour de France<\/a>
\n2nd-24th July 2016<\/p>\n

Festival Rock en Seine<\/a>
\n26th-28th August 2016
\nDomaine national de Saint-Cloud<\/p>\n

Cin\u00e9ma en Plein Air<\/a>
\n22th July-23rd August 2016
\nLa Villette, Paris 19\u00e8me<\/p>\n

Journ\u00e9es du Patrimoine<\/a>
\n19th-20th September 2016<\/p>\n

Paris Autumn Festival<\/a>
\nFestival d\u2019Automne \u00e0 Paris<\/small><\/p>\n

Nuit Blanche<\/a><\/p>\n

Prix de l\u2019Arc de Triomphe<\/a>
\n1st-2nd October 2016
\nHippodrome de Chantilly<\/p>\n

<\/div>

<\/div><\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There\u2019s no right or wrong time to visit Paris. Each season has not only a different character, but also a diverse range of festivals, sporting events and cultural activities. Here we pick a few of our favourites in a month-by-month guide to the Parisian year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3537,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"amp_status":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.book-a-flat.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3531"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.book-a-flat.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.book-a-flat.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.book-a-flat.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.book-a-flat.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3531"}],"version-history":[{"count":51,"href":"https:\/\/www.book-a-flat.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3531\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13045,"href":"https:\/\/www.book-a-flat.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3531\/revisions\/13045"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.book-a-flat.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3537"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.book-a-flat.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3531"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.book-a-flat.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3531"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.book-a-flat.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3531"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}