Paris has quite the reputation to live up to. The enchanting city is known for high culture, art, history, food, romance, being LGBTQ+ friendly and – of course – good wine!
Paris has all that and spades, but beneath the romantic veneer – in the shadows of its more iconic landmarks like the Eiffel Tower or Louvre – there also lies a world of bizarre oddities just waiting to be uncovered.
In fact, there are numerous intriguing and unusual locations in Paris. Quirky hidden bars, a catacomb made of human bones, an abandoned railway line encircling the city and museums with their own unique takes on art all await those willing to delve a little deeper.
Discover seven of the weirdest and most wonderful locations around the City of Light.
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⏰ In a hurry and want to book a tour of one of the unusual locations in Paris? Then book the tickets and audio tour of the Catacombs in Paris! It is a unique experience! ⏰
Where To Stay In Paris
Paris is such a popular destination. It is sometimes really hard to narrow down on a place to stay for the duration of your visit. Here are some couple of places that you should consider.
Le Pradey – Luxury
⭐️ Rating: 8.5/10 (1,069 Reviews) Price: $482 per night 📍Location: 5 Rue Saint Roch, 1st arr., Paris Details: Read more on booking.com now!
Le Pradey is the epitome of luxury accommodation in Paris.
Honestly, if I was staying here, I honestly wonder whether I would actually step out into the City of Light.
But if you do get out, everything is walking distance away. It’s literally just a 5 minute walk to the Louvre and the nearest station is 100m away.
Plus there are loads of great restaurants just next door. Perks of living in the heart of Paris, right?
“Hotel Le Pradey is the love from the first sight. Very stylish hotel, perfect location, friendly and helpful staff, room was great.
Anara (read more reviews now!)
This hotel pays the attention to every details: decoration, bed, bath accessories and other. Perfect, perfect, perfect! Next time I will definitely stay this hotel again.”
Unlike many hotels in Paris, the rooms in Le Pardey are extremely spacious. You have epic views no matter which room you get and the decor is incredibly stylish. Oh and for breakfast, you get to choose if you want it in bed or you can go down and eat it in style!
Sounds like the perfect spot for a vacation. Am I right or am I right?
Hôtel des Arts Montmartre – Mid Range
⭐️ Rating: 9.5/10 (2,392 Reviews) Price: $249 per night 📍Location: 5 rue Tholoze, 18th arr., Paris Details: Read more on booking.com now!
Sometimes luxury can be found at a mid range price! This is the case when it comes to Hôtel des Arts Montmartre.
It has a pretty prime location in the Montmartre district which means you can walk straight up to the Sacre Coeur Basillica.
“Lovely little hotel in the Montmartre area. Very clean and well maintained. I loved the decorations (painted on walls and doors) and the beautiful textiles in the room.”
Virpi (read more reviews now!)
If you’ve been to Paris before, you know that this offers one of the best views of the city. The Montmartre area also has some amazing cafes that you can chill at.
But that is not all. The décor of the hotel is elegant and tasteful. The rooms are clean and quite frankly extremely comfortable. While more compact than spacious, the rooms have everything you could possibly need including quality toiletries.
Booking a room here is definitely value for money!
Kyriad Paris 18 – Budget
⭐️ Rating: 8/10 (2,393 Reviews) Price: $116 per night 📍Location: 78 Boulevard Ornano, 18th arr., Paris Details: Read more on booking.com now!
Location is everything when picking a hotel in Paris. It however does come with a price.
If you want a budget accommodation, then you have to stay outside the heart of the city.
The good news is that the public transport of the city is very good.
Decent location as it is right next to the metro and only 3-4 stops away from the main station making commuting easy, the staff were very friendly and nice. The breakfast was also quite good
Ben (read more reviews now!)
Kyriad Paris 18 is one such location. While it is not central where the location is concerned, it is located right in front of the Porte de Clignancourt Metro Station which means you can easily get to the city.
It is also close to the largest flea market in Paris. So there are things to do in the vicinity!
The beds are super comfortable, the rooms are spacious and the breakfast is a highlight of any stay here.
Most Unusual Locations in Paris
The City of Light is a dreamy location. If you’ve been here before and are looking for something different to do in the city, why not visit some of the unusual locations in Paris? Trust me, they are interesting!
1. Shakespeare and Co
The one most well-known of the locations on the list of unusual locations in Paris is the Shakespeare and Co. It is perhaps the most famous book shop in the world. Despite its popularity, it still deserves a place due to its uniqueness and quirkiness.
Shakespeare and Co was opened in 1951 by the eccentric George Whitman and his bookshop has been a gathering place for a wealth of legendary writers over the years, from Ernest Hemingway to T.S Eliot.
What makes Shakespeare and Co so unique is that aspiring writers are permitted to sleep in the alcoves around the shop. Can it get any better that this? I mean to actually sleep, read, eat and write in an iconic spot is the stuff of dreams.
To this day up to six guests – affectionately known as ‘tumbleweeds’ – are permitted to sleep there. All they need do is work a few hours in the shop. Well, that and read a whole book a day!
Whether you intend to sleep there or not, this quirky bookshop is an important footnote in time and one of the most unusual locations in Paris. Did you know that it is also rated as one of the most beautiful bookshops in Europe? So make sure not to miss it!
2. The Petite Ceinture
Petite Ceinture is one of the unusual locations in Paris.
The anachronistic wonder of the Petite Ceinture in Paris is a fascinating element of Parisian history! This old railway line was built back in 1852 for freight trains, was once used by locals traveling around the city but over time it grew obsolete and fell to disuse.
Nowadays, the strange tracks can be found winding their way for 29 miles around the city and through some of Paris’s most forgotten corners.
Parts of it are open to the public to traverse and the oddity still manages to provide an air of mystery and nostalgia worth taking a respite from the bustling city to traverse and take a step back into Paris’s past.
You can see why this takes a spot on our list of unusual locations in Paris.
3. Le Manoir de Paris
Paris has a grim past, but then what big city doesn’t? That is one of the reasons why you can find a number of unusual locations in Paris.
Le Manoir de Paris is a walkthrough haunted house set in an authentic historical mansion. Its intention to combine thrill seeking horror with educational history.
The attraction takes you through a theatrical experience of 17 horrific Parisian legends, terrifyingly played out by professional actors. Ranging from old favorites, such as the Phantom of the Opera and The Hunchback of Notre Dame to the tale of The Witch of La Voisin and the “Barber’s Blade”.
Whether you’re an experienced horror enthusiast, or just someone who likes to indulge in some thrilling vibes, Le Manoir de Paris.
Takes you away from the “City of Light” and into the shadows of Paris’s past.
4. Lavomatic
Lavomatic is such a quirky place on the list of unusual locations in Paris.
Taking a break from exploring the weird and often morbid side of Paris, why not head to a bar for an alcohol infused respite.
Paris certainly has plenty of concealed odd bars. Like one hidden within a laundromat. Definitely counts as one of the unusual locations in Paris right?
If you were to be washing your socks in this laundromat you might be forgiven for not noticing one of the washing machines is actually a secret door opening into a spiraling staircase leading up to a kitsch, yet cozy, cocktail bar.
The interior is smattered with cushions, soap boxes or swing chairs to sit on whilst enjoying their potent cocktails, with a variety of distinct flavors like Earl Grey Whisky Sour and Elderberry with Gin.
5. L’Atelier des Lumieres Museum
There are many museums of art within Paris – far too many to count – but L’Ateñoer des Lumieres stands out – literally.
Forgoing paintings for extravagant video projectors and light installations with spatialized sound systems, L’Atelier des Lumieres Museum is a digital art immersive experience.
Located within what was once a foundry, visitors physically walk through the digital recreated works of artists.
The walls and floor morph from flowery gardens into picturesque villages into trippy pyramids with eyes and make for an idiosyncratic experience unlike your typical art gallery.
6. The Catacombs of Paris
The catacombs of Paris definitely qualifies as one of the unusual locations in Paris.
⭐️ Rating: 4.5/5 (9026 Reviews) Price: $33.27 per person Duration: 1 hour 📍Meeting Point: Entrance of the catacombs. Details: Read more on Get Your Guide Now!
In response to the rather grisly problem of overflowing cemeteries in Paris during the 18th century, it was decided that the deceased were to be moved below the streets of Paris into a vast tunnel network.
These catacombs still exist and have been open to exploration by the bold since the 19th century.
The dank corridors make up a sinister ossuary – one of the largest in the world – with walls made of skulls and human bones.
“Glad I pre booked, I had an early morning slot and the signs were already up to say sold out for the day.
One slightly dizzying decent down lots of stairs and I was in a dark, creepy, beautiful and fascinating underground labyrinth of dead people arranged into strangely photogenic patterns. “
Thomas (read more reviews now!)
The entire catacomb is said to hold the remains of over six million people and stretches 2,000 acres beneath the city all the way to the aptly named former city gate, Barriere d’Enfer (The Gates of Hell).
7. Gustave’s Office (Secret Apartment of The Eiffel Tower)
Gustav’s apartment is hidden in plain sight and is one of the iconic yet unusual locations in Paris.
There is nothing quite as cool as a secret hidden in plain view. One such secret can be found at the top of Paris’s most iconic landmark, The Eiffel Tower.
Unbeknownst to most visitors as they enjoy the view from the tower’s upper observation deck, there is in fact a secret apartment at the peak.
Gustave Eiffel made this as a private space for himself to entertain prestigious guests and perform scientific experiments.
It is said that Eiffel even once hosted Thomas Edison there and was gifted a sound recorded device in return.
The secret apartment is roughly 100 square meters large and includes a workshop, living room, kitchen, bathroom and piano – but oddly no bedroom.
It has since been renamed ‘Gustave’s Office’ and visitors without vertigo will find wax figures of Edison and Gustave himself inside. Not to mention an even better view of the wonderfully mysterious city that is Paris, expanding out as far as the eye can see.
⏰ In a hurry and want to book a tour of one of the unusual locations in Paris? Then book the tickets and audio tour of the Catacombs in Paris! It is a unique experience! ⏰
As you can see, there are so many interesting and unusual locations in Paris. It doesn’t matter if its your first trip to the city or your 100th one, there will always be something for you to see and do.
How many of these epic unusual locations in Paris have you been to? Let us know in the comments below!
