‘Fall’ in love with Paris in the autumn

It’s the most wonderful time of the yeeeeaaar…

No, not Christmas, although that’s getting alarmingly close. I’m talking about autumn. The air is crisp and tinged with that delicious dried-leaves smoky scent. The trees are resplendent in blazing reds and soft golds. It’s cool enough to get cosy with jumpers and scarves and thick socks, but not actually cold yet. 

It’s coffee shop season, soups and stews season, spiced candles season, curl-up-with-a-book-under-a-blanket-all-evening season. It’s spooky season, invite-your-friends-over-for-some-seasonal-baking season. It is, mesdames et messieurs, RACLETTE season. Or the start of it anyway.

Suffice to say, I’m a fan. And whilst I struggle to say which time of year is the best one to visit Paris (all of them), I definitely think the autumn deserves more of a look-in than it usually gets. So, without further ado, here’s my list of top ways to make the most of an autumnal trip to the City of Light:

Stroll through the Jardin des Tuileries…

The Tuileries gardens are lovely year round, but I especially enjoy them once the trees have started to turn. Head in at the Concorde end, pick up a hot drink at the kiosk, and crunch along beneath the leafy canopies until you get to the Louvre on the other side.  

…or any of the other Parisian parks and gardens

The Jardin du Palais-Royal, Jardin du Luxembourg and Parc des Buttes-Chaumont are all excellent for an autumnal wander. You could also check out the Coulée verte René-Dumont — one of my favourite hidden gems in the city. It’s very much deserving of a blog of its own, and it will get one at some point, so I’m reluctant to say too much here, except that it’s a walkway of sorts. And it’s bloody lovely for as long as there are leaves on the trees. Don’t Google it. Just… trust me.

Venture out to the Bois de Vincennes

If pretty parks and sculpted gardens are too tame for your tastes, you can hop on the Line 1 and take the métro to the Bois de Vincennes, the woods on the eastern outskirts of Paris. Lots of trees, lots of leaves. You get the idea. 

Celebrate the Fête du Beaujolais Nouveau…

On the third Thursday of November each year, the “Beaujolais Nouveau”, a young red wine, is released for sale. Events are organised across France to mark the occasion, and you’ll find a particularly festive atmosphere in a lot of bars and restaurants over the weekend that follows. There’s also a lot of hay, which, to the uninitiated, is a deeply confusing sight on the floor of your local Parisian bistro. This year’s festivities will take place from 20-24 November; my recommendation is to check out the Belleville food market on the 21st. 

… and the Fête des Vendanges de Montmartre

“Fête” is the French word for festival and the “vendanges” is the grape harvest, but this is so much more than just another wine festival. (Not that I’d have any objections if it wasn’t.) The festival takes place for five days in early October, so you’ve missed the boat for 2024, but it seems unlikely it won’t return next autumn, having endured for 91 years so far. Head up to Montmartre (a must-visit neighbourhood in its own right) for a plethora of unique spectacles and activities, an eclectic selection of live music… and yes, plenty of wine. 

City of Fright: Take a stroll in a cemetery

France isn’t particularly big on Halloween the way that the US, the UK, and Ireland are,* but that doesn’t mean you can’t get a little fix of frightening(ish) over here. There are several historic cemeteries in Paris, the largest and most notable being the cimetière du Père-Lachaise; the centuries-old tombs and mausoleums provide some seriously spooky scenery for an autumnal stroll. There’s also a whole (g)host of celebrity residents resting there — including Oscar Wilde, Jim Morrison, Edith Piaf and Molière. Other impressive cemeteries include the cimetière du Montparnasse and the cimetière de Montmartre.

*Although I’ve seen more signs of it, in supermarkets at least, every year since I arrived. God bless capitalism.

Brave the bones in the Catacombes

If hundreds of thousands of buried corpses isn’t spooky enough for you, how about a few million unburied corpses? Or their bones, anyway. Descend 20 meters below ground to the catacombes de Paris to explore one of the world’s largest ossuaries. The subterranean walls and corridors are lined with careful arrangements of human femurs, tibiae and skulls — a surreal, and pretty peturbing sight. And if you’re not even slightly unnerved by that, your spooky threshold is too high for me to help you in this blog. Sorry.

My femurs feel funny. 

A cosy caffeine fix

If you’re more into cosy than creepy, an abundance of adorable coffee shops have popped up around Paris over the last few years. The tiny Baguett’s Café does the tastiest chai latte I’ve ever tried; Tapisserie offers an array of superb pâtisseries in a rustic-feeling setting; self-described “café litteraire” Maison Fleuret is a haven for readers and writers (you’re literally surrounded by books); and Lactem is a quirky little spot offering some lovely bakery and breakfast treats. These are some of my favourites, but you’re spoiled for choice in the city these days… Explore away.

Did I miss anything? Feel free to share your own autumnal recommendations for Paris in the comments!