Lady’s 8 Secret Courtyards in Paris

What do you do on your millionth visit to a city? There’s an endless supply of travel guides offering tips for first and second visits, but when you’ve worked and lived in a city, it can be difficult to find new things to discover on each successive trip. I love Paris, but when my Eurostar train pulls into Gare du Nord and I arrive at Hotel Le Bristol, I’m not sure if I’m going to find anything new this time. But then I discover 8 secret courtyards in Paris that make me fall even more in love with the City of Light.

Hotel Courtyards in Paris
Hotel Le Bristol
Le Bristol is one of my favorite luxury hotels in Paris, and I’m excited to be staying here at their invitation.

I had a great experience at Le Bristol five years ago, when I got to travel through Paris with a personal shopper, go on a private after-hours tour of the Louvre, and have dinner at both of their acclaimed restaurants.

This time around I have a lovely room and a great dinner at the Michelin-starred brasserie de luxe Le 114 Faubourg, too.

But one thing I discover is that in addition to all of the gorgeous things Le Bristol has to offer, it has an amazing courtyard.

Perfect for drinks on a sunny day, it also has striking sculptures that add great touches of color. My room has a view of the iconic rooftops of Paris, but the courtyard is almost more fun to look at.

Shopping Courtyards in Paris
Merci
I’m not a big shopper, but if there’s one city in the world that inspires me to shop when I travel, it’s Paris. No trip would be complete without a little browsing, and the perfect place to do it is at a chic boutique in the Haut Marais called Merci.

Accessed through a narrow courtyard off the Boulevard Beaumarchais, it welcomes visitors to its multi-story retail haven with a cheerful red Fiat 500 out front.

Fifi Chachnil
Like many Americans, I consider Paris the most romantic city in the world. Whenever I visit, I like to pay homage to that reputation.

In a little courtyard near Les Halles, the pretty-in-pink Fifi Chachnil sells some of the sweetest lingerie in the city.

Rose Desgranges Perfumer
And speaking of pink, I stumble upon a lovely little courtyard in Paris that houses a perfumer called Rose Desgranges.

Rose set up the eponymous shop, which is just off the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honore, after her husband made her a perfume in 1958.

Designed to embody the elegance and femininity that Parisian women are renowned for, the fragrance has hints of rose, bergamot, and jasmine.

Several years ago, Rose’s daughter and granddaughter revived the shop and now offer the same perfume from the very courtyard she sold it from half a century ago.

Palais Royal
The Palais Royal eluded me for years, but when I finally discovered it I fell in love. Right next to the Louvre (how did I miss it?), the courtyard is full of green spaces and lined with designer shops like Stella McCartney and Acne Studios.

And it gets better. The Palais Royal’s Cour d’Honneur has one of the most visually striking works of public art in the city, too.

Daniel Buren’s candy-striped columns of various heights create a grand checkerboard-like space that makes passers-by curious enough to walk through and explore.

Cafe Courtyards in Paris
Honor
Paris is a great place for cafe lovers, and I always like to sip a cafe au lait somewhere in the city when I visit.

Tucked away in a courtyard off the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honore (this street has a lot of secret courtyards in Paris!), Honor is an outdoor specialty coffee shop with seats both at the bar and around the kiosk.

Museum Courtyards in Paris
Musee des Archives Nationales
Over in the Marais, the Musee des Archives Nationales is tucked away in a courtyard off the Rue des Francs Bourgeois.

Set in the Hotel de Soubise, one of the finest historic mansions in the neighborhood, the museum displays important documents from the government archives and offers temporary exhibitions throughout the year.

Picasso Museum
Just around the corner from the Musee des Archives Nationales is the Picasso Museum, which reopened several years ago after a five-year renovation that more than doubled its size.

The museum is set back from the street in a stunning courtyard, and is worth a visit both for its amazing collection and its lovely setting.

Have you discovered any secret courtyards in Paris?

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