Every September, for just one weekend, Paris unlocks its doors.

Journées Européennes du Patrimoine gives us all permission to snoop through the spaces we normally couldn’t: private artist studios, art restoration workshops, historic institutions, and other normally-private enclaves briefly become the public’s playground.

The real fun of it lies in finding places you wouldn’t ordinarily even know existed, much less that you could enter.

So in preparation for JEP 2026, I went looking for 15 of the strangest, most compelling places opening their doors (however briefly) to all of Paris on September 19th & 20th.

A little note, before we get started…

I shared a handful of other JEP recommendations in Sept 2026 edition of The Elsewhere Edit, and none of them overlap with this list.

Consider this the extended cut.

Institut Joaillerie Cartier

September 19–20, 2026

Cartier is opening the doors of its renowned training institute for a 90-minute guided visit on how their iconic Cartier pieces are actually made.

The route showcases nearly every step of the jewelry-making process: Cartier artisans demonstrate each of the specialized métiers involved in creating a piece. And better yet, this tour isn’t entirely observational: visitors will have the opportunity to work directly at a jeweler’s bench themselves.

The Institut exists primarily to train Cartier’s specialists in their legendary savoir-faire, rarely open to tourists only one weekend per year… so this will likely be a competitive sign-up.

Set your alarms now.

Why Go: Cultivate your appreciation for Cartier craftsmanship… far more than you ever could through the glass of a boutique.

Ateliers d’Art du Musée du Louvre

September 19–20, 2026

A lot of people visit the Louvre. A lot fewer people visit the part of the Louvre that makes the museum work.

For this exceptional weekend opening, the Louvre’s Ateliers d’Art invite the public to observe the practical side of the world’s biggest museum. You’ll encounter the people, spaces, and technical expertise that allow for delicate artworks to be safely installed & displayed.

Visits last a whopping three and a half hours, so this is definitely one for the museum nerds.

Why Go: See the Louvre in a capacity most people never do.

Soufflerie Eiffel

September 19–20, 2026

After Eiffel built his Tower, he became fascinated with aerodynamics.

In 1912, he created his remarkable wind tunnel, which is still operational more than a century later. The Soufflerie Eiffel still assists scientists & professionals with aerodynamic research to this day.

The machinery itself is enormous and duly impressive- unlike almost anything else you’re likely to see during this weekend. It is essentially an intact piece of early-20th-century scientific history that somehow never became obsolete.

Why Go: Discover the wonderfully weird second career Gustave Eiffel pursued after building his famed tower.

Mobilier National: The Perret Reserves & Restoration Workshops

September 19–20, 2026

The Mobilier National contains an extraordinary collection of furniture, textiles, and decorative objects belonging to the French state (much of which spends its life outside of museums & galleries).

For one weekend, you can see it all up-close.

The route takes visitors through the normally-closed Perret reserve & restoration workshops (including spaces devoted to furniture, carpets, tapestries, upholstery, bronze, and lighting restoration).

And the visit’s entrance is appropriately theatrical: it begins on an actual red carpet from the Collections that is normally reserved for official ceremonies at the Élysée Palace.

That alone should convince you.

Why Go: See what happens to France’s national collection of furniture when it isn’t furnishing palaces.

Manufacture des Gobelins: Textile Arts & Weaving

September 19–20, 2026

For centuries, the name Gobelins has been associated with some of France’s most extraordinary tapestries.

But these techniques aren’t solely historical. They’re still being taught.

During this weekend, the Manufacture offers a tour through the École des Arts textiles, where students will present their work and demonstrate the weaving techniques used in creating these pieces.

An institution this historic can sometimes feel stiff. But these centuries-old crafts are bursting with life, eagerly being passed from one generation to the next.

Why Go: Watch one of France’s most famous artistic traditions being practiced before your eyes.

Banque de France Paris-Bastille

September 19, 2026

A trip to the Banque sounds considerably more interesting when someone tells you they’re letting you into the vault.

The Banque de France Paris-Bastille is offering a 90-minute tour through 5 different stations, exploring all that the institution actually does. Along the way, visitors can see the Management offices and enter the former salle des coffres.

Not to mention, it may very well be the most beautiful bank you’ll ever set foot in: a grand early-20th-century interior makes the visit feel far more historically significant than your average bank.

You will also learn the TRI method used to authenticate a banknote: essentially “How to Spot a Fake Euro Note 101." You never know, could come in handy.

Why Go: Because when was the last time a bank let you into their vault?

Atelier Claude de Soria

September 19–20, 2026

Hidden behind Boulevard Raspail in Montparnasse lies the former studio of French sculpto, Claude de Soria. Her work is best known for transforming an unexpectedly humble material, cement, into beautiful abstract sculptures. The preserved atelier contains nearly 2,000 unique works.

This year’s opening marks the centenary of de Soria’s birth. Alongside the studio itself, visitors will see an exhibition of photographs (taken from the 1960s onward) documenting the evolution of this intimate Montparnasse space.

Why Go: Examine nearly 2,000 sculptures in the very same place they were created.

Hidden Russian Catholic Church of Paris

September 19–20, 2026

From the street, you might never guess that this building is actually a Byzantine-style church hiding inside a former painter’s studio.

The story begins in 1934: what had once been the atelier of painter François Gérard was transformed into a Russian Catholic mission founded by Russian immigrants in Paris.

Today, the space contains an iconostasis (a wall covered with religious icons) and a sanctuary fresco by the Jesuit priest & celebrated painter, Egon Sendler.

Why Go: Discover an entire Byzantine sanctuary hiding inside an artist’s old studio.

Studio Raspail

September 19, 2026

Studio Raspail is a small, historic theatre in Paris with a glamorous origin story.

In 1927, cosmetics entrepreneur Helena Rubinstein and her husband bought the property and developed it as a creative complex: apartments & studios for artists, as well as a theatre intended (in part) for Paris’s American community.

Over the years, the space evolved into an avant-garde cinema & cultural venue before eventually falling into disuse. But after a major restoration, Studio Raspail has reopened.

Journées Européennes du Patrimoine offers a rare chance to discover this little-known piece of interwar Paris.

Why Go: Step foot inside this beautifully-restored theatre, specially formed for the artists of 1920s Paris.

Chana Orloff & Villa Seurat

September 19–20, 2026

Chana Orloff, a major 20th-century sculptor, built her home & studio in 1920s Paris. Now, it’s open for you to visit.

Her house sits on Villa Seurat, a quiet cul-de-sac in the 14th that was once an enclave of modernist artists & architects. Orloff’s own residence/workspace was designed in 1926 by the architect Auguste Perret. Perret designed the light-filled space specifically around the practical needs of a working sculptor.

For Journées Européennes du Patrimoine, visitors can explore the studio where she lived & worked, enjoying the sculptures which are displayed outside along Villa Seurat.

Why Go: Experience an artist’s work inside the home it was actually crafted in.

Atelier du Temps Passé

September 19–20, 2026

Throughout our lives, we see plenty of fully-restored artworks. It is much rarer to see a painting in the process of being restored.

The professional conservators at Atelier du Temps Passé are opening their workspace to the public, demonstrating the entire conservation/restoration process from start to finish: scientific examination, diagnosis, stabilization, aesthetic reintegration, and everything in between.

Visitors can see artworks currently under treatment, examine the tools & materials involved, and speak directly with the conservation professionals.

This is where art history collides with chemistry, material science, ethics… and not least of all, staggering levels of patience.

Why Go: Break the fourth wall on the mystifying process of art conservation.

Archives Nationales Restoration, Bookbinding & Gilding Workshop

September 19–20, 2026

For every centuries-old document sitting intact behind museum glass, someone had to make sure it survived long enough to get there.

This small group visit explores the Archives Nationales’ restoration, bookbinding, and gilding workshop, where professionals preserve documents to be passed down for posterity.

You’ll learn how conservators identify & prevent deterioration, as well as repair methods they implement to ensure a document will survive the next several hundred years.

Groups are capped at just 10 people, making this experience very intimate.

Why Go: Learn about the extraordinarily precise work required to ensure that written history survives.

Alain Ducasse Coffee Manufacture

September 19–20, 2026

Alain Ducasse is one of France’s best-known chefs, but this particular spot is devoted entirely to coffee. At his Manufacture de Café in the 11th arrondissement, beans sourced from Ethiopia, Brazil, and Colombia are roasted on-site.

For JEP 2026, visitors can go behind the scenes of the production space to see the roasting process up-close.

It’s a more contemporary (and culinary) take on the idea of French savoir-faire.

Why Go: See a more contemporary (and caffeinated) side of French culture.

Hôtel de Massa

September 19, 2026

Hôtel de Massa is one of those spots with a backstory that sounds like something out of a book.

The 18th-century mansion originally stood on the Champs-Élysées. Then, in the late 1920s, it was dismantled and reconstructed stone-by-stone beside the Observatoire de Paris.

Today, it houses the Société des Gens de Lettres- founded by figures including Honoré de Balzac, Alexandre Dumas, Victor Hugo, and George Sand.

Guided visits pass through its salons & gardens, where you’ll find Art Deco furniture & busts of famous writers.

Why Go: Visit the historic Paris mansion that picked itself up & marched as-is across town.

The Treasures of International Visual Theatre

September 19, 2026

This is heritage you may actually be allowed to take home.

The International Visual Theatre, a major center for Deaf culture & French Sign Language, is celebrating 50 years with an unusually open open-house.

Alongside exhibitions and workshops centered on Deaf culture, the IVT is holding a special sale of materials from its history: vintage posters, old costumes, and other one-of-a-kind objects from its performances.

Why Go: Explore 50 years of French Deaf performance history (and potentially leave with a piece of it).

The beauty of Journées Européennes du Patrimoine is that all of Paris opens up to those curious enough to explore.

If you only choose 1 or 2 places from this list, I’d prioritize the listings that are genuinely difficult (or downright impossible) to visit during the rest of the year.

But if you’re going to miss out on the festivities, don’t fret: Paris has plenty of beautiful spaces you can visit any day of the year.

Paris always has more doors worth opening.

If you found this intriguing or useful, please consider supporting my other channels! I’d be honored to have you along for the ride.

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Learning doesn't have to feel like homework.

In fact, it shouldn't.

The best courses change the way you look at things- especially things you thought you already understood. A painting can become a roadmap to newfound cultural awareness, a film can become an anthropological study, even the simplest of objects- with the right shift in perspective- can open up an entire world.

So this September, I put together a little all-free, no-tuition curriculum designed to make learning feel fun, expansive, and genuinely useful.

European Paintings: From Leonardo to Rembrandt to Goya

7 weeks | 2–3 hours per week

If you’re relatively new to Art History, or just want to brush up on the classics, I’d recommend starting here.

Offered by Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, this course covers roughly 4 centuries of European painting, from 1400 to 1800, including artists like Leonardo da Vinci, Botticelli, Caravaggio, Velázquez, Rembrandt, Vermeer, and Goya.

But rather than rote memorization of artists and dates, this course will empower you to understand what paintings can tell us about the societies that produced them: changing ideas about beauty, religion, power, gender, and nature. The course ultimately traces back the emergence of the modern European worldview through art.

How You’ll Grow: Build your visual vocabulary, ability to recognize major works, and grow your understanding of why the classics became the classics.

Pyramids of Giza: Ancient Egyptian Art and Archaeology

8 weeks | 2–4 hours per week

It’s all too easy to forget how truly extraordinary the Pyramids actually are. Let’s change that.

In this Harvard course, Egyptologist Peter Der Manuelian explores the art, architecture, archaeology, religion, and society of Egypt’s Old Kingdom. Of course, you’ll study the Pyramids & the Great Sphinx, but also the tombs, temples, hieroglyphs, and pharaohs that made Giza an entire cultural landscape.

What’s more, this course also takes a fascinating look at how our understanding of the ancient world continues to change by introducing technologies (such as 3D modeling and digital visualization) that allow researchers to investigate ancient sites in entirely new ways.

How You’ll Grow: You’ll look beyond the monument itself; seeing it instead as living evidence of one of history’s most illustrious civilizations.

Women Making History: Ten Objects, Many Stories

8 weeks | 2–3 hours per week

What do 10 objects tell us about an entire century of women’s history?

Quite a lot, apparently.

Created by Harvard and centered around objects from the Schlesinger Library, this course uses material study to examine how American women confronted change with creation during the 20th century.

These objects become entry points into a much larger history: education, discrimination, political participation, and rapidly changing expectations of women. Just as importantly, this course asks you to think about the act of writing history itself. Why are certain objects preserved? Whose stories enter the archive? And how does an object influence the history we eventually tell?

This course serves as a particularly good reminder that history doesn’t just live in textbooks. Sometimes, history sits in the palm of our hand.

How You’ll Grow: Extract larger histories from individual objects & how to think more critically about whose stories museums/archives preserve.

Hollywood: History, Industry, Art

4 weeks | 3–4 hours per week

Hollywood films are art. But they’re also products, technological experiments, political documents, and (even occasionally) cultural battlegrounds.

This University of Pennsylvania course looks at all of those things at once: tracing Hollywood through the rise of the studio system to the digital age through the introduction of sound, television, the blacklist, New Hollywood, home video, independent cinema, CGI, and the internet.

Along the way, you’ll learn how to analyze both a film and the forces that shaped what made it on-screen. That entails looking at studios & filmmakers, as well as censorship, new technologies, war, counterculture, and ever-changing business models.

How You’ll Grow: Learn what happens when art, money, technology, and politics all compete for favor within the same industry.

Interdisciplinary Teaching with Museum Objects

14 weeks | 1–2 hours per week

How can museum collections can reveal perspectives & stories that have historically been overlooked?

Developed by educators across multiple Smithsonian museums, this course teaches how to use objects as tools of thought, interpretation, and education. Explore how artworks & artifacts open conversations that cross academic boundaries.

Participants will also learn to use the Smithsonian Learning Lab to curate digital collections and ultimately to create a museum-resource-based learning experience of their own.

How You’ll Grow: Become a more intentional observer of museum objects by turning what you see into deeper questions, connections, and stories.

More than anything, I hope at least one of these courses gives you a new way of seeing something familiar.

That’s what I love most about learning: it keeps our lives from becoming flat.

And if you come away from September knowing a little more- or maybe even a lot more- I’d call that time very well spent.

If you found this intriguing or useful, please consider supporting my other channels! I’d be honored to have you along for the ride.

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September might be one of the best months of the year to be in Paris. The locals flood back in after a sleepy August, museums launch some of their best autumn exhibitions, and, best of all, secret places which are hidden from the public 11 months out of the year are, at long last, open.

From Sofia Coppola returning to Versailles 20 years after Marie Antoinette to a photographer who literally had to invent new technology to photograph the Paris Catacombs, these are the cultural events I think are most worth knowing about this September.

Journées Européennes du Patrimoine

September 19–20, 2026

For one weekend every September, some of France’s most fascinating historic spaces become considerably easier to get inside.

The Journées Européennes du Patrimoine (European Heritage Days) bring exceptional openings, unusual visits, guided tours, and behind-the-scenes access to monuments and institutions throughout France. Government buildings, private hôtels particuliers, archives, museums, embassies, religious buildings, and spaces that are usually inaccessible to the general public all take part.

The 2026 edition is particularly fitting for art and history lovers, with two official themes: photography heritage and endangered heritage.

A few of my top selections from the Paris programming include:

• Beaux-Arts de Paris | Sept. 19–20, 10:30–17:30
  One of Europe’s oldest art schools, including the former Petits-Augustins convent. Free; no reservation required.

• Grands Dépôts of the Archives Nationales | Sept. 19–20
  Louis-Philippe and Napoléon III archival repositories, including historic metre standard and Medieval royal charters. Free; tickets distributed on-site 30 minutes before each tour.

• Institut de France | Sept. 19–20, 9:00–18:00
  Coupole, Académie française meeting rooms, Bibliothèque Mazarine, and Institut library inside the historic palace on the Seine. Free; no reservation required.

• BnF Richelieu | Sept. 19–20, 10:00–18:00
  Historic birthplace of the Bibliothèque nationale de France inside the former Palais Mazarin, with centuries of French architectural and cultural history. Free; no reservation required.

• Ministry of Culture at the Palais-Royal | Sept. 19–20, 9:00–19:00
  Palais-Royal spaces including the minister’s office, reception salons, and contemporary artworks housed inside. Free; no reservation required.

Why Go: If you’ve ever walked past a gorgeous Parisian building and wondered what is behind the doors, this is the weekend you finally get to find out.

Marie-Antoinette by Sofia Coppola

September 22, 2026–January 24, 2027

20 years after Sofia Coppola transformed the public perception of dear Marie, the film is coming back to the palace (where much of the film was actually made).

Created in collaboration with Sofia Coppola herself, this Petit Trianon exhibition explores the creation, aesthetic, and enduring cultural impact of the 2006 film. Visitors will enjoy original costumes by Oscar-winning designer Milena Canonero, accessories from the film, original storyboards, set photographs, and design sketches.

Perhaps coolest of all, scenes from the movie will be shown inside some of the very spaces where they were filmed, bringing the film to life in the very space it was lived.

Why Go: Relive one of the most influential historical films of the 21st century in the actual place that inspired it.

One more thing for the Sofia Coppola fans: Just 2 days before the Versailles exhibition opens, you can meet Sofia Coppola & photographer Andrew Durham at a free signing of their new book, Making Marie Antoinette.

Where: Fondation Cartier bookstore, 2 Place du Palais-Royal

Date: Sunday, September 20

Time: 3-5 PM

No reservation is required, but entry is subject to available space… so arrive early!

Eva Gonzalès: Parcours d’une artiste libre

September 15, 2026–January 24, 2027

You most likely know Manet. You may have heard the names Berthe Morisot and Mary Cassatt. But what about Eva Gonzalès?

The Petit Palais is hosting h the first major retrospective ever devoted to Gonzalès, either in France or internationally. A gifted painter working amid the generation that transformed modern French art, Gonzalès was also the only formal pupil of Édouard Manet.

Nearly 100 paintings, pastels, and prints will be on display. These trace the lines of a an artistic career cut devastatingly short when Gonzalès passed at just 34.

Rather than treating her merely as a footnote to Impressionism, the exhibition offers a chance to encounter her as an artist with a distinctive voice of her own.

Why Go: Rediscover a woman who was at the center of one of the most famous periods in French art history… and then largely disappeared from its retelling.

Nadar: Inventer Paris, des profondeurs au ciel

September 29, 2026–January 31, 2027

Nadar photographed some of the biggest personalities of 19th-century France. But he also took his camera into places where photography seemed impossible.

In the 1850s and 1860s, the photographer & inventor experimented with aerial photography and electric lighting for photography, eventually using the latter technique to photograph the seldom-captured Paris Catacombs. At a time when the site could only be accessed by a privileged few, Nadar’s eerie photographs shared an entirely new image of subterranean Paris.

This small exhibition inside the Catacombs brings together underground & aerial imagery alongside reproductions of patents, advertisements, and drawings related to the artist.

Why Go: See the work of a photographer who was determined to photograph Paris quite literally from top to bottom.

Claude Monet: Peindre le temps

September 30, 2026–January 25, 2027

100 years ago, Claude Monet died. The Musée de l’Orangerie is marking the occasion by analyzing at one of the most fascinating threads of his career: his obsession with capturing time.

Peindre le temps follows Monet from early Impressionism through his famous series paintings- haystacks, cathedrals, poplars- and ultimately toward the monumental work Nymphéas.

The exhibit will examine Monet’s relationship with repeat subjects- consistently observing them as the light, atmosphere, and hour changed around them. No more appropriate place to explore the topic than L’Orangerie, where his enormous masterwork, Water Lilies, surround visitors in an immersive painted environment.

Why Go: Review Monet’s paintings as experiments in painting the passage of time.

Un vestiaire à soi: Féminités dissidentes au XIXe siècle

September 26, 2026–February 14, 2027

Clothing has never just been clothing.

Palais Galliera’s new exhibition looks at 19th century women who took on elements of traditionally masculine dress- trousers & tailored suits, ties & top hats- and connects the dots on how those choices intersected with changing ideas about gender, independence, work, and women’s place in society.

Nearly 500 works will be shown: garments, accessories, paintings, fashion imagery, and around 150 photographs. One particular highlight is the complete surviving wardrobe of artist Rosa Bonheur, presented in its entirety for the first time.

The exhibition features from famous figures like George Sand & Bonheur to anonymous women, working women, and the artistic & lesbian circles of Paris around 1900.

Why Go: Observe 19th-century fashion as a tool that women could use to challenge the boundaries around their lives.

Auguste Bartholdi: Liberty Enlightening the World

September 15, 2026–January 31, 2027

The Statue of Liberty may be an American icon, but her story begins very much in France.

Marking the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Declaration of Independence, the Musée d’Orsay is looking back at sculptor Auguste Bartholdi and the extraordinary process behind the creation of his most iconic work.

The exhibition explores the artistic, political, financial, and engineering challenges behind the project- from fundraising to the World’s Fair publicity. Running alongside it is a nearly 700-square-meter virtual-reality experience, recreating stages of the statue’s creation in Paris and its eventual arrival in New York.

Why Go: Discover how one of America’s most famous monuments was brought to life in France.

Paris Design Week

September 10–19, 2026

For 10 days in September, Paris brings together around 500 artists across 320 locations through 4 major design districts. The program encompasses furniture, interiors, decorative arts, graphic design, craftsmanship, installations, artist talks, and open houses.

One particularly useful place to start is the Paris Design Week Factory, running from September 10th to 14th bringing more than 150 emerging designers into four galleries.

Why Go: See Paris become one enormous design exhibition, and discover new creators before their work explodes in popularity.

Andy Warhol: La ligne et l’image

September 16, 2026–January 10, 2027

Mention Andy Warhol, and most people immediately picture Marilyn Monroe or Campbell’s soup cans.

But before (and after) he became synonymous with mechanically-reproduced Pop Art, Warhol drew constantly.

The Musée du Luxembourg is centering that less-familiar side of his career, bringing together around 150 drawings from his œuvre. The exhibition will trace his beginnings as a commercial illustrator to the experiments he developed at his studio, The Factory.

Why Go: This is Warhol from an angle that goes considerably beyond the mass-reproduced images he’s so well-known for.

Fine Arts Paris

September 19–23, 2026

The Grand Palais is beautiful any day. But fill its enormous glass-roofed nave with art spanning thousands of years? Things become considerably more interesting.

Fine Arts Paris gathers around 100 international galleries working across an unusually broad range of specialties: antiquities, Old Masters, modern and contemporary art, sculpture, drawings, Asian art, jewelry, books and manuscripts, furniture, decorative arts, and design.

Unlike a regular museum visit, this event is the art market in action. These objects around you aren’t just for display; most of them are for sale. The future Musée du Grand Siècle will serve as the 2026 guest of honor, while interior designer Charles Zana has been invited to shape the fair’s scenography.

Why Go: Wander through thousands of years of art under one roof (and get an up-close look at how the art market actually operates).

September is simply not the month to stay in in Paris.

I’ll be exploring several of these events myself throughout September, so stay tuned here- and across my social media- for closer looks at some of the stories, artworks, and very strange pieces of Paris history hiding behind them.

If you found this intriguing or useful, please consider supporting my other channels! I’d be honored to have you along for the ride.

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Imagine spending hours inside a cocktail bar in Paris’s famous 2nd arrondissement, discussing the book that “found you at the right moment in your life” …with none other than Dua Lipa herself.

Let’s make that dream a reality- because it’s actually happening.

Here’s a neat little summary of every single relevant detail: dates, sign-up instructions, location, cost, and how it all works.

About the Book Club

Back in 2023, Dua Lipa launched Service95, a cultural platform that includes her now-global book club.

Since its launch, she has selected a new book nearly every month and personally interviewed its author. She has spoken with literary heavyweights from Margaret Atwood to Ocean Vuong. The first official Service95 book selection, Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart, was the winner of the Booker Prize.

All this to say: Dua Lipa loves to read.

And her audience reads with her. The official Instagram account @service95bookclubhas amassed over 500,000 followers.

Details on the Paris Event

On Wednesday, February 25, 2026, Service95 is hosting a real-life book club session in Paris.

Time: 19h–21h
Location: Bar De Vie, 22 rue Saint-Sauveur, 75002 Paris
Neighborhood: Sentier (2nd arrondissement)

The evening is divided into two phases:

1️⃣ Book Exchange & Discussion

Participants must bring a book that “found you at the right moment in your life.”
There will be a collective exchange and conversation over how this book impacted you most. All attendees will be encouraged to participate.

2️⃣ Ceramic Workshop

Additionally, there will be a hands-on workshop led by Paris-based artist Justine Beral.

The theme ties back to the book you bring: a tactile extension from reading into creating.

It’s intimate, conceptual, romantic… Very Parisian, frankly.

Is Dua Lipa Actually Attending?

While her presence is heavily implied, these events are structured through her team and platform.

No official statement has clarified whether she will personally moderate the evening- though given the framing, her attendance is strongly implied.

Keep an eye on Service95’s official channels for confirmation.

How to Participate

To be clear: you cannot just buy a ticket.

Here is the exact process:

• You must be subscribed to the Service95 newsletter.

  Note: At the time you are currently reading this, the signup for this lottery draw is currently closed. Don’t be discouraged- Service95 hosts events around the worldregularly, so you can sign up for the next event!

• A lottery draw selects participants who will be invited to attend. If selected, you receive a private payment link.

  • The price is €65.

  • You have 24 hours to pay.

  • The fee covers the cost of drinks, food, and the ceramic workshop.

TL;DR

Event: Service95 Paris Book Club
Date: February 25, 2026
Time: 19:00–21:00
Location: Bar De Vie, 22 rue Saint-Sauveur, 75002 Paris
Price: €65
Includes: Drinks, food, ceramics workshop
Registration: Lottery via Service95 Newsletter (sign-up before Feb 12, 2026).

And if you do get selected: bring a book that truly matters to you.

How to Learn More…

I also love to share video content about all my favorite Paris facts… especially history, art & culture.

If you found this intriguing or useful, please consider supporting my other channels! I’d be honored to have you along for the ride.

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Since August 1, 1885, prayer inside Sacré-Cœur has continued without interruption, both day and night. For over 140 years, at least one person has always been present inside the basilica, praying silently. Through wars, political upheaval, and even COVID lockdowns, this tradition has persisted. The chain of prayers has never been broken.

In fact, this tradition of prayer is the very reason the basilica exists.

The History

Sacré-Cœur was imagined in the aftermath of the Franco-Prussian War- a period of deep social unrest within France. Rather than allowing more violence to ensue, its founders envisioned a place dedicated to peace and prayer. From the beginning, the goal was simple: to pray for the world.

That mission became reality on August 1, 1885, when continuous Eucharistic adoration & prayer began inside the basilica. From that night onward, someone has always been present in prayer inside Sacré-Cœur.

Through world wars, political upheavals, even pandemics— the chain has never been broken.

This tradition is kept up in part by church officials, but the public is also invited to participate in the adoration.

Interested in participating in this tradition yourself? Here’s what you need to know.

Who Is Allowed to Participate?

Although it is a Catholic religious guesthouse, according to the Basilica itself, the guests:

• do not require proof of religion

• do not need to be French

• are not asked for any catechetical screening, confession requirement, or profession of faith.

The primary requirement is participation.

About the Basilica

Just beside the basilica is its religious guesthouse. To be clear, it is not a hotel. You will not find it on booking platforms. It exists primarily to support the Basilica’s core mission.

Guests may register via their platform to stay overnight and to take part in the prayer relay between the hours of 11PM to 6AM.

Each person commits to one hour of prayer during the night.

What to Expect

Arrival & Check-In

• Arrival window: 8:15 PM – 9:30 PM.

• Reception closes strictly at 9:30 PM (no exceptions)

• Upon arrival, you receive a personalized bracelet/pass that is required for overnight access to the Basilica

Evening Schedule (optional)

• 9:00 PM – Spiritual introduction (except on Mondays)

• 9:30 PM – Compline (evening prayer), sung in the Basilica (except on Mondays)

• 10:00 PM – Mass

Night Prayer- 11 PM to 6 AM

• Guests choose one hour during this window to pray.

• Guests rotate, so prayer remains continuous throughout the night.

• There is a covered internal corridor which connects the guesthouse directly to the Basilica, so you never step outside.

Morning

• Basilica doors reopen at 6:30 AM.

• 7:00 AM – Morning Mass

• Breakfast served 7:00–8:30 AM.

• Departure by 9:00 AM.

All the most recent details can also be found on their website.

Accommodation Options & Prices

All prices are per person, per night.

Dormitory

• Dormitory box: 15 €

Rooms

• Single room (sink & shower): 40 €

• Single room (sink, shower & toilet): 45 €

• Shared room: 35–40 €

• Children (ages 3–17): 20 €

Bed linen is provided for all stays.
Towels are provided only in rooms, not in dormitories.

Payment is made on arrival (cash, card, or check).

Meals

Breakfast

• Served between 7:00 and 8:30 AM.

• Included for all overnight participants

Dinner (optional)

• Must be reserved 10 days in advance (or 15 days for groups)

• Service at 7:30 PM sharp

• Adult dinner: 15 €

• Children: 10 €

How to Register

Registration is required at least 24 hours in advance.

Registration can be made:

• By phone: +33 1 53 41 89 00 (available from 9 AM – 6 PM.)

• By contact form: linked here.

Your registration is only valid once you receive direct confirmation.
If your chosen date is unavailable, they will propose an alternative.

How to Learn More…

I also love to share video content about all my favorite Paris facts… especially history, art & culture.

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This is the conflict aimed to capture by the artists of the Sublime painting genre.

Take J.M.W. Turner’s Snow Storm: Hannibal and his Army Crossing the Alps— a swirling chaos of snow and sky, where Hannibal’s legendary army holds up their arms in surrender to their fate. In Philip James De Loutherbourg’s An Avalanche in the Alps, the terrifying indifference of Nature is depicted as a mountain’s icy wrath, hurtling toward helpless figures below. These works serve as a chilling reminder of humanity’s fragility against the sublime.

These artworks warn against more than the dangers of ignoring a perilous weather forecast: they are ruminations upon power. Or more specifically, powerlessness.

Mimicking the enormity of God, these works show mankind at the mercy of forces far greater than itself. An avalanche swallowing up an army, a tempest devouring a ship whole— these scenes embody a terrifying smallness, unavoidable by man or beast. In the face of divine wrath, a universal terror grips at us, one and all.

We may flatter ourselves that we’ve outrun the danger. We have practically perfected weather prediction, phone communication, all manners of travel… we’ve taken into account nearly every possible manner of disaster avoidance, lulling ourselves into a false sense of security.

But the avalanche isn’t a wall of snow anymore. It’s something altogether far more terrifying: human.

Certain wealthy, out-of-touch demagogues- Donald Trump and Elon Musk- aim to instill a similar level of fear in us today. Immensely influential, yet they seek only to stoke division rather than create lasting, meaningful change. They start fires only to declare victory over the blaze.

These domineering political headliners have become symbols of this modern Sublime. Together, they form a legislative “avalanche,” and we, like the soldiers in Turner’s painting, are left scrambling to understand the scale of what’s coming for us.

Yet, this is exactly how they aim for us to feel. These playground bullies want us to ruminate on our powerlessness.

The fear evoked in us by these figures isn’t so different from the fear the Sublime artists sought to evoke within us. The paintings weren’t just about Nature’s ability to destroy: they were about our inability to fight back.

Today, the same sense of powerlessness can arise when we stand at the edge of political and technological change, staring up at these modern giants who loom so large in our world.

We live in an era where the monsters are man-made, but they feel no less insurmountable. The rise of capital, the omnipresence of technology, the volatility of political power… all of it carries the weight of something too large to control, too vast to escape.

Perhaps the most striking feature of Sublime art is that it doesn’t shy away from its audience feeling their fear. In our awe and terror, we are reminded us of our smallness, yes, but also of our resilience. Because even in Turner’s terrifying storm, Hannibal’s army presses on. And so will we.

In the end, we will learn to navigate the tremors of change, even if we are forever altered by them.

Living in Paris means you don’t have to wait for Fashion Week to see haute couture on a runway. The sidewalk will do just fine.

If you pay attention, you’ll notice that the city’s real style icons aren’t the lanky twenty-somethings. No, the true icons of Parisian style are the elders.

Picture a woman of about 80, her silver hair swept into an updo. (It’s messy, but that’s the point.) She’s wears a perfectly tailored navy wool coat and sensible but chic block-heeled boots . She’s walking with the kind of purpose that makes you believe she’s on her way to an important business meeting, but her wheeled grocery cart gives her away as just running errands.

This is not an exception. It’s a phenomenon.

One of the biggest mental shifts I’ve experienced since moving to France is realizing that style inspiration can- and should- come from anywhere. These women have been perfecting their looks since before I was born.

In the U.S., we often assume that the older generation only cares to stick to their sensible cardigan sets and orthopedic shoes, but Paris proves us wrong. Here, every errand is an opportunity for self-expression, and lipstick is never wasted for even a few minutes out of the house.

These women have taught me that dressing up is not about impressing anyone; it’s about honoring the moment.

Why shouldn’t a trip to the grocery store warrant your best scarf and some blush? Why not throw on a pair of earrings just to pick up some Camembert?

They’re not dressing for an occasion. Life is the occasion.

It’s been said that scent and memory are very closely linked. In that case, this Paris museum may be the most memorable of all.

Tucked away near the Opéra Garnier, Fragonard’s Musée du Parfum stands as a uniquely enchanting experience for any lover of scent & history. Entirely dedicated to the art of fragrance (and entirely free to the public) this museum delves into the history, processes, and developments within the world of aroma.

Within the exhibit, antique perfume bottles line the walls, their shapes as intricate and layered as the scents they once held. Glass vials & ornate atomizers whisper to us of an era before perfume was a collectible commodity, but rather a piece of identity. Careful selection of a signature scent, and maintaining that scent on you at all times, was paramount to crafting a persona that was uniquely your own.

But it’s about more than just appearances. The Musée du Parfum dives deep into how Grasse, a small town in the south of France, became the perfume capital of the world. Initially known for its leather tanning, which could produce unpleasant odors, Grasse residents had to find creative ways to mask the stench. Thanks to its ideal climate for growing fragrant flowers, as well as its centuries-old traditions of scent extraction & refinement, Grasse quickly perfected the science behind the art.

The exhibition felt like a celebration of the senses. The space is immersive, but never overstimulating— a delicate balance, much like perfume itself. Tools of the trade sit on the shelf for observation: copper distillers, floral presses, even handwritten recipes for scents passed down to posterity. In this world where chemistry meets artistry, history seems to come alive before our very eyes.. and noses.

The highlight of the experience, in my opinion, came at the end. After taking in all that had to do with the centuries-old craft of perfumery, stepping into Fragonard’s discovery shop promised excitement.

Rows of golden bottles lined the walls, where shop assistants were passing out sampling papers for new noses to test each note, mixing & layering them to their liking. Dozens of perfumes and soaps sat waiting to be sniffed, each bottle promising a different scent journey.

I smelled dozens of options, but the one that stopped me in my tracks was a simple bar of soap. From their Jardin de Fragonard line, the scent Santal Cardamome held a warm, spicy, woodiness that elicited mental images of an autumn evenings wrapped in a blanket. Cardamom, pepper, sandalwood, and musk wove together into something altogether more than the sum of its parts. At just 10 euros, it was the perfect way to take a piece of the experience home.

Of course, no trip to the Opéra neighbourhood of Paris is complete without a little sweet treat. Just steps away from the museum, the Lindt chocolate store, offered us a sample of their dark chocolate… much like the perfume, a decadence brought about from a long history of study, experimentation, and cooperation from across the globe.

A little chocolate, a little cardamom soap, and the lingering feeling of history reaching out to touch us, event today— these are the small, fanciful indulgences that make each day in Paris feel impossibly rich.

Every time I step into Shakespeare & Company, I feel like I’m taking part in a story that’s already been written. It’s impossible not to feel warmly welcomed here.

One might think that with such a widely-known reputation, there would be a certain air of pomp and exclusivity that would come alongside that. But the literary legacy manages to create the warm, welcoming atmosphere of a neighborhood hangout, even for newcomers.

Shakespeare & Company makes everyone feel like you belong, whether you’re a just-looking tourist or a slightly jaded Paris local who swears you’re “not into those tourist traps.”

This is no ordinary bookstore. It’s an institution— a microcosm of Paris itself. Tucked away on the Left Bank, just across the Seine from the Notre Dame, Shakespeare & Company is a place where history and the present are in constant conversation. Writers like Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Gertrude Stein walked these streets and lingered in this shop. Without a doubt, they have left traces of their creative spark behind in this place. There is a magic here that makes Barnes & Noble feel like a soulless shipyard in comparison.

Even in a city as widely frequented as Paris, some employees have come to know me by name. They always greet me with a knowing smile, as if to say, Hey, you. Welcome back. When I ask them for a book on the nichest of subjects, say, medieval art history, they’ll peruse the store with me until we find the perfect pick together. They chat with me about the books I’ve already picked out. They even recommend that I swing by the Abbey Bookshop when their own stock is found lacking. “Ask for David,” they say. “He’s got a penchant for medieval art history.”

The store itself is a labyrinth of shelves and stories, but despite there being a perpetual line out the door, the store never feels too crowded. The guard outside the door carefully tracks how many people filter in and out, ensuring that the experience of perusing the bookstore never feels too chaotic.

Upstairs, you can sink into a cozy chair and take some time to sample a book that piqued your interest. There’s even a quaint little piano that anyone can play, and if the stars align, you may just get a private concert on your excursion.

After you’ve purchased your treasures and had the cover pages stamped with the signature Shakespeare & Company seal, you can linger a while longer at the Shakespeare Café next door, where you can sip a coffee and watch all the people come and go.

The thrill of Shakespeare & Company lies how alive it feels, how connected the past and present are every single day. There’s a magic in the way this place nurtures the culture it was founded upon.

This is a space for readers, writers, dreamers… anyone who feels inspired by words will feel their power here.

I like to think that Paris is the city that refuses to let history gather dust, choosing instead to weave it into the living fabric of everyday life. Here, you have the chance to stand in both the past & present, and if you’re willing to spend a few euros, you can even take a little piece of it home with you.

Shakespeare & Company is more than just your average bookstore. It’s a sanctuary; a living reminder of how culture and history defy the passage of time to reach out touch us, even today.

As a fellow "adopted Parisienne," I can't help but feel a special connection to Jane Birkin's effortless sense of style. When I think of her, it’s not the Birkin bag that comes to mind— it's Jane herself and her unassuming charm.

Born and raised in England, the majority of Jane Birkin’s life was spent in Paris, where she earned the admiration of the French (no small feat!) and lived among them until her death in 2023. Her enigmatic apartment was a testament to her eclectic style that emanated with personality from every corner.

Speaking as an American who lives in Paris, you may be surprised to learn that one of the primary trends for decor in Paris is actually minimalist & brutalist design, full of geometric shapes and flat washes of color. More modern buildings make an attempt to make themselves known as such, and in turn, the designs lack personality.

Jane Birkin stands as a singular & unique example of the opposite. Never one to go with trends for trends’ sake, Jane’s Parisian apartment is a perfect mix of cozy lived-in charm and a bold embrace of eclecticism. It’s a style that somehow feels both spontaneous and deeply personal… like she was living in the pages of a well-curated art book, with a little chaos thrown in for good measure.

When Jane Birkin moved to Paris in the late ‘60s, she didn’t just adopt the city, she became a part of its history. Her apartments on rue de la Verneuil and rue Jacob are proof of how much she embraced both the bohemian spirit of Paris, as well as the more refined elements of French culture.

That was a common theme for Birkin: balancing the “highs and lows” of life. Each room toed the line between charming & cluttered. She proved that the refined beauty of simplicity can live in harmony alongside life’s little imperfections.

It’s as if she didn’t care for perfection, only the feeling of being at home—comfortable and unpretentious.

Antique furniture, singular flea market finds, and colorful wallpapers created layers of warmth and personality to every room. Again, we see her balance the highs and lows: a gilt chandelier hanging over an industrial kitchen, fine antiques alongside thrifted treasures.

Her apartments weren’t just a reflection of wealth or status. They were a statement about embracing chaos, about surrounding yourself with things that speak to you. I like to imagine how much she enjoyed the vibrant energy that came from it all: the unexpected combinations, the vintage finds, and the rich history that mirrored Paris itself. It’s a style that allows life to unfold as it will, in all of its messy glory.

As someone who also calls Paris home, I find myself drawn to that same spirit. I want my own space to feel alive with memories and stories, just like Jane’s apartment. It’s an impetus of inspiration to let go of chasing perfection— instead, Jane shows us how to create a home that feels authentic, and there is no truer style than that.

“There is beauty in imperfection.”

— Jane Birkin

Let’s get one thing straight: I am not a cliché. At least, I’d like to think not.

I’m not the typical American girl who moved to Paris for the baguettes & berets of it all. I came here for something bigger, something deeper. There’s something about Paris that transcends time— a history that runs so deep, you can feel its echoes even today.

Paris reminds you that art and culture live in you, were passed down to you through the ages, and that now it’s our turn to take the helm.

So what am I doing here? Well, I’m taking my turn. I’m reading, I’m writing, I’m mentally curating my next art history TikTok, all while practicing my French accent while ordering a chai latte from my local café. Preserving the history that came before us, curating the history we’re about to make.

After a two-week visit in 2015, it became clear to me that Paris is a city that bursts at the seams with stories— every corner could tell you a secret if you just listen.

Paris is more than just a city; it’s a canvas. It’s where centuries of culture collide, where art is more than an elitist sector for those in the know: here, it’s a force of nature.

I’m not the first to pen a love letter to Paris, nor will I be the last. Like every other lover of Parisian whimsy, I have heard the streets’ secrets and dined from that “moveable feast,” and now I know there’s no turning back.

So here I am, in the heart of it all, connecting to the art, culture, and stories this city holds. To hear the echoes of history, to stand in front of an artwork and feel the past tug at me. To be part of the narrative, not just another observer.

“If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast.”
― Ernest Hemingway, A Moveable Feast

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