A Parisian adventure under the sign of the God with winged sandals!
Let’s go for a Parisian adventure under the sign of the God with winged sandals! We… …saw a gigantic creature… …admired the superb Parisian parks… …celebrated the daffodil to the sounds of a batucada… …evoked “Midnight in Paris” at the top of the “mountain”… …congratulated the mother of a wallaby baby… …paid tribute to the architectural jewel that is Notre Dame… …and to the imminent arrival of Spring… …and finally, greeted the most famous of the towers! Thank you Meriem for this nice enthusiasm! If you too, you come to Paris, we will be very happy to run with you. Join us and discover Paris with authentic Parisians guides who will take you on the best sightrunning routes in Paris and who always have tons of secrets to share with you:
Follow us on the run, discover the beautiful sites of Paris
Thanks to Kendra and Michael, Anne and Valentine, Craig, Andrew and Gina, Elizabeth and David (happy to see you again), James and Angela! If you too, you come to Paris, we will be very happy to run with you. Join us and discover Paris with authentic Parisians guides who always have tons of secrets to share with you:
Souvenirs of recent strolls with Paris Running Tours
Among all the beautiful encounters that Paris offers us, here is a small selection of photos taken during some of our Paris Running Tours at the end of June: splendid views of the Seine, amazing fountains, famous monuments, surprising contemporary works of art, unique banks (Paris being the only city with two rows of booksellers along its river), streets with little known secrets, magnificent royal bridges, impressive churches and cathedrals… All this makes our visitors… and our guides very happy! If you too, you come to Paris, we will be very happy to run with you. Join us and discover Paris with authentic Parisians guides who always have tons of secrets to share with you:
Very happy new year 2018!
Very happy new year 2018! Big thanks to the 400 runners* who came to discover Paris with us in 2017! We wish you all a very happy 2018! Happy running! *It was not possible to put the photos of all you but we really enjoyed each tour we ran with you! If you too, you come to Paris, we will be very happy to run with you. Join us and discover Paris with authentic Parisians guides who always have tons of secrets to share with you. Enjoy an original private tour, tailor-made for you:
2013-2017 – A new great discovery of Paris with Colleen
At Paris Running Tours, we are very happy to have the opportunity to run with the runners of the entire world and proud to share our love for Paris with them. We are glad when they renew their confidence in us by running with us again. Of course, therefore, we create a different route from the one of last time. Colleen from Arizona, who ran with us in 2013 came back this year and it was with a great pleasure that we met her again. Meanwhile, Paris changed: Look the photo above. The famous “Love padlocks” left the “Pont des Arts”. The right Banks which in 2013 were only for cars, are now for pedestrians only, an ideal location for the runners and also a magnificent place to admire the Island of the river Seine in Paris: On these same banks, we also enjoyed the possibility to look into the past of the Paris of the 17th century, thanks to this marvelous invention, the Timescope, recently appeared in Paris (also “Place de la Bastille”): Passing by the “Invalides” again, we easily saw the rabbits of the “Hôtel des Invalides” frolic under the gaze of the Eiffel tower (less visible in 2013, it’s the progeny of couple of rabbits established here in 2010) : During our sport stroll, we also met other animals, wallabies, a whale, a stegosaurus, a mammoth. At the entrance of the “Jardin des Plantes”, two impressive lions welcomed us: The other lion, hidden by the trees in the photo above, is really surprising… look at the strange fantasy created by the sculptor (but what is sniffing this lion?) : Merci Colleen ! You come to or you are in Paris, we will be very happy to run with you. Come and discover Paris with authentic Parisians guides who always have tons of secrets to share with you:
12th, 14th, 16th, 17th and 19th centuries, a stroll in the History of Paris with Aveen and David
8:05 AM – With Aveen and David, confirmed runners from Dublin (Ireland), we explored Paris, by running and stopping in front of various buildings or places which restore the city such as it was in the previous centuries. Discovering “Le Marais”, the Left bank (Latin Quarter et “Saint-Germain des Près”), the Louvre and “Ile de la Cité” is a journey through the time and a way of feeling the History of Paris. Paris was damaged, bombarded but never totally destroyed as were London (Great fire of 1666) or Lisbon (Earthquake of 1755). In Paris, all the layers of History are represented (since the Roman Lutetia). Our route thus led us: in the 12th century with Notre-Dame, in the 14th century with the magnificent “Hôtel de Sens”, in the 16th century with the Carnavalet Museum (formerly “Hôtel de Carnavalet” and “Hôtel Le Peletier de Saint-Fargeau”) and the place Dauphine, also created at the end of the 16th century, Let us admire now four beautiful places appeared in the 17th century: The “Jardin du Luxembourg” (Garden of Luxembourg), The “Jardin des Plantes”, initially Royal garden of the Medicinal Plants created in 1626 (see the picture at the beginning of this article), The “Place des Vosges”, The “Hôtel de Sully”. Our road also passes in the 19th century with the “Place de la Contrescarpe”, created in 1852 in the location of a counter-scarp of Philippe Auguste’s surrounding wall (12th century). Merci Aveen ! Merci David ! The route of the tour:
On the “new Pont des Arts” with Laura
Do you recognize the “Pont des Arts” (“Bridge of Arts”)? Where are the famous padlocks of love?8:03 AM – With Laura, from Chicago, we made a long running tour of Paris, a pleasant sporting stroll on a beautiful sunny morning of March. Until 2015, we could see the “Pont des Arts” overloaded with “padlocks of love”. You probably know the story: two lovers write their names on a padlock, hang it on a bridge and throw the key in the river, thus sealing their love. This tradition would come from Italy, from a movie adapted from a novel “Ho voglia di te”, where two lovers place their padlock on a lamppost of the bridge Milvius in Rome. Inspired by the movie, the lovers in Rome decorated in their turn this bridge with their own padlocks. The fashion quickly spread in Europe and mainly in Paris, ideal romantic city. The “Pont des Arts”, attractive pedestrian footbridge, was the main target of these padlocks. Transparent panels recently had to replace these padlocks, too heavy for the bridge. The story of the “Pont des Arts” padlocks in some images of our blogs: The beginning of the love padlocks fashion on the “Pont des Art” (some padlocks) The fast growth of the love padlocks on the “Pont des Arts” The replacement, summer 2015, by temporary artistic panels Then, no more padlock on the “Pont des Arts”? No, some smart ones find solutions: Having left the Pont des Arts, with Laura, we explored “Saint Germain des Près” and the Latin Quarter, the left bank, then the island of “La Cité” and the right bank, the Louvre, the Palais-Royal and the beginning of the historic axis of Paris. A sport visit for sure but with numerous stops to be able to appreciate magnificent Parisian landscapes: : The Medicis Fountain at the garden of Luxembourg, Animal statues in the Jardin des plantes, The “Pont Neuf” and its beautiful view on the Seine, The pond in the Garden of the “Palais Royal” In the Garden of the Palais Royal, we found Michel Goulet’s new chairs, inspired by the metallic chairs which we usually meet in the Parisian gardens (to know more about it => here): We returned at a good pace to take advantage of the pedestrian part of the Seine left bank. Merci Laura ! The route of the tour:
A new Running Tour in Paris with Cori
8:05 AM – Do you remember Cori? We ran together in April 2012. It rained that time, which had not prevented us from making an attractive run in Paris. In this month of April 2015, the weather is beautiful and we can enjoy the sun. Although we pass again by the “Pont des Arts” (Bridge of Arts), we choose a very different route. Compare both views of the “Pont des Arts” in April, 2012 and April, 2015: Cori – “Pont des Arts” – April 2012 and April 2015 Look at the sides of the “Pont des Arts”. We have already spoken a lot about the famous Padlocks of Love. In 2012, they are already present and begin to be many but not still in the point to make bend and fall the railings which carry them. In 2015, the railings fell and were replaced many times: the padlocks placed on the railings, themselves covered by other padlocks, finished to be too heavy. Paris decided to act: at first, the padlocks will be replaced in May by panels painted by artists then, in September, by transparent Plexiglas panels. Now, this April, it is temporary wooden panels which line the bridge (graffitis did not delay covering them). For our new circuit in Paris, we favored parks and gardens. What a pleasure to run under the sun there. We discover: The “Jardin du Luxembourg” and its magnificent “Fontaine Medicis” (Medici Fountain) Cori – “La Fontaine Medicis” “Les Arènes de Lutèce” (Arenas of Lutetia), with soccer players, gladiators having left for quite a long time 🙂 Cori – “Les Arènes de Lutèce” “La Grande Serre du Jardin des Plantes” (the Great Greenhouse of the Garden of the Plantes) (go there, a real jungle in Paris!): Cori – “La grande serre du Jardin des Plantes” Merci Cori ! The route of the tour:
Running 25 km under the sun of Paris, with William
William – Sunrise from the bridge Alexandre III 6h55 – William comes from Dubuque, Iowa. Long distance runner, William chose to run 25 km (15.5 miles) to discover a lot of aspects of Paris. We left early to see the rising sun, magnificent sun which accompanied us during the run and gave us beautiful images of Paris. 25 km allows to see full of beautiful Parisian places, in particular: The Alma bridge and its “zouave” – Remember this visit with Lotte, where we speak about the “Zouave” and the river Seine. William – “Pont de l’Alma” The garden of the Trocadéro and the Eiffel tower William – “Tour Eiffel” The “Invalides” – We also went there during this tour with Sharon. We had evoked the history of these cannons. Look, a small rabbit hardly hidden by the cannons came to greet us. William – “Esplanade des Invalides” – On the right, a little rabbit from the Invalides The Arc of the Carrousel – The “Arc du Carrousel” comes to us from Napoleon the Ist (We had discussed it with Kristy) and the horses are copies of the horses stolen by Napoleon in Venice (their story had been told during the tour with Ingrid). Carrousel? A merry-go-round? Actually, this name is connected to an equestrian show which took place at the time of the king Louis XV. William – “Arc du Carrousel” The French National Museum of Natural History (“Muséum Naturel d’Histoire Naturelle”) whose head office is in Paris, here in the magnificent Garden of the Plantes (“Jardin des plantes”). William – “Muséum d’Histoire Naturelle” – “Jardin des Plantes” The Square of the “Hôtel de Ville” of Paris (The City hall of Paris). Look at the drawing at the ground. We can see a ship. It is the Paris coat of arms. If there is a place where to see the symbol of Paris, it is here, at the “Mairie de Paris”, the Paris city hall! To know more about it about this blazon, read the explanations which we left to describe the running tour with Emily. William – “Hôtel de Ville de Paris” The famous bookshop “Shakespeare and Company”, the Mecca of the Anglo-Saxon culture in Paris, in particular, a meeting place for the American and Anglo-Saxon writers as Woody Allen evokes it in the movie “Midnight in Paris” (see the photo of the movie where we see the character interpreted by Owen Wilson in front of the bookshop): William – Shakespeare and Company – Wallace fountain The magnificent banks of the Seine: William – Saint-Michel bridge – To the left: the island of “La Cité” with Notre-Dame, to the right: the left bank of the river Seine Merci William ! The route of the tour:
With Laura, meeting Geneviève, Patroness of Paris and model of resistance
Laura – Notre-Dame 3:53 PM – Laura lives in Oklahoma where she is an active member of a group of runners, Runhers, who promotes a healthy and sports life, notably thanks to the running. Program of this afternoon: a discovery of the Paris Left bank. The University of “La Sorbonne”: Laura – University of “la Sorbonne” – “Rue Saint-Jacques” Discover a sight of Sorbonne and its history in this other article The “rue du Cardinal Lemoine”, where we met the house of the Irish writer James Joyce: Laura – “71 rue du Cardinal Lemoine” James Joyce wrote his novel “Ulysses” here. Not far, one of Ernest Hemingway’s houses (remember this article) The beautiful “Place de la Contrescarpe”: Laura – “Place de la Contrescarpe” The “Jardin des Plantes”, from where we can see the huge skeleton of a whale, behind the windows of the Gallery of Paleontology: Laura – Gallery of Paleontology and Compared Anatomy of the National Natural History Museum During our run, in the garden of Luxembourg, we crossed Geneviève, the Patroness of Paris: Laura – “Sainte Geneviève” (see also this article) Geneviève, daughter of a Frankish father and a Gallo-Roman mother, would have been a municipal member of the council of Paris. According to the tradition, Geneviève, in the year 451, would have prevented Attila and his Huns from invading Paris by encouraging its inhabitants to the resistance. Geneviève, model of courage and endurance for Laura who is successively going to run the Chicago marathon then the one of New York this fall. Go Laura! The route of the tour: