How to do it

SHOPPING

Get in the Christmas mood by visiting Paris’s iconic department stores. Marvel at the enormous Christmas tree that climbs all the way up to the magnificent art-nouveau dome of Galeries Lafayette (galerieslafayette. com), offset by the ornate galleried balustrades on each level. Next, head down the street to Printemps (printemps.com) to marvel at its exquisite marionette display. The store has been entirely renovated this year and is offering dozens of limited-edition exclusive products, such as Christmas ornaments of departed icons, including the Queen and David Bowie. Shop for one-off gifts in the Christmas markets dotted across the town, including the largest at the Tuileries Garden (Place de la Concorde). Peruse the tomes at legendary Englishlanguage bookstores, such as Shakespeare and Company (37 Rue de la Bûcherie; shakespeareandcompany. com), or the Smith & Son (248 Rue de Rivoli; smithandson.com).

FOOD AND DRINK

Stock up on festive delights made by the local patissier. Just about any area in

Paris has at least a couple of excellent boulangeries, and I don’t think you can go wrong by popping in any one that takes your fancy. However, if you want to test some of Parisians’ favourites, duck into one of the branches of Mamiche (mamiche.fr), Maison Landemaine (maisonlandemaine.com) or Du Pain et des idées (34 Tue Yves Toudic; dupainetdesidees.com) for pastry. For fine chocolate, there is the diet-wrecking Maison Georges Larnicol (larnicol. com), or the ultra-fancy gourmet offering of Alléno & Rivoire near the Eiffel Tower (9 Rue du Champ de Mars; chocolat-allenorivoire.fr), co-created by

Michelin-starred chef Yannick Alléno.

For environmental reasons, Parisian terraces are no longer heated by energy-guzzling heaters, but it is still well worth pulling up a bistro chair to watch the world go by. Do like the Parisians and throw on a big scarf and order a vin chaud or Viennois hot chocolate with chantilly cream on top. To enjoy a charming Christmassy view, try the famous Café de Flore (172 Boulevard Saint-Germain; cafedeflore.fr), the romantic Le Nemours (2 Place Colette; lenemours.paris) by the Louvre, or charming Café Saint Regis (6 Rue Jean du Bellay; cafesaintregisparis.com) on the picture-perfect Ile Saint-Louis on the Seine.

For something special, high-end restaurants such as Frédéric Vardon’s 39V on Avenue George V (le39v.com), or L’Oiseau Blanc (peninsula.com/en/ paris) at the Peninsula hotel on Avenue Kléber are offering exquisite tasting menus. For a slice of festive luxury without blowing the bank, opt for a drink or afternoon tea at one of Paris’s luxury hotels, such as the Ritz (ritzparis.com). While you are there, enjoy the beautiful display of Christmas trees on Place Vendôme.

SIGHTS

You will find pretty illuminations in every corner of Paris, and sometimes the smaller displays are the most charming. But for the big-hitters, head to the Avenue des Champs-Elysées to take in the stunning symmetry of the illuminated trees, and continue onto the luxury shopping streets Avenue Montaigne and Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré. Stroll the 19th-century covered passageways of the 2nd and 9th arrondissements, lovely in any season, but extra special with Christmas decorations. For a different view, take a cruise along the Seine and see Paris lit up on each side of you. Bateaux Parisiens (bateauxparisiens. com) is offering special festive meals.

For something more intimate, try a private cruise up and down the Seine on an electric boat with Green River Cruises (greenriver-paris.fr).

FAMILY

Visit the Christmas market at the Tuileries and skate on the ice rink there, which is open now until January 8 2023. Head to out-of-town winter wonderlands in the châteaux that surround Paris, in particular Fontainebleau and Chantilly (see above), which are laying on special concerts and tours. For extra-special illuminations, try the light festival at the Jardin des Plantes (57 Rue Cuvier; jardindesplantesdeparis.fr) featuring giant illuminated insects and flowers; in Parc de La Villette (211 Avenue Jean Jaurès; lavillette.com) in the hip north of the city, lanterns light the way for a magical immersive journey along the canal.

CULTURE

Visit the Rosa Bonheur exhibition at the Musée d’Orsay (see above) and supplement that with an out-of-town visit to her wonderfully restored château (12 Rue Rosa Bonheur; chateau-rosa-bonheur.fr/en) in Thomery, a short train ride from Paris. Enjoy classical music at the 18th-century Royal Opera House in Versailles (chateauversailles-spectacles.fr), one of the château’s best-kept secrets, or back in Paris listen to Handel, Vivaldi or Strauss amid the stained glass of the Sainte-Chapelle (10 Boulevard du Palais; euromusicproductions.fr).

STAY

Madame Rêve Hotel (00 331 8040 7770; madamereve.com) opened this year in the historic central post office by the Louvre. From the bar at the top, you can take in fantastic views of the City of Lights. Or stay in Simone de Beauvoir’s former home in the heart of the Latin Quarter, now hotel Maison Colbert (00 331 5681 1900; melia.com), a short walk from her beloved Café de Flore and the always gorgeous Jardin du Luxembourg.