Calm places in Paris to recharge with your kids - 1er Arrondissement
8 Quiet, peaceful places in 1er Arrondissement of Paris to recharge while visiting the city with infants and young kids
Here are the 8 places on Google Maps to use easily when you’re there
Paris is a very compact playground, both for adults and children. As you try to do as much as possible, you may find yourself needing some peace and quiet to recharge.
Here is a list of quiet places in the 1er Arrondissement - the most central area you’ll inevitably find yourself - where the noise levels are minimal, there are not many people, and where you can recharge and little ones could have a nap.
My tip for you: Bring a light picnic blanket to have your own space when sitting on the grass in the parks
1. Square du Vert-Galant
Type: Garden/Square on an island
It’s a park that’s the tip of an island right in the centre of Paris. You can sit on the grass, or on cobbles to dangle your feet over the water of the River Seine. It’s peaceful as you’re surrounded by water on both sides and often visited by locals with their cheese and wine picnics. It feels like even while you rest, you can still feel gently connected to the city.
2. Square de la place Dauphine
Type: Square known by locals
A little square that’s easy to miss, and that’s how it keeps its charm and peace. There are a lot of benches to sit on as it does not get busy. It’s where Parisians go to enjoy a central but quiet space, and where older Parisians meet friends to play Petanques. If you’re lucky, you may even see a game happening, which is slow and thoughtful. Watching it feels like meditating.
3. Tuileries Garden
Type: The Central Park of Paris
It’s like Central Park in NY. Find yourself a little spot away from the middle - it’s amazing how just a few steps away from the centre of the park can be quiet and peaceful. You can come back here a few times during the day as a central recharge space as it’s close to so many important attractions, like the Louvre, L’Orangerie, Place Vendôme. The garden closer to the Louvre also had lights and open all night, so it could even be an idea to connect with nighttime Paris in peace.
4. Smith&Son
Type: English Bookshop
For an indoor place, there is a medium-sized, English bookshop called Smith and Son. Here you’ll hear more expats than Parisians slowly moving between bookshelves. As in the best bookshops, there is a nice sofa to sit on, and cute chairs for the little ones. There’s also a café, which may get busy, so you’ll find peace in between the books. Hemingway’s ‘A Movable Feast’ will surely be there. It may be nice to read a few pages about his Parisian life, before stepping out to walk the same streets, recharged by the peace of a bookshop.
5. Jardin du Palais Royal
Type: Gardens you’re probably seen in movies
These are Royal Gardens with lots of shade, benches and tiny cafés if you’d like a refreshment. If you’re seen ‘Emily in Paris’, you’ll recognise the tree-lined alleys in the park, where the actress came to eat lunch. The garden is also bordering ‘Japan Town’ of Paris (on the Rue Sainte-Anne), so you’re not far from getting a Japanese picnic and bringing it here to eat. Fun fact, it’s also where my partner and founder of KeyBento met - on a bench, Japanese matcha in hand.
6. Square Louvois
Type: Garden with a large fountain
Cute little garden with lush trees in the middle of beautiful buildings. You can sit while you little ones run around and you can see them at all times because it’s so small. For a tiny garden, the fountain in the middle is pretty breathtaking. It’s a nice place to see some greenery and listen to the fountain during a 30-60 minute break.
7. Vivienne Garden and Bibliothèque Nationale de France
Type: National Library and garden
This library is one of the most beautiful in Paris and has a garden at the entrance. You can rest in the garden on the benches, or go inside the library and reading rooms. The reading rooms are accessible to members but you can buy a day pass for €5 if you’re coming before 17:00. It’s free after 17:00 and until it closes at 20:00. It’s a nice place to get some quiet and also to see where local students and researchers come to study in peace.
8. Saint Eustache Church
Type: Catholic Church
You can enter this magnificent church without queuing and for free. Sit on the chairs for a rest and admire the stained glass windows and three architectural styles: Gothic, Renaissance and Classical French. It’s a peaceful place in the Châtelet area, one of the busiest in the city.
Download the list to your Google Maps, with all my tips and descriptions. It’s useful to get directions to them easily from where you are in that moment.
