Culture - activities

Best of 2024: our favorite shows of the year

A look back at the highlights of 2024. A year rich in emotion, with theater, music, stage performances, dance, circus and much more...

History of French pastry: everything you need to know about the Yule log

Chestnut, chocolate, fruit, iced or rolled, large or small: the Yule log is the ultimate holiday dessert! But where does it come from, and what's its history?

Contes et Histoires 2024: discover the secrets of the Sainte-Chapelle

In Paris, the Christmas vacations are synonymous with discoveries: on December 21 and 29, 2024, the Sainte-Chapelle invites us to take part in the new edition of Contes et Histoires. On the program: unusual and fascinating visits!

The Sainte-Barbe fire festival, a magical weekend in December in Lens

The Festival de la Sainte Barbe is a not-to-be-missed event in the Lens-Liévin region. Since 2018, this fire arts festival has revived the tradition of Sainte Barbe, patron saint of miners, by transforming former mining sites into stages for pyrotechnic and artistic shows. To be experienced from December 6 to 8, 2024!

Contes et Histoires 2024: create your own board game at the Maison des Jardies

For the 2024 Christmas vacations, the Maison de Jardies, located in Sèvres (92), is offering creative workshops for the whole family, as part of Contes et Histoires, an event organized within the Monuments Nationaux, from December 21, 2024 to January 4, 2025.

Contes et Histoires 2024 in Paris: a creative and colorful Christmas at the Hôtel de la Marine

Once again this year, the Hôtel de la Marine is taking part in the Contes et Histoires event. From December 21, 2024 to January 5, 2025, the monument will be offering a wide range of family activities during the Christmas vacations.

Colors Festival 2024, the huge street art exhibition in an abandoned house, goes into overtime

Calling all street-art fans: the Colors Festival is extending its run! The collective, which took over the Ile-de-France region in Champigny-sur-Marne to transform a forgotten house, awaits you once again from October 19, 2024 to January 5, 2025. Under the theme "Nature reclaims its rights", animals and vegetation take over the site.

Nuit des Châteaux 2024: illumination and exhibition at Château de Rosa Bonheur in Seine-et-Marne

For its next participation in the Nuit des Châteaux, Rosa Bonheur invites you to experience a special nocturnal program to discover its treasures, with a monumental projection on its façade and the discovery of its exhibition, this October 18, 2024.

Ephemeris of September 28 in Paris: Fire at Le Printemps department store

On the morning of September 28, 1921, 40 years after the first fire, Le Printemps department store was the scene of a fire that ravaged the interior of the second building under construction.

Ephemeris of September 23 in Paris: The first flight of the balloon Le Neptune during the Siege of Paris

On September 23, 1870, with Paris under siege from the Prussian army, the first balloon took off from Place Saint-Pierre. Christened Le Neptune, the aircraft took off carrying 125 kilos of official dispatches for members of the government who had retreated to Tours.

Ephemeris of September 17 in Paris: Bomb attack in front of Tati, rue de Rennes

On September 17, 1986, Paris was once again the target of a terrorist attack on the rue de Rennes. For two weeks, the capital had been the scene of a series of attacks, claimed by a pro-Iranian terrorist network working on behalf of the Lebanese Hezbollah. The bomb, planted in front of the Tati store, killed 7 people and wounded 55, putting an end to this "black September".

Ephemeris for September 15 in Paris: Attack on the Publicis drugstore in Saint-Germain-des-Prés

On September 15, 1974, a grenade exploded in the Saint-Germain drugstore, killing 2 people and wounding 34 others. The attack was blamed on the revolutionary terrorist Ilich Ramirez Sanchez, known as Carlos.

September 10th Paris Ephemeris: Tornado wreaks havoc in the heart of Paris

On September 10, 1896, a tornado formed in the heart of Paris, just a stone's throw from Place Saint-Sulpice. In just a few minutes, the phenomenon swept across the capital, ravaging everything in its path.

Ephemeris of September 7 in Paris: The requisitioning of Parisian cabs, the "cabs de la Marne".

On September 6 and 7, 1914, 1,300 Parisian cabs were requisitioned by the French army to send reinforcements to the front line of the Battle of the Marne. The "Taxis de la Marne" carried 6,000 infantrymen, helping to halt the advance of German troops towards Paris.

Ephemeris of September 4 in Paris: Gambetta proclaims the Third Republic

On September 4, 1870, Léon Gambetta proclaimed the Third Republic in the Place de l'Hôtel de Ville, following the fall of the Second Empire after Napoleon III's defeat at Sedan, and in the face of the obstinacy of the Parisian people.

Etoile Voltaire: a new cinema designed as a living space with a green rooftop in Paris

Beware! A hot new place to live is coming soon to Paris! Etoile Voltaire, a project we've been waiting for since 2016, is coming to Paris' 11th arrondissement. The program includes 5 cinemas, a green rooftop and a solidarity restaurant!

Ephemeris of September 2 in Paris: The September Massacres

On September 2, 1792, the Sans-Culottes broke into Paris prisons and massacred a thousand inmates suspected of being counter-revolutionaries and in favor of the King's return.

Ephemeris for September 1st in Paris: The founding of the Sorbonne

On September 1, 1257, the Sorbonne was founded by Robert de Sorbon, chaplain and confessor to King Louis IX. Initially dedicated to destitute students, the school quickly became Europe's leading cultural and scientific center, thanks to the quality and wealth of its teaching.

Ephemeris of August 28 in Paris: The Black Death epidemic

In August 1348, Paris faced a terrible disease that spared neither women, children, nobles nor the poor. Within 4 years, the Black Death epidemic would decimate a third of the Parisian population.

Ephemeris for August 26 in Paris: Opening of the first railway line from Paris

On August 26, 1837, the first railroad line out of Paris was inaugurated. This new railway line, which was also the first in France to be built solely for passenger transport, linked the capital's 8th arrondissement to Le Pecq station in the Yvelines.