Paris under snow: 15 pictures that will make you fall in love with the city

8 years ago

Think Paris. Think blue skies, green promenades. Think men and women parading the latest colours of the season. Think glowing, warm sunsets.

Think again.

The eternal city’s true magic lies not in summer, but in winter — and in the snow.

A view of the Eiffel Tower from the Trocadéro Gardens across the river Seine | Paris by snow | FoloMojo — A view of the Eiffel Tower from the Trocadéro Gardens across the river Seine. © Dipankar Paul/FoloMojo

Did you know: When it was first erected in Paris in 1889, France’s leading artists and intellectuals hated the Eiffel Tower’s design. A group of 300, including Guy de Maupassant, wrote to the then Minister of Works, Charles Alphand, saying: “We, writers, painters, sculptors, architects and passionate devotees of the hitherto untouched beauty of Paris, protest with all our strength, with all our indignation in the name of slighted French taste, against the erection … of this useless and monstrous Eiffel Tower.”

Pont Alexandre III across the river Seine with the Eiffel Tower in the background. © Dipankar Paul/FoloMojo

Did you know: The Pont Alexandre III was inaugurated one year after the erection of the Eiffel Tower, in 1900, and is widely regarded as the most ornate bridge in Paris. In the 1985 film, a View to Kill, Roger Moore’s James Bond screeches to a halt at the bridge in a hijacked Renault 11 taxi.

Speaking of taxis…

A Citroen 2CV trundles along a street in Paris. © Dipankar Paul/FoloMojo — A tourist-laden Citroen 2CV trundles along a street in Paris. © Dipankar Paul/FoloMojo

… if one day you find yourself in Paris, one thing you MUST do is take a ride in one these Citroen 2CVs. Quintessentially French, these vintage cars are the best way to take in the sights of the city. Watch time fly by as you motor along at your own pace.

A woman walks past a cafe in Paris. © Dipankar Paul/FoloMojo

As with any city which focuses on the quality, and not the pace, of life, cafes serve as the centre of social life in Paris. Visit the cafe in the picture, Les Deux Palais, for its coffee and croissants.

Did you know: The oldest cafe in Paris is Cafe Procope, established in 1686.

A couple walks down the bank of the river Seine and past a floating restaurant. © Dipankar Paul/FoloMojo

Did you know: The river Seine, which meanders right through the heart of Paris, houses hundreds of floating restaurants. While some are anchored, others offer diners a cruise on the river while they enjoy their gourmet meals.

A bridge across the river Seine. © Dipankar Paul/FoloMojo

The Seine is 776 km long and is a crucial commercial gateway in the Paris Basin. There are 37 bridges which span the Seine in Paris alone.

Did you know: After Joan of Arc was burned at the stake in 1431, her ashes were thrown into the Seine.

A souvenir shop near Cathedral Notre Dame in Paris. © Dipankar Paul/FoloMojo

While Paris is an extremely expensive city, it has surprisingly affordable souvenir shops. A 5-inch cast-iron replica of the Eiffel Tower costs not more than two euros.

Did you know: Paris is notorious for tourist scams, the most prevalent being the “Please help the needy” trick. Little children approach tourists demanding they donate money to the deaf and the blind. Needless to say, the ‘donations’ go nowhere.

A man takes a stroll in the snow, near Pont Neuf. © Dipankar Paul/FoloMojo

Pont Neuf is the oldest standing bridge across the river Seine in Paris. The bridge was completed and inaugurated under the reign of Henry IV in 1607.

Did you know: Jacques de Molay, the last Grand Master of the Knights Templar, was burned to death near the Pont Neuf, on the Île de la Cité, on March 18, 1314.

The Cathedral Notre Dame in Paris. © Dipankar Paul/FoloMojo

The Notre Dame is a historic Catholic cathedral on the eastern half of the Île de la Cité in Paris. It is widely considered one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture, and is one of the most recognisable church buildings in the world.

Did you know: Napoleon Bonaparte and his wife Josephine’s coronation ceremony was held at Notre Dame in 1804.

The Louvre Museum in Paris. © Dipankar Paul/FoloMojo — Visitors at the Louvre Museum in Paris. © Dipankar Paul/FoloMojo

The Louvre museum was originally built as a fortress in the late 12th century under Philip II. In 2013, more than 10 million people visited the museum that houses the famous Mona Lisa.

Did you know: Napoleon Bonaparte temporarily renamed the museum after himself, until his defeat in 1814.

The iconic glass pyramid at the Louvre Museum in Paris. © Dipankar Paul/FoloMojo

Architect IM Pei designed and built a glass pyramid as an entrance into the Louvre Museum 1989. Four years later, the Inverted Pyramid was completed.

The courtyard in front of the Louvre Museum in Paris. To the left of the picture is the base of the famous Inverted Pyramid. © Dipankar Paul/FoloMojo

Did you know: The Louvre was a clearinghouse for artwork stolen by Nazi soldiers during World War II. However, most of the museum was empty, after curators moved most of its collection to chateaus in the French countryside in anticipation of the German invasion.

A tourist takes a picture at the Jardin des Tuileries in Paris. © Dipankar Paul/FoloMojo

The Tuileries Garden, created by Catherine de Medicis in 1564, was eventually opened to the public in 1667, and became a public park after the French Revolution.

A man hand-feeds birds at the Jardin des Tuileries in Paris. © Dipankar Paul/FoloMojo

Did you know: Professor Jacques Charles and the Robert brothers launched the world’s first manned hydrogen-filled balloon from the Champ de Mars on December 1, 1783.

People play football at the Jardin des Tuileries in Paris. © Dipankar Paul/FoloMojo

France has produced some of the best footballers in world football — Zinedine Zidane, Just Fontaine, Thierry Henry, Michel Platini, Franck Ribery, Eric Cantona, Patrick Vieira — and these men playing football in the snow at the Jardin des Tuileries hope the scouts of Paris St Germain are watching.