Rough draft of a possible Right Bank exploration walk found below.

Please provide feedback and tips on your favorite places to shop, eat, take pictures and people watch in this general area.

This walk could take half a day or even a day or more depending on how many shops and museums you frequented.

I think it is around three miles depending on how much zigzagging and backtracking you do.

START: Pont-Neuf or Louvre.

BASIC CONCEPT: wander west toward place de la Concorde than north towards place Place de la Madeleine and then east in the Faubourg St-Honoré Area. Check out the sights, do a little shopping, take some photos, and maybe take a look inside a museum or a church or two along the way. Plan on stopping at a few cafes to also do some people watching.

LA SAMARITAINE DEPARTMENT STORE. Rue de la Monnaie & Rue de Rivoli. M: Pont-Neuf. 0930 to 1900, Thurs to 2200. Great views and a café upstairs. Grocery store in basement.

ST. GERMAIN L'AUXERROIS. 2 place du louver. M: Pont-Nuef or Louvre-Rivoli. Behind Palais du Louvre by Pont-Neuf. Royal Parish Church. Romanesque Bell tower and 14C porch. Daily, 0800-2000. Some nice artwork inside.

LOUVRE. Palais du Louvre. Métro: Palais-Royal. World's greatest art museum, and certainly one of the largest. The extraordinary collections are divided into Asian antiquities, Egyptian antiquities, Greek and Roman antiquities, sculpture, objets d'art, paintings, and prints and drawings. The quality and the sheer variety are overwhelming. Free the first Sunday of each month.

NOTE: Faster to enter through the Carrousel du Louvre Mall on rue de Rivoli than through the pyramid.

CARROUSEL LOUVRE. Large, bustling underground mall with many small, trendy shops.

ARC DU CARROUSEL. Miniature version of Arc de Triomphe

MUSÉE DES ARTS DÉCORATIFS 107 rue de Rivoli, Paris, France. 01-44-55-57-50. A must for lovers of fashion and the decorative arts, this northwestern wing of the Louvre building houses three famously chic museums: the Musée de la Mode, devoted to costumes and accessories from the 18th century; the, a showcase of furniture, tapestries, glassware and paintings from the Middle Ages through Napoléon's time and beyond; and the recently opened Musée de la Publicité, whose changing exhibitions of advertisements are less head-turning than architect Jean Nouvel's brash decor, which combines metal walls and exposed brickwork, faded gilding, black-lacquered parquet floors, and leopard-skin pillars. COST: EUR5.40. Tues.-Sun. 11-6. Métro: Palais-Royal.

JARDIN DE TUILERES. M: Tuileries or Concorde. Bordered by quai des Tuileries, pl. de la Concorde, rue de Rivoli, and the Louvre. Monet and Renoir captured this impressive garden with paint and brush, Left Bank songstresses have sung its charms, and all Parisians know it as a place to stroll and survey the surrounding city. The planting of the Tuileries is typically French: formal and neatly patterned, with rows of trees and gravel paths. On weekends, string quartets and jugglers entertain large crowds. Métro: Tuileries.

MUSEUM DU JEU DE PUME

Musee de l'Orange. Closed for renovation until 2004.

FAUBOURG ST-HONORÉ AREA: Fashions change but the Faubourg St-Honoré is always high style. Located in the area northwest of the Tuileries, this glamorous neighborhood is a showcase of high-end shops, boutiques, and art galleries. The area also encompasses the President's Palace, the neoclassical Madeleine Church, and the stately place Vendôme.

PLACE DE LA CONCORDE. One of the world?s most impressive squares. Originally consecrated to the glory of Louis XV, it was laid out in the 1770s and the site where Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette were guillotined, along with more than 2,000 others between 1793 and 1795. Ornate lamp posts and two incredible fountains. Egyptian Obelisk from Nile, erected in 1836 and dates from 1250BC.

PALAIS DE L'ELYSEE. Presidential Palace.

ENGLISE DE LA MADELEINE. With an uncompromising array of columns, this church, known as La Madeleine, looks more like a Greek temple. Inside, the walls are decorated with gold. The church was designed in 1814 but not consecrated until 1842, after futile efforts to turn the site into a train station. Mon.-Sat. 7:30-7, Sun. 8-7. Métro: Madeleine.

PLACE DE LA MADELEINE is dotted with specialty and gourmet shops and a flower market (Mon-Sat, 0800-1900). Also home to the poshest public toilets in Paris.

Fauchon. 26 pl de la Madeleine. Most famous Paris food store

Hediard. 21 pl de la Madeleine. Teas, jam, mustard and cookies

Laduree. Delicious chocolates, pastries, and macaroons. 16 rue Royale

Lavinia. 3-5 bd de la Madeleine. Huge wine shop with awine tasting bar, bookshop and restaurant.

La Maison du Chocolat. 8 bd de la Madeleine. Chocolate lovers heaven with a nice tea room.

FAUBOURG ST-HONORÉ. This glamorous neighborhood is a showcase of high-end shops, boutiques, and art galleries.

CAFE MARLEY. On the north side of the museum's courtyard. It's pricy but comfortable, with terrace seating looking out on the Pyramid and a quiet room inside, often empty during the day, that looks into the beautiful Marly Court.

NOTRE-DAME DE L'ASSUMPTION CHURCH.

PLACE VENDOME. Gorgeous and very famous sqare which is home to home of to many elegant jewelers.

ST-ROCH. 24 Rue St. Roch. M-F 1300 to 1700.

PLACE DES PYRAMIDES. Gilded statue of joan of arc

Angelina. 226 rue de Rivoli. Famous tea salon, noted for its wonderful hot chocolate.

LOUVER DES ANTUIRES

PLACE ANDRE-MALRAUX. Nice fountains

PLACE DU PALIS-ROYAL. Louver des Antiares chic shopping mall housing expensive antique stores

OPERA GARNIER. Haunt of the "Phantom of the Opera" and the setting for Degas's famous ballet paintings, the Garnier is still the most opulent theater in the world. You can see the theater and lobby, without going to a performance: Pay an entrance fee and stroll around at leisure, view the foyer, and peek into the auditorium. The stage is the largest in the world - more than 11,000 square yards, with room for up to 450 performers. Marc Chagall painted the glorious ceiling in 1964. Daily 10-5. Guided tours in English at 3 PM. Métro: Opéra.

Note: Check for honey bees on the roof.

trivia:

the ringing of the bells of St Germain-le-Auxerrois signaled the beginning of the St Bartholomew's Day Massacre
(Catherine de Medici, Henri of Navarre, etc)

Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel--the horses on top used to be the bronze horses that were looted from Venice's St Mark's Basilica by Napoleon. France returned them in the mid-1900s.

St Roch Church--look for bullet holes on the front exterior, from the shooting of Royalists by soldiers led by a young Napoleon Bonaparte. Church also has evening concerts occasionally.

You can buy the Opera Bees'honey in the gift shop.

Two things:
1. If you are planning to spend any serious time in the Louvre, you'll need the minimum of a day with that itinerary, even if you don't spend a lot of time in the shops.
2. I believe that the viewing spot atop Le Samaritaine is closed.

Degas, that was quite an effort.

I'm pretty sure the Garnier english tour we took was at noon. It was fascinating, not only regarding the building but habits of the people of that era. Le Grand Cafe is nearby and a good place for lunch.

The multimedia show Paris Story, across the street on Rue Scribe, plays on the hour. Following Rue Scribe to Haussman you come to the buildings of Galleries Lafayette. The one just to the right has the gigantic glass dome. Going west on Haussmann there is Cafe Flo onder the glass dome in Au Printemps [La Mode] and a roof deck with marvelous views and a little cafe next door in La Maison. Good spot for picture taking in the AM.

As to the Rue Faubourg St. Honore, we like to start from the San Phillipe de Roule Metro and walk down to Rue Royale. Then it's right to the Place de Concorde and the Tuilleries, or left up to the Madeline.

Thanks for all the inputs - love to get interesting tidbits to add to the narrative.

Don't hold back on good places to eat and drink. I put in some shopping stops, but would like to hear about some additional shops.

ira, good point. You could start this one in several different spots, depending on your mood, the weather and how much time you have to spend on it. I've made a note of your way, and will give it a try.

The café atop the Samaritaine was open a couple of weeks ago when I was there. It may not stay open all winter, though.

RonZ, thanks for the tips. Grand Cafe has a good ring to it.

StCirq, I really like that view on top of the department store and the cafe was okay for a quick snack.

Nice work. So glad to see you mention Lavinia, a new place and a real favorite of mine. Would like confirmation but last time we walked the streets near the Madelaine, several (possibly all?) of the Fauchon shops with the beautiful food windows were closed and they appeared to be permanently so, not just for a change of display. Can other recent strollers in that area confirm or refute my finding on this?

Don't forget to take a stroll through the gardens of the Palais Royal and investigate the covered passages, such as the Galerie Vivienne and the Galerie Colbert at the northern end of the garden. There are many more passages worth checking out around the Grands Boulevards (passage Jouffroy and Passage des panoramas off Bvd Montmartre; Passage des princes off Bvd des italiens).

Also, take a stroll along the pedestrianised rue du Montorgueil, in the 1st arrondissement, behind les Halles. Take a look inside the Eglise St Eustache on your way, which has a famous pipe organ. On the rue du Montorgueil you'll find market stalls, little shops, trendy cafés, and some good eateries. My favourite is la Grille Montorgueil (at no. 50) which serves huge portions of excellent, traditional home-cooked French food at reasonable prices.

Just one remark re. the Carrousel du Louvre - it's not really that big, and the shops really aren't *that* interesting on the whole. Worth it if on the way to the Louvre though; also one of the only shopping malls open on Sundays.

degas, thanks for taking the time to lay it out in detail like this, I really like your one area per day approach.

I'm going to add the recommendations you get and eventually print it out for use on my next trip.

degas, looks like a good walk.

Here's some bits of info to add:

- rue de Rivoli - named in honor of Napolean's victory over the Austrians in 1997. Gaignani's Bookshop at number 224, established since 1855, stocks american and french books and magazines.

- St. Roch Church. one of the largest churches in Paris and rich in paintings and monuments from the 17C-19C.

- Place Andri-Malraux. Has a view northwest towards the Opera and two nice fountains.

Hi,
Perhaps a walk into the Ritz...and then some window shopping of the very-high tier jewellery stores in Place Vendome. I also like to do the loop of Rivoli towards the Champs, and then come back along Faubourg St Honore.

Here's a couple more:

Notre-Dame de l?Assumption. Rue Cambon. This 1670 church is noted for its huge dome and solemn interior. It is the parish church of the Polish community in Paris.

ARC DU CARROUSEL ? miniature version of Arc de Triomphe. Begun in 1806 to commemorate the victories of Napoleon which are depicted in marble reliefs on the four sides. On top are soldiers of the Empire and a bronze chariot group representing the restoration of the Bourbons.

Louvre des Antiquaires. Grouping of elegant antique dealers opposite the louver off Palais-Royal. Tue-Sun 11-7. Worth a quick stroll through even if not planning to buy.

Palais-Royal. Royal Palace built in 1630?s. One of the most Parisian of sights in Paris. Known for its romantic gardens.

Thanks for all the additional inputs. I have included them in my planning document. Glad to see others might also find it useful.

Trivia follow-up to Arc Du Carrousel notes above: The horses of St. Mark in Venice used to be on top. Napoleon "borrowed" them to decorate the Arc. The horses were returned to Venice in 1815. The current quadriga by Bosio has been recently restored and regilded.

Palais-Royal. Royal Palace built in 1630?s for the Cardinal Richelieu,. Between 1784 and 1830 this was the bustling centre of both intellectual and dissolute Paris, lined with cafés and restaurants as well as game-houses and brothels. Now you find tranquility and a pretty garden with arcaded enclosure, shut off from the noisy streets around and graced with a Venetian touch.

Possible addition that is worth a quick peek:

La Madeleine Arcade
9, place de la Madeleine


Built in 1845. Today it has become fashionable again but it isn't very well known. Its typical architecture recalls the Jouffroy and Verdeau arcades: alternating coloured tiles, regular wooden facades and glass roof. It reflects the luxury and opulence of the smart districts. It houses several upmarket boutiques and fashion designers.

Degas, check out the info below so you don't have to go to a Burger King to use the bathroom.

On the Place de la Madeleine, next to the flower market, take the spiraling staircase down to the subterranean art nouveau luxurious public restrooms. They are an amazing cavern of carved wood, brass and mirrors, with floral frescoes and stained-glass windows in each toilet! Built in 1905, they just might be the most beautiful in the world.