Things To Do in Paris: Autumn Strolls, Festivities & Seasonal Cuisine

Paris is for lovers, as the saying goes, but the romance of the city might be strongest in autumn. The sun hangs ever-lower over the waters and bridges of the Seine; the urban gardens turn to red and gold; the cafes and bistros seem all the cosier as that welcome chill in the air creates an appetite for hot soups, hot chocolates, hot chestnuts. And if the season brings more rain, the city's cultural offer also kicks into high gear as new exhibitions fill the museums and galleries.
 

Indeed, the season has its own particular calendar, and many of the year's most anticipated events take place between October and the cusp of Christmas. Highlights range from harvest time for the freshest new Beaujolais wines to citywide festivals of music, dance and theatre. And while iconic monuments like the Eiffel Tower look splendid in autumn light, this is also the ideal time for discovering lesser-visited landmarks...

This is one of the world's great strolling destinations, with so many public parks and palace gardens folded into the urban design, a mighty river flanked by tunnels of trees, and wilder woodlands all around the edge of town. Leaf colours can be more subtle than elsewhere in France, but summer greenery gives way to varied shades of autumn along the city's many pathways.

• Luxembourg Garden: Paris's most famous formal garden is laid out in distinct groupings of tree species that register autumn changes in many-splendoured ways. Horse chestnuts glint gold along the main allées, maples turn molten reds around the Medici Fountain, and apple and pear trees near the apiary take on a melancholy amber glow.

• Promenade Plantée: Among the very best things to do for free in autumnal Paris is to walk this elevated path along a former railway line. Leading almost 5 km from the Bastille, the route lifts you off the street and into a canopy of cherry, maple and lime trees, bamboo groves and pergolas of roses where the leaves seem to change colours before your eyes.

• Bois de Vincennes: Blurring from urban parkland to wild countryside at the western boundary of Paris, this is where locals escape the city centre for Sunday excursions to the nearest, deepest woodlands. Autumn is thoroughly bewitching across the golden leaves that frame the medieval walls of Château de Vincennes and ring the shore of Lac Daumesnil.

• Père Lachaise: The final resting place of so many French and foreign luminaries – Jim Morrison, Édith Piaf, Oscar Wilde, Sarah Bernhardt – this landmark cemetery is high on the list of things to do in Paris. Autumn is the best time for a stroll between the tombstones and beneath the trees, which range from ginkgos to rarities like the Canadian "bone tree". The light and colour is most magical in the early morning, as sunbeams shine through drifts of mist.

Enjoying its optimal location in north-central France, the capital tends to draw seasonal produce from across surrounding provinces. Autumn is especially abundant as fruits, nuts, vegetables and cheeses roll in from fields and farms in every corner of the country. And while certain dishes might be available year-round at the city's cafés and bistros, October weather in Paris adds its own flavour.

• Hot chocolate: Some Parisiennes welcome October weather as an excuse to start drinking chocolat chaud after a long hot summer. Along with coffee it's the standard beverage of the French breakfast, but certain cafés become essential in autumn for smooth and creamy variations on the classic recipe. Angelina (226 Rue de Rivoli) is a vintage tea room from 1903, renowned for Mont-Blanc and l'Africain hot chocolate.
• Chestnuts: October brings chestnut season to Paris, and the air fills with the smell of fresh marrons roasted by street vendors in the parks and along the quays. They also make their way into stews, pasta dishes and desserts at bistros across town. Many pastry chefs are also fond of the hazelnuts that come into season around the same time.
• Truffles: Many French chefs can hardly wait for the advent of truffle season in late autumn, and that earthy delicacy, so refined yet deeply rooted, is especially suited to the Paris palate. The simplest bistros and the finest restaurants will now begin shaving truffles over pastas and risottos or infusing them through cheeses.
• Wild game: Autumn is hunting season, and the larders and platters of Paris fill with game meats. Often roasted as main courses, venison or pheasant also work well slow-cooked in red wine to make classic stews like ragoût de cerf and salmis de gibier. À la Biche au Bois (45 Av. Ledru Rollin, closed weekends) specialises in such dishes.
• Seasonal soups: As autumn deepens into winter, French onion soup becomes a favourite of Paris menus, ideally topped with melted cheese and croutons. Root vegetables like turnips, parsnips and squash make their way into soups too, and the velvety pumpkin-based soupe de potiron is another must at this time of year.

Looking to pair your dinner with Eiffel Tower views? Novotel Paris Porte de Versailles is also a great place to eat in autumn, as its chefs draw on seasonal produce for their dishes at Rooftop Pedzouille La Grange.

As temperatures drop and thick grey rainclouds often form above Paris in autumn, the city offers no end of architectural marvels where you can stay dry in style amid world-class artworks, restaurants and boutiques.

• Explore the arcades

The Right Bank of the Seine is home to networks of covered pedestrian passages from the 18th and 19th centuries, often styled with flourishes of Art Nouveau and Art Deco. Under magnificent glass roofing, mosaic tiling and elaborate wood panelling, you'll find all sorts of artisan boutiques, antique stores and tea rooms. Plot a walking route or shopping spree from Passage Verdeau through nearby Passage Jouffroy to Passage des Panoramas, and stop for lunch at a fittingly attractive bistro like Racines (8 Passage des Panorama), which serves warming French cuisine inside a former printworks.

• Tour the museums

Paris's big three fine art museums – the Louvre, the Musee d'Orsay, and the Musée de l'Orangerie – offer too many treasures to take in on one rainy day, with permanent collections that range from the Mona Lisa to the greatest of Monet's watercolours. But the Rodin Museum (77 Rue de Varenne) is especially appealing in uncertain autumn weather, as you can admire the sculptor's works in a leafy suite of beautiful gardens as well as the interior of his former workshop at the Hôtel Biron.

• Descend into the catacombs

Let's not forget that autumn is the season of the witch too, and the gathering gloom of late October creates the perfect atmosphere for visiting the famous Catacombs of Paris (1 Av du Colonel Henri Rol-Tanguy). Navigating tunnels and chambers full of skulls and bones accumulated over centuries, you might feel a few drips of condensation from the ceiling and a certain macabre chill down your spine, but for many visitors it's the perfect thing to do on a cold wet day in Paris.

• Escape to the movies

The cinema is always a good bet on a rainy afternoon but Paris is perhaps the greatest movie-going city in the world. Locals love the artform and cherish their oldest surviving picture houses, some of which are well worth seeing regardless of what's playing on screen. Favourites include the Egyptian-themed Louxor from 1921 (170 Bd de Magenta) and the even older independent arthouse Cinéma du Panthéon (13 Rue Victor Cousin) with its café decorated by beloved French actress Catherine Deneuve.

• Hit the bookstores

Paris is also one of the world's great literary capitals, a legacy reflected in its sheer variety of bookshops and libraries. Browsing, buying or finding a quiet corner to read can make you feel a part of this city like no other autumn activity. And while landmarks like Shakespeare & Co get very crowded, there are many other temples to the written word. Founded in 1708, Delamain (155 Rue Saint-Honoré) is a dream of a bookstore with sliding ladders and cave-like alcoves, while Bibliothèque de l'Assemblée Nationale (126 Rue de l'Université) is a heavenly library of towering shelves and swirling frescoes around a grand reading room.

Bookish travellers have the perfect hotel at Mercure Paris Bercy Bibliothèque, which features its own quiet library area and décor inspired by the literary history of Paris.

As the city simmers down after summer, the cultural calendar heats up for joyful and immersive annual festivals of culture and cuisine – some are even based around folk customs and harvest rituals as old as Paris itself.

• Festival d'Automne: This annual showcase of cutting-edge dance, theatre and live music spreads itself across multiple venues and several months.

• Fête des Vendanges: The Montmartre grape harvest festival fills the streets around Sacre Coeur with wine-related pop-ups, food pairings and tasting events to celebrate Clos Montmartre, the last working vineyard in Paris.

• Salon du Chocolat: Producers from 60 countries converge on Paris for the world's biggest chocolate expo, with fashion shows, edible artworks and appearances from top chefs.

• Beaujolais Nouveau Day: The third Thursday of November sees the nationwide release of fresh wines made with Gamay grapes. Bars offer tastings all across Paris, and some are even free.

ibis Styles Paris Montmartre Nord is perfect for travellers on a budget, with cosy rooms close to the neighborhood grape festival.

With its legendary parks, bistros and artistic treasures, Paris offers so many things to do in autumn that you could fill a city break on every weekend of the season. Taking the family to the French capital? Check out our handy guide on the best things to do with kids.