On the program for the month of May, cultural hikes, nature walks, cruises on the Marne and on the Saint-Denis canal, unusual visits to (re)discover Paris and Greater Paris from a new angle.
The sun is back ! It’s time to enjoy outdoor outings. Here is a selection of cruises, visits and walks to enjoy in May 2024.
Cruises to see another Paris
On the Marne
Embark aboard the Francilien for an architecture and nature cruise departing from Neuilly-Plaisance. Also take part in a wine tasting cruise on the Marne. For a more musical atmosphere, opt for the Fado concert cruise, always on the Marne.
Tavern lovers, enjoy the tavern cruise or the lunch cruise on the loop of the Marne.
Olympic cruises as Paris 2024 approaches
On May 18 and June 2, Olympic cruises and street art will resume on the Saint-Denis canal:
at 10 a.m.: cruise from Parc de la Villette to the Stade de France on the Olympic canal
at 2 p.m.: “When games transform the city” cruise around Ile-Saint-Denis
at 5 p.m.: street art cruise on the Saint-Denis canal from 6b to Parc de la Villette
Also join the Dear Olympic Games visit and discover the exhibitions on the theme of sport: Play Sports at the Val-de-Marne Archives (with a special visit for young parents!), A step ahead at the Nogent Museum or even At the stadium ! a history of sport in Hauts-de-Seine
On the Seine
Discover the landscapes of the Seine upstream where industrial heritage and contemporary architecture mingle, during a cruise between Paris and Choisy-le-Roi.
Want to relax after leaving the office? Embark on a Happy Hour cruise and take a sunset tour of the Seine before fading into the Parisian night.
It’s spring !
With Mûrs à fleurs, we visit a floral farm in Montreuil, we learn how to compose a bouquet or make plant impressions. Still in Montreuil, the regional horticultural society invites you to discover the history of the peach walls and Brice-Manuel Catala guides you from belvedere to belvedere, from the Parc des Beaumonts to Mozinor.
In May, the unmissable Roseraie du Val-de-Marne reopens its doors! Big and small stories about this exceptional garden will be told to you during a guided tour: the opportunity to stroll through these fragrant alleys in search of the most surprising rose names.
You can also organize a family outing to meet dairy donkeys and learn everything about how organic farming works.
The Bois de Vincennes also presents the ideal place to reconnect with nature. On the program: botanical walk, visit to the tropical agronomy garden, meditation,
Take a breath of fresh air along the Végétale, this large green flow that crosses Val-de-Marne. Many nature activities are offered there: in the great outdoors, budding artists, snack walks, treasure hunts in the forest, trees in the city…
As for urban agriculture: open the doors of the Romainville market gardening city and discover its CasseDalle garden, stroll through the heart of Lil’Ô, an industrial wasteland undergoing ecological reconversion or set off to discover the Caverne, an organic urban farm in the 19th century underground.
Urban and cultural walks
Saturday May 18, join the great free and friendly cultural hike “ESSrando”. For a day, this great walk will take you to discover the social, solidarity and circular economy in Val-de-Marne, from Chevilly-Larue to Ivry, via Vitry. Several stops and activities are planned along the route.
From May 18 to June 2, the Spring of Garden Cities invites you to visit these unique places during free walks. Discover in particular the garden cities of Champigny-sur-Marne, Créteil, Arcueil, Montgeron, Châtenay-Malabry, Suresnes, Trappes, Argenteuil…
Other unusual walks await you such as the visit to the aqueduct route, the sound walk in Chevilly-Larue, roaming with bivouac near Choisy-le-Roi.
Artisans reveal their know-how
More of an art craftsman? Open the doors of a master glassmaker’s stained glass workshop, a workshop for restoring tapestries and other textiles or even an artisanal soapmaking workshop.
Rather gastronomy? You will be spoiled for choice between the professions of artisan cheesemaker, artisan winemaker, artisan brewer or artisan roaster.
Heritage side
Do you know the basilica of Saint-Denis? To discover it, follow either:
The Opéra-comique opens its doors for history and architecture tours, family visits or a visit to the women who made the institution shine.
Be amazed by the discovery of the Abraxas spaces in Noisy-le-Grand.
Discover or (re)discover the Château de Vincennes in a different way or the Domaine de Grosbois with its castle and its trotting horse training center.
Also enjoy a guided tour of the Saint-Cloud national domain by a speaker from the Center des Monuments Nationaux.
Revisit your classics in an original way with a confidential visit to the Yves Saint-Laurent museum, behind the scenes at UNESCO, the Palais de Justice, the Grand Mosque, the Post Office museum, the July Column of the Bastille…
In the heart of the Marais, the museum of art and history of Judaism offers numerous visits: to discover the treasures of its collections, on the theme of first names, on textile collections, on spoliations and restitutions, on the the André Steiner exhibition or even on the archives of the Dreyfus affair. Two urban walks are also scheduled to immerse yourself in the world of Georges Perec.
Also discover the Saint-Ouen flea market.
And don’t miss the tribute exhibition to Missak Manouchian at the Mont Valérien memorial.
Need a gift idea ?
For a party, a birthday or any other occasion, think about Explore Paris gift vouchers which should delight all curious people.
Good tip: don’t forget that there are many free tours on Explore Paris!
