As long as there has been a Paris, there has been life on the Ile de la Cité. Though many of the buildings on the island were demolished during the Haussmann era, vestiges of the foundations and walls from homes dating back 2,000 years can be found in the crypt just near the Notre Dame…
Our UnTours Foundation Co-CEO Jonathan Coleman recently returned from his first Untour trip, and his first time ever visiting Switzerland and France. Here he shares his first impression of Paris. I arrived in Paris on a train from Basel by way of Strasbourg. For the last leg of the trip, I had the bad luck…
Considering a visit to one or more of the great cities in Europe? Getting the most out of your city travel experience takes a special kind of planning, especially as we navigate COVID and how it has altered the way we dine and sightsee. You can still enjoy the best of Europe’s cities. Many have…
The Basilica of Sacré-Coeur’s distinctive white dome floats above Paris, a landmark visible from all quarters of the city. Anchored in Montmartre, the beautiful church has been witness to the neighborhood’s evolution, from bohemian artists’ hive to tourist hotspot. Its slopes and benches have hosted generations of young loungers, bohemians, and lovers. The Sacred Heart…
Dreaming of France? No place could be dreamier than Chantilly, a nice day trip from Paris, with something for everyone. It is home to horse racing, featuring the world’s most ornate stables and a château that rises from a lake, giving it a dream-like quality that is especially appealing to children. Indeed, Château de Chantilly…
So much to see and do in Europe already, but why not plan your trip around some of the season’s special events? Festivals and fairs are a window into a culture, a signifier of what is important to a community, and an excellent way to rub elbows with the locals. Here is your 2020 trip…
In our first in a series on overtourism, we talked about finding alternatives to very popular cities, like seeing Holland from a base in Leiden rather than Amsterdam. You can read more about that here. We still find ourselves in popular tourist cities though, and you will too. After all, we all want to see…
What is overtourism? Overtourism has become a catchall term for the oversaturation of a neighborhood, region, or city with tourists. Just when a place hits this critical tipping point is up for debate, but we can all agree it is a growing concern, a blight that undermines the quality of life for locals and erodes…
As spring merges into summer, gardens in much of Europe are at their most vibrant and colorful. Whether you seek out gardens as a main sight for your day or duck into them as a respite from sightseeing in built environments, it is hard not to fall in love with these lovingly cultivated spaces. They…
The gardens of impressionist painter Claude Monet are a must see for art lovers and gardeners alike. Monet fans will recognize many of its features and settings: the water garden with its lilies, the wisteria-covered Japanese bridge, and the tulip garden. Indeed, art enthusiasts may have an odd feeling of déjà vu here even on their…