Your experience of Paris will necessarily be different from that of any other traveler. Because your expectations are unique, your perception of the French capital will be yours, and yours only. Diversity being the name of the game, I thought you would enjoy being told about a larger variety of unusual places to visit, and singular things to do while in Paris.

In this new series of articles, I will bring to your attention an assortment of such things which you are free to try out then and there. You can also find more data on my Paris guide Paris-Eiffel-Tower-News.com

Where Queen Marie-Antoinette Spent her Last Night

Queen Marie-Antoinette was beheaded during the French revolution in 1793. It is said her hair turned entirely white during the night before her execution. She was held captive at the Conciergerie Museum, a royal palace built on the Cite Island in the early 13th century. The medieval atmosphere penetrates your very soul along a visit which will lead you through the castle and its infamous cells. Free admission, and you keep your head on your shoulders. The address is 2 boulevard du Palais, on the Cite Island. The nearest metro station is "Cite".

Get Me a Couscous for Free

At the "Les Fontaines" bar, the owner opens his kitchen and serves free couscous to all on Fridays and Saturdays. You are only required to order one drink per person, which is anyway desirable when you stuff yourself with semolina. "Les Fontaines" sits at 153 rue Saint-Maur, in the 11th district. The closest metro stations are "Belleville" and "Rue Saint-Maur".

Like Church Music?

Every Sunday and on non-worked days, the imposing Saint Roch Church hosts organ concerts from 5:30 to 6:00 PM. There is no entry fee, and the thrill is guaranteed for a good 30 minutes. This venue is known for this event, so show up well before 5:30 PM. The Church is located at 2 impasse Saint Eustache, between the "Chatelet-Les Halles" metro station and the Louvre Museum.

Antique Asia in Paris

The Cernuschi Museum shelters over 12,000 ancient objects of Chinese, Korean and Japanese origins, of which 900 are on permanent display in the beautiful 19th century mansion: from neolithic potteries, to statues and weapons of the 13th century. There is only one other museum in France which can compete with such a wealth of antique Asian art. This museum is worth its weight in gold! To visit it, go to 7 avenue Velasquez, near the "Villiers" metro station. Don't go on Mondays, the mansion is closed.

A Park Way Too Often Overlooked

Standing in the middle of the forgotten, off-centered 19th district, the Buttes-Chaumont park rolls out its majestic hills and narrow alleys over thousands of acres. Way too often overlooked by tourists and Parisians alike, the park is a haven of silence and peace. Joggers, strollers, families and lovebirds meet at this unique venue which is dominated by a rocky mound on top of which stands a small gazebo which resembles a Greek temple. An awesome place to spend a Sunday morning. The nearest metro stations are "Laumiere" and "Buttes-Chaumont".

Ah! The joys of visiting Paris in an unconventional way! You can imagine that a city which is 2,000 years old and has 1,000+ years of recorded history offers a lot more than can ever be summarized in writing. Facing such an abundance of things to see, which way should one go? My take (and that of my old pal Vincent Ramelli, who was born in Paris and is a die-hard Parisian) is that Paris is better discovered outside the path traced by the millions of visitors. Not to say that the Louvre Museum must not be part of your itinerary, not at all! But I just happen to think that if you include a detour to a less-well-known place such as those recommended in our Paris travel guide Paris-Eiffel-Tower-News.com, your stay in the French capital will become all the more interesting. You will have more local-color anecdotes to tell your friends. And your trip will be even more memorable. SO yes, I recommend that you try out new spots and venues, and I will continue suggesting those in further articles. Cheers!