The Daily Telegraph - Saturday - Travel
THE SUBURBS
Stade de France and the Aquatic Centre
eral temporary stadia designed to host some of the newest Olympic sports. On a site first cleared to house a statue of Louis XV, various modern events – including skateboarding, 3×3 basketball, BMX freestyle and, for the first time ever, breakdancing – will be played. It might seem incongruous, but putting relatively new sports in temporary venues in historic areas is a tried and tested strategy for the Olympics, reifying the qualities of the European city in particular: ancient and modern simultaneously.
Les Invalides
Whoever chose to host the archery near the Hôtel des Invalides, now a French military history museum and monuments, was on to a winner. Typical of the first group of venues, Les Invalides is in the heart of Paris, with the Esplanade, one of the city’s preferred leisure destinations, a place where Parisians and tourists go to promenade and play. In 2024, it will be an area dedicated to the Games, a mixing place for athletes and spectators.
STAY: One of a new era of jazzy luxury hostels, Yooma Urban Lodge Eiffel (doubles from £85; yooma-eiffel.com) is a great place for families, located 15 minutes’ walk from the Eiffel Tower along the Seine.
DO: The Musée de l’Armée (museearmee.fr) in Les Invalides has undergone a major refurbishment and will open again, fully refreshed, in June 2024 – just in time for the Games. The tomb of Napoleon Bonaparte stands at its heart in the beautiful Baroque church by 17th-century architect Jules Hardouin-Mansart, who also designed the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles. the 1938 World Cup. As a tennis venue, it may lack the rambling charm of Wimbledon but its avenues of trees and public spaces make it feel like an integral part of the city.
STAY: The Hotel Botaniste (doubles from £157; hotelbotaniste.com) in nearby Auteuil is one of the city’s loveliest boutique hotels, capturing the spirit of a district which was a rural retreat for the nobility in Louis XV’s time.
DO: La Tour aux Figures stands at the tip of the Parc Départemental de l’Ile Saint-Germain on an island in the Seine. This strange sculpture, designed by Jean Dubuffet and later constructed in the 1980s, is the acme of art brut; part graffitied lump, part medieval tower.
Rue de Langeac plays on the history of the Expo site, with beautiful posters from the halcyon days of trade shows on display throughout its stylish rooms. DO: One of Paris’s greatest secrets is La Petite Ceinture, a former elevated railway line that long predates the similar transformation of New York’s High Line. The section in the 15th arrondissement, not far from the Expo, is arguably its finest. Don’t expect a designed space: just genuine wilderness and a very un-Parisian stillness and calm.
Saint-Denis is fascinating. One of the enduring frontiers of French society is the line between it and Paris proper. The Stade de France sits at the edge of an area that has the highest poverty rate in mainland France, and the highest proportion of immigrants. The stadium itself is a marvel of modern architecture: a truly adaptable multifunctional structure that will host athletics and rugby. The adjacent Aquatic Centre is the only new permanent venue to be built during the games and will host the diving. A stunning structure, particularly inside, it will be converted into a community pool afterwards.
STAY: There are few recommendable hotels in Saint-Denis (though there are some excellent Airbnbs) – but no matter, as the area is just 10 mins from Gare de Nord on the RER (not covered by metro tickets).
DO: The Basilica of Saint-Denis is perhaps the most important church in France – one could argue the world. Not only is it the final resting place of French kings, it is also where, under the mercurial Abbot Suger, Gothic architecture was first conceived and executed. Long disregarded, it is slowly being restored.
Yves-du-Manoir Stadium and La Défense Arena
Set in the utterly delightful – if ever so slightly dull – suburb of Colombes (strong Richmond-upon-Thames vibes), the Yves-du-Manoir stadium was where the events portrayed in Chariots of Fire, the victories of Harold Abrahams and Eric Liddell, really happened. It was the main stadium for the 1924 Olympics, and the site of the final of the second ever World Cup. It will host hockey events this summer.
The multi-purpose indoor La Défense Arena lies within the business district of Paris and is surrounded by some of its tallest buildings. It was opened in October 2017 as home of the rugby union club, Racing 92, and has yet to become part of Paris’s sporting culture. After the Olympics – when it will host the swimming events – it may.
STAY: The hotels in La Défense generally cater for business tourists. If that is OK with you, try the Aparthotel Adagio Access Colombes La Défense (rooms from £57; adagio-city.com) or the Hôtel Courseine (doubles from £96; hotelcourseine.com).
DO: If you can’t find something fun to do in the Bois de Boulogne to the southeast, there is no hope for you. The amusement park is super charming and the Hippodrome (a 1924 Olympics venue) gives Longchamp a run for its money as the finest race track in Paris.
Château de Versailles
It is incredible to think that before Louis XIV, Versailles was little more than a hunting lodge. The Palace of Versailles is one of the grandest palaces on earth; a monument to the end of monarchy as much as its lifestyle. In 2024, in ingenious fashion, the Etoile Royale esplanade at the heart of the Palace’s gardens is being temporarily fitted out to stage several equestrian and modern pentathlon events. The cycling venues are also nearby.