Paris? You’ll find an eyeful in the suburbs

FIGURES show that threequarters of visitors to Paris have been before. But most people’s idea of the ‘City of Love’ is a compact little area in the centre. We took two day trips to the outskirts to discover greater Paris.

NORTH: Every French monarch is buried at the 850-year-old suburban church St Denis Basilica. It’s just a €2, 30-minute metro ride from ChampsElysees – yet it’s still little-known to British visitors. History fans will love standing next to the graves of

Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, guillotined during the Revolution, and seeing jewelled French monarchs’ crowns. There’s a spookily dark coffin-filled crypt and acres of ancient stained glass to photograph, too.

In the leafy square by the basilica, Les Mets du Roy pavement brasserie serves rich French classics such as lobster or veal with fine wine.

Head back towards the centre to find Stade de France, the country’s biggest stadium. Built for the 1998 World Cup (which France won), it has curvaceous architecture with ingenious moveable stands, and will be centrepiece of the 2024 Olympics. Check out the museum and one-hour guided tours (stadefrance.com/en/tours). Then stop off at Parc de la Villette, home to Europe’s biggest science museum and a collection of major new music venues, including the extraordinary shiny bubble shape of the

Philharmonie concert hall.

SOUTH: French Chinatown is a fascinating, edgy and mysterious area. Guide Guillaume le Roux from Le Vrai Paris/The True Paris (levraiparis.com) leads tours through disused tunnels and under shopping centres to discover colourful temples in tower-block basements, subway stalls and bright cafes where teenagers listen to K-pop and drink bubble tea.

Continue south to Vitry and to one of the world’s best open-air galleries of street art. Kasia Klon of Street Art

Tours (streetarttourparis.com) leads walks to the best pieces.

Head back towards the Left Bank, where the Museum of the Occupation has opened in a former Resistance hideout. It’s free and tells stories from Nazi-occupied Paris in a well balanced, thought-provoking way (musee liberation-leclerc-moulin.paris.fr/en). Nearby, the new Poincon bistro offers ‘dishes of the day’ for half what you’d pay in the centre (poinconparis.com).