Serenity awaits in Paris

Paris can be crowded and noisy, but there are oases of calm that let you escape the madding crowds:

Square du Vert-Galant

This small public park provides lovely views of the sun setting over Paris’ bridges and the Louvre.

Where: At the base of the Pont-Neuf, western tip of Île de la Cité. Near Notre-Dame, Sainte-Chapelle, the Louvre, Info: lat.ms/squareduvert

Palais-Royal

This Beaux-Arts masterpiece consists of a palace, garden and a courtyard. Next to the garden is an entry court with an unusual modern-art installation. The creation by artist Daniel Buren is made up of 252 black-and-white striped columns spaced in a grid-like formation.

Where: 8 Rue Montpensier, near the Louvre, Galerie Vivienne, the Tuileries Info: lat.ms/palaisroyal

Montparnasse Cemetery

This beautiful art-filled cemetery contains 38,000 graves on 46 acres. Among the notables buried here: Jean-Paul Sartre and his lover Simone de Beauvoir and visual artist Man Ray.

Where: 3 Boulevard Edgar Quinet, near the Catacombs and Montparnasse Tower. Info: lat.ms/montparnasse

Hôtel de Soubise

Rococo Hôtel Soubise, built in 1705 as the private home of the prince and princess de Soubise, and neighboring Hôtel de Rohan house the National Archives. Flowered murals line the interior walls of the cloisters, where benches beckon the weary. Through an opening to the right you will find a serene garden with a vine-covered pergola and stone pathways.

Where: 60 Rue des FrancsBourgeois, near the Pompidou Centre Info: lat.ms/hotelsoubise

Village Saint-Paul

This is focused on design and crafts, antiques and weekend flea markets. Tucked into the back courtyards are quaint shops that specialize in handmade hats, fine stationery and fresh flowers, among other goods.

Where: Rue Saint-Paul, Rue Ave Maria, across the Seine from Île Saint-Louis. Info: lat.ms/villagestpaul To read more about other quiet places in Paris: lat.ms/quietparis.