“Paris is fun” sounds like something you might hear happy tourists saying as they walk through the streets, but it is also the name of an interesting outdoor festival coming to the 12th arrondissement on June 22 and 23, 2013. The French name of the festival, “Paris Est Ludique” brings together people of all ages to enjoy a wide variety of board games in a social setting.

Wooden games, giant games, strategy games, and child and adult games will all be part of the festival. Plus, visitors can discover brand new games, the games of tomorrow and tournaments played between expert players. Guests staying at the Hôtel Louvre Marsollier should try to join in on the fun during their stay.

The games presented during the outdoor festival will all be accompanied by knowledgeable and fun-loving hosts who will explain the rules and guide the action. The games will be set up at various stands, providing plenty of space for visitors to play them. In the case of the games of tomorrow, there will be a “prototype area” where curious onlookers can discover these unreleased creations.

In addition to discovering a myriad of board games for all types of players, visitors can eat and drink at the restaurant and food stands that will be organized at the festival. This means that they can easily spend the whole day enjoying the outdoors, playing games and grabbing a bite to eat.

On Saturday, the festival will begin at 10 a.m. and finish late at night at 11:00 p.m. On Sunday, the festival once again begins at 10 but ends a bit earlier at 6:00 p.m. Tickets cost 5 euros for anyone 8 years old or older and is free for those under 8 years old.

Paris Est Ludique 2013
Boulodrome Léo Lagrange
Route des Fortifications, 75012
Metro: Porte de Charenton

From April 16 until July 14, 2013, the Palace of Versailles and the Maison de Chateaubriand will be working together to present an exhibition that is sure to impress visitors in the Paris area. The exhibition is called ‘The Treasure of the Holy Sepulchre: Gifts from European royal courts to Jerusalem,’ and it will reveal more than 250 pieces illustrating the relationship between religion and power in Europe.

The treasures on display have quite an interesting history. They were originally sent to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem by those who held power in Europe. Today, the works sent to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre provide one of the most complete representations of art history dating back from the 12th century.

These works are so impressive that the writer and diplomat Chateaubriand wrote a book dedicated to the holy place, with the goal of sparking new interest in the treasures. Moreover, Chateaubriand even went so far as to offer to oversee the restoration of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre after it was damaged in a major fire in 1808. It is therefore appropriate that the Maison de Chateaubriand is actively participating in this exhibition, which takes place at the Palace of Versailles.

The exhibit ‘The Treasure of the Holy Sepulchre‘ is a truly special event as it will show off hundreds of works previously unknown by the public. The works are arranged by origin, enabling visitors to comprehend the cultural and regional differences between the rulers in question — and the ways in which these differences manifest themselves through lavish displays of generosity. Guests staying at the Hôtel Louvre Marsollier can therefore discover for themselves the connections between art, beauty, power and religion by visiting the Palace of Versailles during their stay.

The 13th annual Cultural Festival of Tibet and the Himalayan Peoples is set to take place in Paris on June 15 and 16, 2013. This festival — organized at the Bois de Vincennes, an enormous wooded area just on the outskirts of central Paris — will allow visitors and inhabitants of Paris to experience the various manifestations of the Tibetan cultural and experience.

Incorporating artisans, musicians, dancers, storytellers, conferences, exhibitions and films, the festival is filled with activities that will entertain and educate anyone who has ever been curious about this rich culture. There will also be special presentations from guest participants from Mongolia, who will reveal their culture through cinema, stories and seminars. Normally, activities begin around 10 or 11 in the morning and go on until the early evening.

Amongst the various activities that will be organized, visitors can count on being able to see 10 monks from the Sera Mey monastery in Tibet. This monastery has been recognized for its philosophical debates, and the monks will share their dances and sacred chants with those who wish to discover them. Plus, they will create various artistic works to be displayed during the festival, including a mandala of colored sand and sculptures made of butter.

Guests staying at Hôtel Louvre Marsollier can also view the photographic exhibition of Matthieu Richard, a French photographer who spent time in the Himalayas and brought back with him beautiful portraits and landscapes of the region. Another art exhibit, entitled ‘The Missing Peace,’ will present selected contemporary works inspired by the Dalai Lama.

Like every year, the weekend will be filled with shows, stands and cultural activities. This includes tastings of Tibetan specialties like momoks — steamed dumplings — and Tibetan tea flavored with salted butter. This is no doubt one of the most original and authentic festivals to come to Paris this year. It is all happening at the Bois de Vincennes near the Daumesnil lake.

Bois de Vincennes
Just east of the 12th arrondissement
Metro station: Chateau de Vincennes

Manuel Martinez is a celebrated chef known for his gourmet restaurant Le Relais Louis XIII, which has earned two Michelin stars. For those who want to taste some of Martinez’s creations without the hefty bill that comes with eating at a Michelin-starred restaurant, a new pastry shop has just been opened by the talented cuisinier. The pastry shop is called La Maison du Chou, and it is dedicated to one of the most French food creations in existence: the creme puff.

Cream puff, profiterole, choux à la crème — this light and tasty pastry is known by many names, but it is unmistakably French. Choux pastry, which was created in the 16th century, was ironically the invention of an Italian pastry chef who was part of the entourage of Catherine de Medici, the wife of the French king Henri II. Following its conception in France, this delicious dough was perfected by French pastry chef Jean Avice and given the name ‘pâte à choux’ (‘choux pastry’).

After this, it was only a matter of time before the dough began to pop up in a variety of desserts, like eclairs, gougères and of course, cream puffs. For a long time, it was the eclair that dominated the imagination of pastry chefs, who have clambered to top each other with new and inventive flavor combinations. Thanks to La Maison du Chou, it is now time for the cream puff to be the center of attention.

Guests staying at the Hôtel Louvre Marsollier should take advantage of their stay in Paris to try this new and exciting pastry shop.

Open since April 2, 2013, La Maison du Chou is nestled in the charming Saint-Germain-des-Prés neighborhood. The innovative concept of the store involves serving cream puffs in a way that is not often done: made to order and prepared on the spot. Customers can choose from a variety of cream fillings that take advantage of in-season products. Current fillings include coffee, chocolate, rose and litchi. And of course, the plain cream filling always remains an option.

La Maison du Chou
7 rue de Furstenberg, 75006
Open Tuesday through Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Saturday to Sunday from 9:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m.

A Titanic exhibition is coming to Paris, and visitors staying at the Hôtel Louvre Marsollier will have a chance to see it from June 1 to September 15, 2013. This worldwide exhibit will be making a stop in Paris in order to show visitors the cabins of the most famous ship in all of history. The unique and tragic story of the Titanic has been a source of great interest for many since it sunk. Now, anyone who is curious about the vessel and its passengers can learn more right in the City of Light.

The exhibition will take place at the Parc des Expositions de Versailles, an expo center in the 15th arrondissement of Paris. A short metro ride will lead visitors to this venue, where they can discover a replica of the cabins of the Titanic, considered to be the “unsinkable ship” before its unfortunate maiden voyage.

More than 280 relics from the real ship will be on display during the Titanic exhibition. These objects are accompanied by historical commentaries as well as stories from passengers. This information sheds light on some of the mysteries of the unsinkable ship and also gives a personal touch to the collection of objects on display.

The replicas of the actual cabins of the Titanic provide an opportunity to experience what it was like to be a passenger on the Titanic. This is something that 25 million visitors have already experienced in the past 18 years that this exhibition has been in existence. From London to Los Angeles to Chicago, the international exhibit has been to some of the biggest cities in the world.

Now, it is time for visitors and inhabitants of Paris to step back in history and see the construction, inauguration, departure, voyage and sinking of the Titanic. This incredible journey is part of a collective culture that has transgressed national borders and is now part of a shared world history.