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

Fencing has a long and illustrious history as a sport for the civilized, especially in Europe. Unlike other kinds of sword fighting that depend on brute force, fencing is an activity that relies heavily on the agility, speed and quick wits of its participants.

For those who have mastered the art of fencing, various competitions around the world give them the chance to showcase their skills and test themselves against other elite fencers. In May, guests staying at the Hôtel Louvre Marsollier will have a one-of-a-kind opportunity to witness some of the best fencers in the world face off against each other.

There is no greater honor than representing one’s country in the world championships, and for French fencers, several championship spots are up for grabs. A competition called the “Challenge Réseau Ferré de France” represents one of the qualifying competitions for fencing championships, thus enabling participants to prove that they are worthy of a spot competiting against the best.

The “Challenge Réseau Ferré de France” takes place on May 4 and 5, 2013 at the Carrousel du Louvre on Rue de Rivoli. Ticket prices range from 10 to 25 euros. Normally, the competition takes place at the Pierre de Coubertin Stadium. However, this year it is the prestigious and beautiful Carrousel du Lovure that will be welcoming the French fencers as they perform feats of athletic prowess. As a result, audience members can enjoy their close proximity to the Louvre Museum and other Parisian landmarks before or after the event.

The event is composed of solo as well as team competitions, with some of the most talented fencers coming to participate from within France as well as from other countries. Participants include Ulrich Robeiri, Yannick Borel, Gauthier Grumier and Alexandre Blaszyck.

From April 16 to 28, 2013 Paris will host a unique festival that is the result of a combination of hip hop and contemporary circus. The festival is called Hautes Tensions, French for High Tension, and it is celebrating its third year on the Parisian scene this spring.

Both hip hip and circus arts represent two cultures that are in the midst of constant renewal and reinvention. As a result, it seems only natural to combine these two art forms that express the voices of the future, in ways that are radical yet socially bonding. For two weeks in April, guests staying at the Hôtel Louvre Marsollier will have the chance to experience this innovative fusion as performers come to present spectacles that have never been seen before — some being created especially for the Festival Hautes Tensions.

The festival is taking place at the Parc de la Villette, an eclectic cultural center located in the 19th arrondissement of Paris. The third edition of the festival will offer an even bigger place to hip hop, as choreography spectacles and the the very first French championship of parkour are organized for festival-goers.

Parkour is an urban sport that was developed in France but has been an international pop culture sensation after being featured in many films and television shows. Now, this sport that mixes dance, acrobatics and pure athletic force will reveal the best young performers on the scene today at the first championship to be organized in France.

Roughly 20 circus and hip hop troupes will be participating in the Festival Hautes Tensions, enabling spectators to get their fill of circus arts, contemporary dance, break dance and novelty acts. At the Parc de Villette, a center known for its contribution to contemporary arts and up-and-coming talent, visitors to Paris can explore the exciting interactions between these various types of performances.

Parc de la Villette
211 avenue Jean Jaurès, 75019
+33 (0)1 40 03 75 75

La Marche des Dinosaures, or Walking with Dinosaurs, is an extraordinary spectacle that was a hit success in Paris in 2009. After selling out 10 shows that year, Walking with Dinosaurs is back, at the Paris-Bercy stadium, much to the delight of both adults and children. Playing at the Bercy stadium, right within the city of Paris, this show is sure to impress.

Walking with Dinosaurs has already toured 206 cities, entertaining seven million spectators. Now, it is coming back to Paris, three years after thrilling Parisians for the first time. Guests staying at the Hôtel Louvre Marsollier can experience the thrills of this show from December 19 until December 23, 2012.

Inspired by the BBC television program of the late 1990s, Walking with Dinosaurs tells the incredible paleontological story of those creatures that lived so many millions of years before humans. As a theatrical show, Walking with Dinosaurs has been performed in the United States, Canada and Australia — where it originated. The show is built around 20 gigantic recreations of real dinosaurs, conceived in collaboration with scientists. Of course, the Tyrannosaurus rex makes an impressive appearance, among other dinosaurs like the Brachiosaurus and the Ankylosaurus.

These animals have been reproduced in their natural state, one fighting against the other. Walking with Dinosaurs therefore provides the chance to see how dinosaurs lived, fought and ruled among each other. Funny and amusing as well, the spectacle allows families to discover more about this important historical period.

With a 12 million euro budget, Walking with Dinosaurs has been carefully conceived and constructed according to the highest standards. The end result is a spectacular show that is unlike anything that has come before it. Tickets can be purchased on the website of the Bercy stadium (in French).

A new show called Ellipse has come to the Cirque National Alexis Gruss, a Parisian circus venue located in the normally quiet 16 arrondissement. With Ellipse, a unique spectacle blending circus and cinema, there is something for everyone to enjoy, no matter how old they are. And guests staying at the Hôtel Louvre Marsollier have the chance to attend this one-of-a-kind performance during their stay in Paris.

Until March 17, 2013, audience members can share some of the best moments in cinematic history with the impressive performers of this innovative circus. This is the 39th creation the of Alexis Gruss circus, and it promises to be a spectacular one.

On the stage, there is a large panoramic screen in addition to the performance area. In this way, projected images are as much a part of the show as the performing artists are. What’s more, orchestral music reminiscent of film scores accompanies the entire performance, encapsulating the audience in a complete audiovisual experience.

In terms of stunts, there are plenty of surprises as well. Audience members can discover for the first time jugglers on horseback and other feats. Of course, it cannot be a circus without an elephant, and Ellipse does not disappoint on this front either. Other mainstays of the circus — like acrobatic stunts, bicycle feats and other tricks on horseback — can of course be expected as well.

Reservations can be made online on the website of the Cirque National Alexis Gruss (reservation website in French). Tickets range from 20 euros to 75 euros, depending on seat placement. Shows take place on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays at 3 p.m. and Saturdays at 8 p.m.