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Quiet Corners of Paris

Cloisters, Courtyards, Gardens, Museums, Galleries,
Passages, Shops, Historic Houses, Architectural
Ruins, Churches, Arboretums, Islands, Hilltops…

by Jean-Christophe Napias, Christophe Lefébure, and David Downie

Quiet Corners of Paris…by Jean-Christophe Napias,
Christophe Lefébure, and David Downie

More than eighty of the loveliest, most tranquil, and sometimes hidden places in Paris are celebrated in this charming guidebook.

Quiet Corners of Paris is a beautifully illustrated peek into eighty-one often overlooked, always beautiful, locales: hidden villas, winding lanes, little-known 19th-century passages, serene gardens, and cobblestone courtyards. Some of the places have breathtaking views, others are filled with historic and architectural details, from stone archways, garden follies, boxwood mazes, ornamental statuary, stained glass, and Renaissance fountains. Follow a stone path under a trellis of blossoms or wander through a gate to discovery.

Reviews

 • “To discover lesser-known quarters of the City of Light, consult Quiet Corners of Paris... This illustrated handbook takes you to often-overlooked parts of the city: its hidden villas, winding lanes, cobblestone courtyards and Renaissance fountains.”—Frank Wagner, Copley News Service
 • "Yes, noisy, bustling Paris has its quiet corners, and this attractive book describes them in loving detail. Most of the places mentioned here are out of doors and open to the public. The places range from museum courtyards and royal gardens to 15th Century cloisters and tiny passageways to the back streets and lanes of the various neighborhoods. Some famous sites are here (Luxembourg Gardens) but so are unknown treasures such as the Irish Cultural Center, housed in a townhouse used by the Irish Catholic collegiate community since 1775, or Paris' lesser-known islands. And few places are as quiet as the city's evocative cemeteries."—The Chicago Tribune
 • "Many tour books promise to deliver “secrets” and never do. This one does. Many times...More than 80 suggestions. All very high on my list of “musts” the next time I find myself in Paris with a good book, a fresh cigar, a few hours to kill--and no desire to be anywhere near the Mona Lisa."—Headbutler
 • "This small new York publisher is producing some of the most innovative, beautiful and rewarding guidebooks on the market."—Minneapolis Star Tribune
 • "The Little Bookroom...wants travelers to slow down. They've carved themselves a niche in the over-crowded travel book industry by thinking small with titles that define the character of a city."—The Pittsburgh Tribune
 • "For pocket-sized, covetable books, turn to The Little Bookroom."—Vogue [UK]

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About the Author

Jean-Christophe Napias lives in Paris with his wife and two sons. Author, editor, journalist, and translator, he has created with his wife a series of guides to Paris, Paris est à Nous, which has more than seventy titles. He lives in the hip and lively Bastille neighborhood of Paris, and dreams of one day moving to a house with a large garden. Until then, he looks for tranquility and nature wherever he can.

Christophe Lefébure, a graduate of the Institut d’études politiques de Paris with a master’s degree in history, combines the qualities of a writer with those of a photographer. His principal subject of study is rural life, it’s customs and traditions. For several years now, he has expanded his research to Paris. His first work, La France des lavoirs received the Grand Prix Littéraire du Tourisme.

David Downie is the author of Cooking the Roman Way, Irreverent Guide to Amsterdam, and Enchanted Liguria. His travel, food and arts features have appeared in over fifty magazines and newspapers worldwide, including Gourmet, Bon Appétit, Gastronomica, The Los Angeles Times Magazine, and Town & Country Travel.