Paris, the capital of France, is a major tourist destination and one of the most visited places in the world. Referred to as “The City of Light” and “The City of Love” it has enamored people for centuries. With a plethora of museums and world-renowned cuisine there are countless ways to experience Paris from home. We are trying to make sure the content we suggest is accessible in different ways. Although it can be difficult to find websites that are fully accessible, we review many to offer you the ones that are the most accessible. As always, if you find barriers or have suggestions please reach out to us at info@bluetrunk.org and let us know so that we can improve! Visit the Museums and Sites
Paris is chock-full of major sites: the Louvre, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Eiffel Tower, Luxembourg Gardens, and the Arc de Triomphe, to name a few. For a general overview you can watch Expedia’s video on YouTube. This video has captions and you can also view the transcript. To get an in-depth experience of the Louvre you can check out this virtual tour by YouVisit. To switch to the accessible version of the tour, click on the eyeball icon on the bottom right of the screen. YouVisit also has virtual tours of numerous other sites throughout Paris. Use this link to access the tour, and again to change to the accessible version, click on the eyeball icon on the bottom right of the screen. To experience the Sacré-Cœur in Montmartre you can view the panoramic tour on their site, and for an auditory experience you can access their audio guide which is available through the Tupuy app. To further explore Paris through auditory experiences check out Paname, a podcast “that tries to delves [sic] into Paris’ long and complex history to try and winkle out some of the more obscure, macabre, unusual or unlikely stories about Paris and the Parisians who lived there.” Each episode has a transcript available in addition to the audio. Tune in to Shows and Movies About Paris
For a general tourist overview of Paris tune in to Rick Steves’ “Highlights of Paris: Eiffel and Monet to Crème Brûlée.” Captions are available, and the transcript is also available below the video. If you want to learn more about Parisian cuisine, Chef’s Table: France on Netflix has two episodes focused on chefs in Paris, episodes 1 and 3. These episodes have both captions and audio description available. Beyond food, Paris is well known as the “Fashion Capital of the World.” If you are interested in immersing yourself in the world of fashion, check out the fifth episode of 7 Days Out: World's Biggest Events on Netflix, focused on the Chanel show during Paris Fashion Week. This show has both captions and audio description available.
Paris has also set the scene for numerous fictional works. Amazon Prime subscribers can watch both Midnight in Paris and Charade. Both titles have captions available. Disney+ has movies set in Paris that are fit for the whole family, including The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Ratatouille. These titles have both captions and audio description available. Get Lost in Paris Books
There are countless books about or based in france. This list of 26 books about Paris breaks it down into categories, making it easy to find something that interests you. It includes titles such as My Life in France by Julia Child (available on Audible and Kindle), Paris to the Moon by Adam Gopnik (available on Audible and Kindle), The Sweet Life in Paris: Delicious Adventures in the World's Most Glorious - and Perplexing - City by David Lebowitz (available on Audible and Kindle), and - one of Claire’s favorites - The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery (available on Audible and Kindle). Of the titles on the list, 15 are available on Audible and 21 are available on Kindle. Bring Paris to Your Kitchen
Paris is famous for its crusty baguettes and buttery croissants, but that does not mean you cannot explore its cuisine with dietary restrictions. Baguettes are a staple in France and you can use these recipes to make a traditional baguette or a gluten-free version. For a sweet treat you can try your hand at making macarons. These are notoriously difficult and take a lot of practice, but they are delicious! For a classic recipe try out this one from Tasty. For gluten-free macarons try this recipe, for vegan and gluten-free macarons try this recipe. It is important to note macarons are traditionally made with almond flour and aren't suitable for nut allergies. There are several recipes online that are nut-free, such as this one which substitutes ground pumpkin seeds, this one which substitutes all purpose flour, and this one which substitutes white chocolate. Where to Next?
Thanks for wandering Paris with us virtually. Join us next time as we head to Lima, Peru - with a side trip to Machu Picchu!
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