Did you know that one of the most surprising street art spots in Paris is hidden along the banks of the Seine?
When we think of a visit to Paris by bike, we often picture the city's famous landmarks: the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Notre-Dame, Les Invalides or the Tuileries Gardens. Yet Paris is much more than its most iconic monuments.
The city also has a more contemporary, creative and unexpected side, which you can discover when you step slightly away from the traditional tourist routes.
That is exactly what we love sharing on our bike tours with Paris Bike Tour.
Along the banks of the Seine, the Tuileries Tunnel offers a surprisingly different experience. Today, the tunnel is reserved for pedestrians and cyclists and has gradually been transformed into a genuine street art gallery.
Its walls feature murals, graffiti and colourful artworks that evolve over time. Some disappear while others appear, giving the place a constantly changing atmosphere.
It is the kind of place that can easily be missed on a traditional sightseeing tour of Paris. Yet by bike, it becomes a natural stop along a route beside the Seine.
And that is precisely what we love about exploring Paris by bike – combining the city's must-see landmarks with more hidden places and discovering a side of Paris that you will not always find in the guidebooks.
During a recent bike tour along the Seine, we chose to introduce the Tuileries Tunnel to a group of teenagers from EF (Education First).
Why this stop?
Because every group is different, and the best tours are those that adapt to the people taking part.
For teenagers, street art can be a particularly engaging way to discover Paris. It is visual, lively and accessible. It also shows that the French capital is not only a city of historic monuments and museums.
A colourful mural along the Seine can sometimes create just as much curiosity as a monument that is several centuries old.
For this group, it was a way to discover another side of Paris and make their bike tour even more varied.
Cycling is one of the best ways to experience Paris from a different perspective.
It allows you to cover more ground than walking while still giving you the freedom to stop easily. You can take time to notice the details, change your route when something catches your eye and enjoy the city at a relaxed pace.
A bike tour along the Seine is an especially great way to connect several iconic sights while discovering lesser-known areas along the way.
Within just a few kilometres, you can admire Parisian architecture, enjoy the riverbanks, watch everyday Parisian life and come across a piece of street art you would probably never have discovered on a traditional sightseeing route.
That variety is what makes exploring Paris by bike so special.
For us, being a Paris guide is not only about knowing the history of the city's monuments or the best cycling routes.
It is also about knowing the city well enough to understand where to stop and what to show depending on the group you are guiding.
A family with young children, a group of students, teenagers, a couple or visitors who already know Paris will not necessarily have the same expectations.
That is why we like to create routes that combine the city's great classics with more original discoveries.
The Tuileries Tunnel is a perfect example. It may not be a place that visitors specifically come looking for in Paris, but when it is included at the right moment in a tour of Paris by bike, it becomes a memorable surprise.
A bike tour in Paris is therefore not simply a succession of monuments to photograph.
It is a way to experience the atmosphere of the city, its neighbourhoods, its riverbanks, its architecture and all the little details that make Paris unique.
Sometimes, the memory you take home from a tour is not necessarily the city's most famous landmark. It might be a mural discovered by chance, an unexpected view over the Seine or a small street you would never have found on your own.
That is also why we love showing visitors Paris by bike.
To share the must-see sights, of course, but also to introduce you to the places that reveal another side of the French capital.
So, on your next visit, get on your bike and let Paris surprise you. Between its iconic monuments, the banks of the Seine and its street art, the capital still has plenty of discoveries waiting for you.
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