What’s on in Paris this July

1 July 2016

Watch as Cyclists Celebrate, Fashion Houses Pose and a Photography Exhibition Intrigues this July 

July in Paris brings with it a range of fantastic cultural events – from outdoor sporting activities to fashion shows and photography exhibitions. For those seeking beautiful weather, summer flavours and outstanding days out, July is an ideal month to visit the City of Light. Read on to find out what’s on during your stay at Hotel Balzac this July and plan the perfect Parisian break.

Le Tour de France

2nd – 24th July 2016

With almost 40 locations covered in total, the Tour de France is a spectacular annual event celebrating international sporting achievement. Spread out across 23 days, participants will travel over 3500km to complete the route, which will see cyclists ride from Mont Saint-Michel in Normandy, Northern France, down to the very south…and even over the border into Andorra.

From there, cyclists will turn back north and head into eastern France, over the border to Berne in Switzerland, before the home stretch to Paris.
It will be gruelling competition and the culmination of months and months of practice for the 22 teams who are to take part. As well as it being a long-distance ride, there are time trial events for individuals, flat stages, medium mountain stages and mountain stages along the way. Compared to last year’s route, the 2016 race will actually be 158km longer, but with the same amount of rest days – just two – so cyclists will need to be incredibly fit to keep up with these demands.

All along the route, cyclists will rely on the strong support and motivation of the gathered crowds – this challenge will be both physically and mentally draining, and the cheering of spectators really will help rally and drive forward the participants. For this exciting event, the streets of Paris will be cut off and traffic re-routed. The Champs-Élysées, usually busy with transport of all kinds, will be specially reserved for the cyclists as they complete the competition which will, by this stage, have lasted just over three weeks.

The final leg along the Champs-Élysées in Paris will be a thrilling and emotional moment. Whether you’re a fan of cycling or simply want to take in the electrifying atmosphere, head to the finish line, located minutes from Hotel Balzac, to join in the celebrations.

Paris Fashion Week – Haute Couture

3rd – 7th July 2016

This July, the capital of fashion will hold another stylish annual event – Haute Couture Fashion Week. This event will mark the height of the season and celebrate the artistry and fun the world of fashion holds – clothes modelled in these collections will not be for the high street. Extravagantly designed by many of the leading names in French and international fashion, these top design pieces can sometimes be regarded more as costumes than clothing due to their theatrical nature.

Often created using hand-stitched embroidery with sequins, pearls, crystals and fringe-work, the Haute Couture range of any design house is all about finesse, luxury materials and skilful craftsmanship. Sometimes only one bespoke piece will be made of a certain design in a collection and the only time you’re likely to see these gowns in actual use is on celebrities during red carpet events. Designers even have certain stars in mind when designing these high end pieces, creating a ‘muse’ for their creativity.

Design houses showcasing this July will include Chanel, Christian Dior, Viktor&Rolf, Versace and Jean Paul Gaultier. Tickets to the Haute Couture shows are by invitation only, but if you’re not lucky enough to have one, there’ll be the chance to see the latest trends on off-duty models, influential bloggers and socialites who will be using the city’s streets as their runways; especially right before a show at the Grand Palais or Palais de Tokyo. For more information on 2016’s Haute Couture shows, please click here. http://www.timeout.com/paris/en/shopping/haute-couture-fashion-week 

Louis Stettner at Centre Pompidou

15th June – 12th September 2016

A fascinating insight to life in New York and Paris will be on offer at the Pompidou Centre this summer. This exhibition celebrates the eight-decade long career of Louis Stettner, an American photographer who has donated over 100 of his photographs to the modern art gallery. Titled ‘Here There’, the collection captures a changing world in the two cities, particularly displaying their similarities and differences in the post-war era of the 1950s.

Originally from New York, but moving to Paris during the McCarthy era, Louis Stettner specialised in representing the working-class and urban living in his photos. His photo book shows Spanish fishermen immersed in tough, manual work, he captures sparsely-dressed children in winter, an old man counting out the last of his coins for a dram of brandy and a brawl breaking out in a back alley.

For Stettner, photography is “as fundamental as poetry and on an equal footing with it.” The magical yet everyday moments he captures are a reminder of what life is all about. In this series of images, the photographer shows the real strain, worry and joy to be found in the everyday and although some of these images are 70 years old, the people caught in them still speak to us today. The exhibition runs until September and comes highly recommended for fans of photography, history and travel.

With such a wide range of outstanding events on offer…and the chance to visit the capital’s iconic landmarks and renowned sites, a luxury stay in Paris will be truly unforgettable this July.