Paris in August

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Paris in August carries a strange, dreamy charm. The skies are often brilliant blue, the light golden, and the city feels at once more relaxed and more deserted. Locals leave for their summer holidays, which makes the streets quieter, hotel rates and prices more affordable, and tourist lines a little shorter—but also means many beloved cafés, boutiques, and bakeries are closed. Still, what remains open glitters all the more brightly. Here’s how we spent August in Paris.

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Notre-Dame de Paris and the Rose Window

• Sony A7R III
• f/6.3
• 163mm
• 6400
• 1/8000 sec

Even under restoration, Notre-Dame is awe-inspiring. The cathedral, begun in 1163 and completed in 1345, remains one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture. Standing before the famous rose window, with its radiant stained glass arranged like a kaleidoscope of light and devotion, felt like stepping into centuries of faith and artistry.

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Musée d’Orsay: Royal Treatment in a Railway Station

• Sony A7R III
• f/4.5
• 24mm
• 100
• 1/400 sec

Next, we crossed the Seine to the Musée d’Orsay, housed in a former Beaux-Arts railway station built for the 1900 World’s Fair. Its massive glass roof floods the galleries with natural light, perfectly framing the Impressionist masterpieces. By purchasing a membership, we skipped the lines and strolled in like royalty—king and queen of the museum for a day—lingering before works by Monet, Degas, and Van Gogh.

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The Louvre at Dusk

• Sony A7R III
• f/10
• 35mm
• 100
• 1/160 sec

As the day softened into evening, we walked the courtyards of the Louvre. Once a royal palace, it is now the world’s largest art museum. At dusk, the setting sun painted the marble statues with a warm glow, and the glass pyramid shimmered like a jewel. Seeing light itself become part of the art was one of those fleeting Parisian moments worth treasuring.

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Arc de Triomphe and the Champs-Élysées

• Sony A7R III
• f/10
• 32mm
• 100
• 1/160 sec

No visit is complete without standing beneath the Arc de Triomphe, commissioned by Napoleon in 1806 to honor his armies. From there, we wandered down the Champs-Élysées, sipping rich Turkish coffee and browsing luxury handbag shops. The grand avenue—once described as “the most beautiful in the world”—still offers both glamour and people-watching at its finest.

• Sony A7R III
• f/6.3
• 70mm
• 100
• 1/400 sec

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Printemps and Galeries Lafayette

• Sony A7R III
• f/4
• 16mm
• 200
• 1/160 sec

Parisian shopping isn’t limited to the Champs-Élysées. We also explored the iconic department stores: Printemps, founded in 1865, and Galeries Lafayette, with its breathtaking Art Nouveau glass dome. These weren’t just stores but experiences—cathedrals of commerce where fashion, architecture, and culture intertwine.

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Sacré-Cœur at Sunset

• Sony A7R III
• f/4.5
• 19mm
• 1600
• 1/8000 sec

We ended our journey at Montmartre, climbing the steps to the Sacré-Cœur Basilica. Completed in 1914 and dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Christ, it gleams white against the sky. At sunset, the panoramic view of Paris unfurled below us, rooftops bathed in pink and gold. Musicians played on the steps, the air was warm, and for a moment, all of Paris felt suspended in a golden August haze.

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Reflections on August in Paris

Paris in August is a paradox. The weather was beautiful, and prices were easier on the wallet, yet the closures reminded us the city belongs to Parisians first. Still, what remained open gave us more than enough to fill our days with beauty, art, and memory. If anything, the quieter streets made it easier to feel the rhythm of the city—a Paris both luminous and fleeting, best savored in the golden light of summer.