Lonely Planet - Paris

4. Marvel at Monet's Waterlilies in the Musee De L'Orangerie

After six-and-a-half years of renovations, the Musee de l'Orangerie finally reopened in 2006 to again showcase its prized cycle of eight of Monet's enormous Nympheas (Waterlilies), conceived by Monet specifically for this building.

The museum's renovations hit a wall - literally - when workers encountered a stone fortification built by Charles IX to enclose his palace and the Tuileries Gardens, where the museum, originally the palace's greenhouse and its only remaining structure, is located.

Monet's masterpieces were protected in temperature-controlled glass cases while the reconstruction worked around the wall.

Today, the Waterlilies wrap around two sky-lit oval rooms on the museum's upper level. Elliptical benches in the centre of each room off er a meditative spot to reflect on their ethereal shades of pink, violet and wintergreen, making the lilies appear as if they're floating on the canvas.

An unforeseen bonus: part of the historic rediscovered wall is also on display.

More of Monet's water lilies can be seen at Musee Marmottan. To see the real-life lilies, head further afi eld to Monet's former house and gardens at Giverny.

5. Take a romantic stroll along the Promenade Plantee

Climbing the stairs from av Daumesnil in the busy Bastille brings you out on top of this former railway viaduct, which has been transformed into one of Paris' most serene - and romantic - places to stroll.

Planted with a profusion of cherry trees, maples, rose bushes and fragrant lavender, the Promenade Plantee - the world's first elevated park - is a haven of tranquillity, which feels far from the madding crowds below. Four storeys above ground, its walking path offers views over the surrounding quartiers as well as intimate glimpses of wrought-iron balconies and rooftops including an Art Deco police station crowned by a dozen marble torsos.

Lovers young and old embrace on benches as joggers, parents with prams, and amblers pass by.

At the end of the viaduct, the Promenade Plantee continues at ground level almost to the Peripherique, a total distance of 4.5km. If you're not ready to return to the urban jungle just yet, there are signs directing you east to the nearby woods, the Bois de Vincennes.

6. Mamble the enchanting backstreets of Montmartre

Montmartre's slinking streets, steep staircases lined with crooked ivy-clad buildings, pretty little parks and squares all have fairytale charm. It's a wonderful place for a wander, especially early morning or midweek when the tourists are few.

From the Abbesses metro station (renovated in 2006, it was originally designed by Hector Guimard, and is the only metro in Paris with its original Beaux Arts glass roof), wend your way north past rue des Trois Freres, dotted with outdoor cafes, to the Dali Espace Montmartre, a homage to just one of the legendary painters who set up their easels on place du Tertre (today it's the domain of portrait artists). Further north, the Musee de Montmartre transports you to the windmill-filled village of days gone by. Montmartre's two surviving windmills, Moulin de la Gallette and Moulin Radet, are just west of rue Girardon.

Presiding over Montmartre to the east, the Roman-Byzantine basilica Sacre-Coeur has panoramas over Paris from its front steps, and you can climb its 234 spiralling steps to the dome for more views.

On your way down, you can cut through the terraced gardens to square Willette and continue east to the colourful Chateau Rouge area, which is overflowing with North African market stalls and eclectic shops and bars.