Beautiful Russian nesting dolls at Peterhof

I gasped out loud when I noticed these beautiful matryoshka dolls, aka Russian nesting dolls, in the window of Peterhof, in the 6th arrondissement.



I count 65!!

This is right around the corner from L'Hôtel, the hotel where Oscar Wilde died, if you're interested in checking out one or both!

Smooshed-head guy in the Cimetière de Montmartre

In the Cimetière de Montmartre the other day, I noticed while wandering past this tomb that there was something not quite symmetrical about this gentleman's head...



The head is hollow and has been completely smashed in on one side. Click here to see the damage from a few more angles.

Tree growing around tombstone, Cimetière de Montmartre, Paris

I lived around the corner from the Cimetière de Montmartre for a couple years, but I just ran across this tree growing around a tombstone a couple days ago. I love finding scenes of nature reclaiming what once belonged to it.

Click here to see it from a few more angles.

Creepy French ad for hand sanitizer

Not exactly Halloween-related, but I'll take it! Check out this great (and creepy!) fear-mongering ad for hand sanitizer!


I spotted this in the window of my local Parisian pharmacy this morning. The red circle proclaims that this hand sanitizer is effective against the H1N1 (aka swine flu) virus. The metal pole they're all holding onto is clearly meant to be the pole in the Paris Métro (subway), which of course is an excellent place for viruses and bacteria (and apparently werewolves and mummies) to hang out. Touching filthy stuff in the Métro was something that already grossed me out bad enough before seeing this ad, and now it's going to bother me more than ever! Now that's effective advertising!

Dans le Noir photo

Added a great new photo to my review of Dans le Noir, the restaurant where you dine in total darkness.

The Wolves of Paris

More weird and cool history on Cool Stuff in Paris today:

The Wolves of Paris

Les Loups de Paris — the Wolves of Paris — were a pack of man-eating wolves who terrorized Paris during the winter of 1450. The wolves were able to enter Paris through breaches in the city's poorly maintained outer walls, which had been... Read more ►

Le Café de L'Enfer

Today on Cool Stuff in Paris: Le Café de L'Enfer


Le Café de L'Enfer was a Hell-themed café in Paris' red light district (aka Pigalle, the neighborhood of the Moulin Rouge), created in the late 19th century and operating up 'til sometime around the middle of the 20th. I first heard of this place... Read more ►

Spooky crows at the Cimetière de Montmartre!

I was taking some photos at the Cimetière de Montmartre just before sundown this evening, when suddenly a small murder of crows (wow, how often do I get to say that?) alit on some tombs right next to me! Talk about creepy! Finally, there's the Halloween vibe I've been desperately searching for over here.

More Halloween in Paris — Peur sur le Parc Astérix!

Peur sur le Parc Astérix — Fear at Astérix Park!



I saw this poster in the Métro today and thought I should mention it as another thing going on in (well, near) Paris in addition to the stuff I wrote about in my Halloween in Paris article the other day.

I've never been to Parc Astérix myself, but I've heard — somewhat to my surprise — that it's really fun!

Astérix, if you're not aware, is the star of a French comic book series that's been around since the late 50s, about the last village in Gaul (i.e. France before it was France) whose warriors manage to hold out against the Romans, thanks to the magic potion whipped up by the town druid. Astérix comics helped me a lot with learning French in the first year that I lived over here! I'd barely ever heard of him in the States, but he's absolutely huge here. He's practically the French Mickey Mouse. I don't know what they've got going on at his park for Halloween, but that bottom headline on the poster says, "You're going to love being scared!"

Five new reviews

Just added five new reviews to the site:

• Caffè Vito
  
• Khatag
  
• Cannibale Café
  
• La Fée Verte
  
• Café Baroc

Read more ►

Lots more soon!

Getting the most out of the Louvre

Today on Cool Stuff in Paris:
Getting the most out of the Louvre

My guide to visiting the Louvre, covering stuff like avoiding the insane crowds, managing your time wisely, what to bring, and a look at a bunch of my personal favorite exhibits. Read more ►

Mysteries of Paris — The Paris Ghost Tour

I enjoyed a cool Autumn evening last night wandering Paris' spookiest sites with the Mysteries of Paris Ghost Tour. I was happily surprised to discover this tour existed while doing research for my article on Halloween in Paris; there's not much to do here for Halloween, and I'm thrilled to find anything new to try that might satisfy my Halloween cravings at least a bit. As a lifelong fan of ghost stories and urban legends and an amateur French history... Read more ►

Mysteries of Paris ghost tour tonight

Tonight I'll be attending the Mysteries of Paris ghost tour (update: I did! My review is here) with my good friend and esteemed About.com Paris blogger Courtney Traub. The ticket price isn't listed on the site, so I called and learned that it's €20! Wow! I'm looking at it as an expensive birthday present to myself. I'll let you know how it goes!

New Featured Article: Halloween in Paris!

Me at Disneyland Paris around Halloween 2005.

New Featured Article: Halloween in Paris! Halloween is definitely a much smaller affair in France than it is in the States, but if you're a Halloween fanatic like I am, it's worth putting in the extra effort to find something cool going on. Fortunately, Parisians will use any excuse for a party, and there are in fact several bars and clubs in the city that advertise Halloween parties every year, and these may satisfy your Halloween cravings at least somewhat. While there are no haunted houses you can visit in Paris, there is a guided "ghost tour," called Mysteries of Paris — The Paris Ghost Tour, with a focus on gruesome and violent historical events in Paris. Also, every October, Disneyland Paris... Read more ►

Cool Stuff in Paris mentioned on Wired

Hey, neat, Cool Stuff in Paris was mentioned yesterday on Wired Pulse: the daily beat of the Wired world. Exciting!

A bird's-eye view of chaos at the Arc de Triomphe, and more

New article on Cool Stuff in Paris today:  
A bird's-eye view of chaos at the Arc de Triomphe

Safely observe the insanity of a hectic multi-lane traffic circle from above, and look for the occasional crazy tourist dodging cars. Read more...

Also new today:
The arrondissements — Paris' twenty districts

Nothing mindblowing here, just a brief guide to understanding how the city of Paris is chopped up geographically. Read more...

A gallery of weird public art in Paris

Today on Cool Stuff in Paris, a gallery of weird public art.

Lots more where that came from.

Introducing Cool Stuff in Paris!

Your host, Manning Leonard Krull

Welcome to Cool Stuff in Paris, your guide to the the coolest and weirdest stuff in Paris, France. This website and blog are a directory of my personal favorite stuff in Paris: strange attractions, creepy museums, awesome restaurants and bars, bizarre public art, fun events and day trips, and much more. My name is Manning Leonard Krull. I'm an American web designer and travel junkie who's been living in Paris since 2005. All the content on the site is written by me, about my real experiences in this amazing city. This is really and truly all my favorite stuff. Subscribe to this blog to see links to all new articles as they go up, as well as snippets of interesting things from my every day life in Paris. You can also follow CoolStuffParis on Twitter to see all updates. Thanks for reading! Safe travels,  

Manning Leonard Krull
www.coolstuffinparis.com
www.twitter.com/coolstuffparis
www.manningkrull.com