Six Escapes from the Paris Heat

As the summer heat sets in and much of the city begins to swelter, most Parisians head for the coast. For those who remain, or for visitors passing through, moments of relief can still be found throughout the capital. Whether it’s a refreshing swim, an air conditioned gallery or the shade beneath thick tree cover, each space invites its own kind of escape. Here’s a selection of six places to cool off in Paris this August.  

Musée Marmottan Monet 

Inside a former hunting lodge on the edge of the Bois de Boulogne, the Musée Marmottan Monet holds the world’s largest collection of works by Claude Monet – over one hundred paintings, including Impression, soleil levant – alongside significant works by Berthe Morisot, celebrating these two great pioneers of impressionism. Even in peak season, while crowds of summer tourists line up outside the Orangerie and Musée d’Orsay, Marmottan remains surprisingly quiet. With its ornate woodwork, grand staircase and richly decorated rooms, the house retains the intimate atmosphere of a private hôtel particulier. 

Its air conditioned galleries, essential for preserving the artwork, offer a welcome refuge on hot days. For the summer months, the museum also opens its private garden to the public. Tables and deckchairs are set out beneath trees and umbrellas and an ephemeral outdoor café serves lunch, cool drinks and homemade ice cream.

Parc de Bagatelle

Best known for its internationally acclaimed rose garden, Parc de Bagatelle draws steady crowds each spring when more than 1,500 varieties are in bloom. Yet in the height of summer, as Parisians escape the city and tourists flock to other, more famous, more central parks, Parc de Bagatelle maintains the rhythm of a private country estate on the city’s edge. 

The space was created in 1775 following a wager between Marie Antoinette and her brother-in-law, the Count of Artois,  who was challenged to renovate a property in the Bois de Boulogne in under 100 days. The house and garden now form one of four official botanical gardens in Paris, alongside the Arboretum de Paris. While the Arboretum is defined by its untamed meadows and sense of wildness, Bagatelle has a more considered, manicured feel. Covering 24 hectares in the western woodlands of the city, the park opens out into a series of landscapes: an English style garden, a working allotment, Mediterranean beds filled with lavender, rosemary and agave and rugged rocky grottos.

Even without spring’s peak bloom, summer brings its own beauty: blossom trees, now heavy with leaves, cast wide, cooling shadows – perfect for an afternoon spent beneath them.

Arboretum de Paris 

Set across from the renowned École Du Breuil on the southeastern edge of the Bois de Vincennes, the Paris Arboretum is home to one of the most extensive and thoughtfully curated collections of trees in the capital. Established in 1936, the 14-hectare site is dedicated to the preservation and study of tree species from around the world. Organised by botanical family, the Arboretum guides visitors through a variety of different ecosystems, from temperate forests to Mediterranean environments and even subtropical zones. 

The atmosphere here feels far removed from the heat of the city. Its shaded paths wind through Korean and Algerian firs, Chinese hazel, Caucasian elms and American chestnuts. Beneath the canopy, dragonflies skim across shallow ponds, frogs rest at the water’s edge while rabbits and hedgehogs move quietly through the undergrowth. Highlights include the 25-metre-tall giant sequoia, a weeping blue Atlas cedar, the delicate Chinese handkerchief tree and a rare, endangered Chinese elm. With its mix of meadows, woodland and wetlands, the arboretum stays cool and dappled even on the hottest afternoons. 

Villa Savoye

Nestled between the Seine and the forest of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, in the quiet town of Poissy, is Villa Savoye. Built in 1931 by Le Corbusier as a summer house for the Parisian Savoye family, the villa still feels remarkably modern. Its clean white silhouette, raised on slim concrete pilotis appears to hover just above the ground.

Widely considered the defining work of one of the most influential architects of the 20th century, the house gave form to Le Corbusier’s emerging architectural philosophy. The open floor plan, long ribbon windows, and plain façade reflect what he would later define as the Five Points of Architecture. Influenced by steamships and travels to the Orient, Corbu reimagined a traditional French country house as a modular home shaped by the needs of modern family life. 

Designed for warm weather, the villa opens to the outdoors, with open-air terraces and shaded spaces beneath the pilotis creating a natural flow between light and shadow, shelter and breeze. In 2016, Villa Savoye was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, along with 16 other works by Le Corbusier. Nearly a century later, it remains one of modern architecture’s most influential buildings and an ideal place to spend a hot day just outside the city. 

Notre-Dame-de-Lorette

At the foot of Montmartre and the bustle of Rue de Martyrs sits Notre-Dame-de-Lorette. Built in the early 19th century by Louis-Hippolyte Lebas, the church was the baptismal site of both Claude Monet and Georges Bizet. From the outside, it bears more resemblance to an early Roman basilica than a typical Parisian parish church. Neoclassical in style, with four Corinthian columns beneath a triangular pediment, it has a quiet grandeur that subtly contrasts with the trendy Pigalle neighbourhood that has grown up around it. 

On the hottest summer days, the stained glass windows filter the harsh sun into soft, cool-toned reflections that dance across the hand-painted murals covering the walls. Above the entrance, a grand organ built in 1838 by Aristide Cavaillé-Coll fills the upper gallery. In summer, when the steps outside are drenched in sunlight, this church offers immediate respite from the scorched streets in the heart of the city.

Piscine de la Butte-aux-Cailles 

One of the oldest pools still operating in Paris, Piscine de la Butte-aux-Cailles first opened in 1924. Designed by the urban planner Louis Bonnier, the complex includes three pools housed in an Art Nouveau building, set among the quiet, village-like streets of the 13th arrondissement. With its red brick exterior, vaulted ceiling and semicircular arches, the structure resembles a small industrial chapel. Now classified as a historic monument, the pool was part of a wave of early 20th-century public infrastructure aimed at improving public health and city life during the interwar period. Bonnier, who played a key role in loosening architectural restrictions in Paris, helped usher in the city’s Art Nouveau movement. 

The outdoor pool here is fed by a natural hot spring from the Albian aquifer, located 620 metres underground. The water can be completely renewed every 24 hours, something which remains rare among Parisian pools. In summer, opening hours are extended and visitors can drift in from the cobbled streets throughout the day.