Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

A priest who blesses animals, winemaking firefighters, a tree in a church, an inverted phallus at a well-known entrance, an atomic bomb shelter under Gare de l'Est, a real Breton lighthouse near Montparnasse, unsuspected traces of former brothels, a patron saint of motorists, royal monograms hidden in the Louvre courtyard, the presentation of Christ's crown of thorns, a prehistoric merry-go-
round, a sundial designed by Dalí, war-wounded palm trees, bullet holes at the ministry, religious plants in a priest's garden, a mysterious monument to Freemasonry at the Champ-de-Mars, a solid gold sphere in parliament, a Chinese temple in a parking lot, the effect of the Bièvre river on Parisian geography, a blockhouse in the Bois de Boulogne …

For those who thought they knew Paris well, the city is still teeming with unusual and secret places that are easily accessible.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Library Journal Review

This series-published in Italy in six languages and now being distributed in the United States-provides a fresh, fun look at sightseeing not just for tourists but for inhabitants of these cities. These easy-to-carry microguides uncover unknown treasures hidden in the crevasses of neighborhoods, and they reveal sights that casual visitors and even locals may pass without note-such as a marble bust of Napoleon near the Louvre that was later disguised with a sculpted wig of Louis XIV; a small, little-known jeweled chapel in Venice's San Polo district; and the oldest synagogue in England, virtually unchanged since it was built in 1701. With the tagline "Local Guides by Local People," these volumes reflect the history and ambience of neighborhoods with off-the-beaten-path sightseeing. Entries for locations including monasteries, churches, gardens, buildings, bars and restaurants, libraries, museums, and galleries contain countless tales of hidden places and the people who dwelled, worked, worshipped, and played in these cities. The numerous beautiful, detailed photographs are organized by neighborhood. VERDICT The books contain both alphabetical and thematic indexes, which allow for sightseeing by neighborhood or subject of study. This delightful series also includes volumes on Amsterdam, Barcelona, Brussels, the French Riviera, Lisbon, Provence, Rome, and Tuscany. These intimate and detailed guides are fun and thought-provoking for both travelers and locals.-Melinda Stivers Leach, Precision Editorial Svcs., Boulder, CO (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.