Things to Do in Paris in January

The French government regulates sale periods, and the winter soldes typically kick off in the second week of January, running for about four weeks. This means genuine markdowns at department stores like Galeries Lafayette and Le Bon Marché, plus smaller boutiques across the Marais and Saint-Germain. The first weekend tends to be the most frantic, but by mid-January the best intersection of selection and discount appears. It feels different from sales elsewhere — there's a ritual quality to it.

The Louvre with breathing room. The Musée d'Orsay without someone's elbow in your ribs. January is when you can actually stand in front of a painting for five minutes without feeling like you're blocking traffic. The Orangerie, home to Monet's water lilies, is good in winter — the oval rooms feel meditative when it's quiet, and the natural light filtering through is softer, which seems to suit the work. Most museums are open normal hours, though check for any New Year closures in the first day or two.

Starting after New Year and running through most of January, bakeries across Paris compete to produce the best galette des rois — a flaky puff pastry filled with frangipane (almond cream). Each one has a small figurine, the fève, baked inside. Whoever finds it in their slice becomes king or queen of the table and wears a gold paper crown. It sounds silly. It is silly. It's also delicious, and watching a grown adult wear a paper crown with total sincerity is one of those small French pleasures. Every bakery does their own version, and people have strong opinions about whose is best.

There is no better month to understand why Parisian café culture exists. When it's cold and damp outside, ducking into a café for a long coffee or chocolat chaud isn't tourism — it's survival. The older establishments with their worn leather banquettes, brass fixtures, and slightly indifferent service are at their most atmospheric when rain streaks the windows outside. Café de Flore and Les Deux Magots get the press, but the neighbourhood spots in the 5th or 11th arrondissements tend to feel more honest.

January falls in central the classical music and opera season. The Opéra Garnier and Opéra Bastille both run full programmes, and smaller venues — Sainte-Chapelle, Église de la Madeleine — host chamber music concerts where the acoustics and the architecture do most of the work. The Philharmonie de Paris in the 19th arrondissement tends to have a strong January lineup as well. Ticket availability is generally better than spring or autumn, though popular productions still sell in advance.

The river at this time of year is moody in the best sense. The light fades around 4:30 or 5pm, and the bridges start to glow. If you time a walk along the quays for just before sunset, you catch this brief window where the sky turns a bruised purple-grey and the city lights are just starting to reflect off the water. The booksellers — bouquinistes — along the Left Bank are mostly closed for winter, but their green stalls still line the stone walls, adding to the atmosphere. Bundle up, obviously.

Parisian hot chocolate is its own category — thick, dark, closer to melted chocolate than the powdered stuff. January is the month to take this seriously. Several of the city's chocolatiers and salons de thé offer their richest winter preparations during the coldest months. Angelina near the Tuileries is famous for their version, though you'll find excellent cups in less crowded spots throughout Saint-Germain and the Marais. The ritual of warming your hands on a heavy porcelain cup while watching grey Paris pass by the window is, to be fair, one of those experiences that actually lives up to expectations.