This is a guest blog from Duncan from the Travelistic Travel Blog. You can follow his adventures on his blog or on Twitter @travelistic

Paris, La Ville-Lumiére (The City of Light) is one of the world’s most beautiful, and most visited cities. We have all heard of the Lourve, the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe and Notre Dame and, to be fair, a trip to Paris would not be the same without a visit to such attractions. However, what if you have seen the tourist hotspots before? What if you no longer want to contend with the millions of other tourists? Well, although you may not know it yet, Paris is a huge multicultural city with an abundance of “attractions” lying off the beaten track. If you are fed up with the traditional and commercialised tourist attractions, take note of some of the alternative destinations for you to see.

Musée Marmottan Monet

Paris is all about art and a visit to the city wouldn’t be complete without checking out many of the famous paintings. Arguably the most famous painter of all is Paris’ own Claude Monet. Many visiting Monet fans choose to visit the Musée d’Orsay to sample some of the great man’s work; very few tourists, however, take the journey outside of the city centre to the Musée Marmottan Monet.

Donated to the museum by Claude Monet’s son, the collection consists of pieces of work that cannot be seen anywhere else in the world. No Garden at Giverny or water lily paintings here, instead there are sketchbooks full of rough drawings and old paint palets, all giving you a truer depiction of Monet.

Buddhist Temple

Paris has the largest Eastern-Asian community is Europe, so unsurprisingly there are Buddhist temples aplenty (over 140, in fact), but it’s fair to say no other temple is as unique as this one; this is the Buddhist Temple in the Car Park! You won’t see too many tourists strolling around an underground car park in the Asian district. Located in the 13th Arondissment (it’s the only large garage in the area so finding it won’t be a problem), the Buddhist temple can be mistaken for a parking attendants booth from a distance; it is only on closer inspection that you will discover one of the most relaxing and enlightening places in the entire city. Approach like any other car park!

Parc André Citröen

If you’re looking for a place to relax and escape the hustle and bustle of the city centre, a trip to Parc André Citröen is a rewarding one. Located on the site of the former Citröen manufacturing site and named after the famous car maker, the park is 35-acres of perfectly kept lawns, pools and waterfalls. Two modern greenhouse pavilions are at the centre of the park with dancing fountains for Parisians (and you, if you want to) to cool off on a hot day. There is also a hot-air balloon ride to provide a view of the city from above.

It may not be everyone’s favourite place, but I sure enjoyed it.

There are many other places worthy of mention, but those featured are particular favourites. Just remember that you won’t find them on a tourist map!

This is a guest blog from Duncan from the Travelistic Travel Blog. You can follow his adventures on his blog or on Twitter @travelistic