Paris has the rare, but difficult prestige of having so many landmarks as to attract more tourists than anywhere else in Europe – and it definitely shows.

Lines to gain entrance to the Eiffel tower can have you queuing for hours on end, with many people still waiting to reach the summit of France’s most iconic structure long into the early hours of the morning. Similarly, you’re basically going to have to crowd surf if you want even a tentative view of Da Vinci’s work in the Louvre, and driving towards the Arc de Triomphe is like negotiating a very picturesque demolition derby.

You could level the blame at Paris’ enduring image as a city which defines Europe for many International travellers – in fact, of the 27 million people who visit Paris every single year, over 17 million of them find themselves visiting Paris from abroad.

But the wonderful thing about Paris is that it is, after all, a city of neighbourhoods stitched together. The patchwork connections of districts overlap each other like a mosaic – so for every maddeningly busy tourist trap, there’s definitely a corner of the city you haven’t explored.

For the foreseeable future, Paris might be the most deservedly over-crowded place in Europe, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t something new to be found in the web of districts that make up the city. With this in mind, I’ve decided to take a look at the cult attractions that make the City of Light a destination that just keeps giving.

Shakespeare and Company

It’s a bookshop. I know, it’s insane. Of all the things there are to see in Paris, I’ve chosen a bookseller on the left bank. But cloistered in this tiny shop is a history which involves timeless generations of writers and artists who have made it their spiritual home on their sojourns into France’s capital.

In 1919, American expatriate Sylvia Beach moved to premises at 12 Rue de L’Odeon and opened up the original Shakespeare and Company. The rest is literary history. It became the heart of the city for writers such as F.Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway and James Joyce, who formed a burgeoning community of artists who revelled in re-defining writing after the horror of the First World War. Unfortunately, the original store was closed down under German occupation in 1940, and was never to re-open.

The story doesn’t end there though. Luckily, another American, George Whitman, a prolific traveller and U.S army veteran came to found his own bookshop in 1951.

After years of being known as La Mistral, Whitman renamed it Shakespeare and Company in tribute to Beach’s work, and throughout the 60’s, it fostered a brand new generation of artists and writers –  letting them stay for months at a time in exchange for stacking and building shelves, and selling books to customers.

Whitman, who sadly passed away in 2011, once estimated that over 40,000 people have stayed at Shakespeare Company over the years, and his daughter Sylvia Beach Whitman continues his legacy.

Today, it’s one of the well-hidden wonders of the Left Bank, and hosts literary events attracting entrants from across the entire globe. It’s worthy of a visit for the history alone, not to mention the rare tomes that have survived for years.

Le Chat Noir

Le Chat Noir, at 68 Boulevard de Clichy is a boutique hotel that is known for its unbelievable interiors and impeccable service, but it was once the most raucous nightclub in the whole of Paris.

It began life as the first modern cabaret in 1881, a low-rent building that was famous for serving poor wine and even poorer food. But like Shakespeare and Company, Le Chat Noir came to host a devoted clientele, and ascended to a status of popularity unlike anywhere else in the whole of Paris.

Even famous composers such as Claude Debussy would clamour to get inside its doors, and in astrange form of tribute, Picasso expressed his extreme disappointment that the club has shut down 3 years before he made his pilgrimage to the French capital.

The very last shows were staged there in January 1897, but the touring company of Le Chat Noir were prolific performers within the districts of Paris well into the 1920’s, which is where they found their spiritual home on the Boulevard de Clichy. Visit the boulevard at night and the neon sign of the cabaret is unmistakable, even with the lights shining from the bars and cafes.

 Musee Marmottan Monet

At times, it can feel like there as many Parisian art museums as there are Parisians. As if the Louvre wasn’t enough, it seems every corner of the city of romance is inundated with galleries from top to bottom. Like all the cornerstones of Paris however, they are flooded with tourists especially in the summer months.

You might as well bring a riot shield to the Louvre if you’ve any hope of seeing half of the complex. Fortunately, the wider districts of the city have provided some gold once again, in the form of adoringly curated galleries that are well off the beaten track, but still contain vital pieces of art history.

The Musee Marmottan Monet is a perfect example of how these small scale galleries can have you dodging the crowds by taking even the slightest detour from the most popular tourist districts in Paris.

Just two blocks east of the Bois de Boulogne and Porte de le Muette, Musee Marmottan Monet contains the world’s largest collection by the legendary impressionist painter Claude Monet.

Over 100 pieces by the master artist are displayed beautifully within it halls, and the greatest things is that even at the peak of tourist season, you won’t have to wait a second to see them. The owners of the gallery have utilised the space wonderfully to make sure you never feel cramped, even if the museum is of intimate size compared to the behemoth which is the Louvre.

That’s just a starting point, remember. So clamber down from a certain tower and the spires of Notre Dame and start exploring the hidden beauty that flourishes even in a city as well-travelled as Paris.