Along with the Australian Open, Wimbledon in the UK, and the US Open, Paris’ Roland Garros is one of the four annual Grand Slam tournaments and one of the most prestigious. So even if you’re not a tennis fan, you’ve never watched a game in your life, and you couldn’t cite the name of a single player, attending the French Open is an experience not to miss for the spectacular skill of the world's top players from Rafael Nadal to Novak Djokovic, the thrilling atmosphere, and classic timeless French chic. Tennis aside though, there's also plenty to do in between matches for visitors needing a little down-time. We bring you six ideas for exploring the Roland Garros neighborhood to help you make the most of your Paris break.
Tennis first! Auteuil, Paris' sports hub
We're in quiet and residential Auteuil, Paris' sporting hotspot, where some of the city's major venues huddle together in the small enclave whose sole raison d'être is sports. Located in the Southwest of Paris, the Roland Garros stadium flanks the luxuriant Boulogne woods and is within walking distance to the Jean Bouin rugby stadium, the PSG (Paris Saint Germain) football team’s Parc des Princes grounds, the basketball courts Pierre de Coubertin, and the Longchamps Racecourse.
Nestled among the leafy suburban tree-lined streets, Roland Garros has several courts, the two main ones being Philippe Chatrier and Suzanne Lenglen, where Rafael Nadal reigns as the king of the courts after winning nine out of his ten French championships, a Roland Garros record since the tournament began in 1891.
The Roland Garros experience
Inside, Roland Garros staff dressed in smart tennis attire help visitors to find their way around the boutiques, bars, and restaurants that line the stadium. The area is a sea of people soaking up the sunshine in orange Roland Garros deck chairs, while watching the games on the large screens. Courtside, the atmosphere is electric. During the game, complete silence falls over the crowd, the players' sighs as they whack the fuzzy luminous yellow ball back and forth, their feet shuffling in the powdery red clay the only sounds.
In between sets, the crowds chant and clap, and as the match unravels, supporters' surprise and sporadic excitement melt together in grunts and swallowed sighs as the players battle it out under the scorching sun, sometimes for hours with only a swig of water as a break. Unlike certain lucky match-goers, they don’t have the luxury of retreating to the stadium’s VIP areas like the Salon with its bay window looking out onto the courts, or The Village where free-flowing champagne and lavish lunches are the main attractions, along with Hugh Grant, spotted at the Lacoste pavilion yesterday.
Taking time out
However, tennis aside, in between matches visitors should take some time out to soak up the area's off-the-radar draws from rooftop sunset cocktails to a stroll through the city's most fascinating botanical greenhouses.
- Midnight Swims And Rooftop Parties
A quiet upscale residential neighbourhood, Auteuil is at the heart of the sports action and has several small hotels within walking distance to the main attractions. Top of our list though is the playful Molitor Hotel (by Mgallery by Sofitel). A 1920s lido where the first bikini was revealed in Paris, it was the place to be seen. And when the pool fell into decline in the 80s, it became a hub for improvised rave parties and a giant canvas for street artists.
Two years ago, after a painstaking renovation, the building reopened as a five-star hotel revamped by designer Jean-Philippe Nuel. The two large lap pools surrounded by balconies, have been kept almost identical, with a handful of works by street artists like Vhils and JonOne acting as throwbacks to the building’s clandestine heyday, with the added bonus of a Clarins spa and 124 light-filled rooms. The highlight here has to be the rooftop bar coined La Villa Molitor, with views spanning across the woods to the Eiffel Tower. Hosting DJ nights and parties on most weekends in the summer, its terrace is one of the most prized among locals and guests alike so book early to make sure you get a table.
- A Secret Garden Stroll
Slotted among the sports stadiums are the romantic Serres d’Auteuil botanical gardens, five elegant greenhouses enclosing micro-worlds of exotic flora like carnivorous plants and fauna including birds and butterflies. Listed landmarks, they first opened in 1761 under King Louis XV. Laid out around a garden à la française, the lofty glass structures are punctuated by a number of sculptures, some of which are by celebrated French master sculptor Auguste Rodin.
- Lunch On A Hidden Island
Hop on a wooden boat across the ‘inferior’ lake to the Chalet des Iles, located on its own island. Built in 1857 as a resting house for Napoleon Bonaparte, it was replaced by a picturesque wooden chalet brought directly from Switzerland as a gift for Eugénie, his empress. A fashionable Belle Epoque literary café frequented by writers including Marcel Proust and Emile Zola, the chalet was turned into a chic but cosy restaurant serving French fare on tables laid out on a wooden pier at the water’s edge.
- Dinner In A Palatial Time Warp
A stone’s throw from the Chalet des Iles, the Michelin-star Le Pré Catelan restaurant helmed by three-star chef Frédéric Anton is one of the city’s finest. Originally inaugurated in 1856, the opulent haven of lavish fabrics and plush flower-motif carpets punctuated by subtle contemporary twists is full of alluring old-world soul. Sumptuous and refined, the French cuisine, along with the palatial surroundings, are well worth the detour through the woods.
- Browsing Art Inside An Architectural Landmark
Opened two years ago, richest man of France Bernard Arnault’s Fondation Louis Vuitton art museum is all glass sails designed by superstar architect Frank Gehry. Although much contested, the building saw light of day, allowing the world to get a look in at its owner’s impressive collection of contemporary art works, from Christian Boltanski video art to light installations by Olafur Eliasson, and sculptures by Alberto Giacometti to paintings by Gerhard Richter. The art venue has a restaurant, boutique, and a tiered rooftop terrace with views across the woods.
- Shopping à la parisienne
A 10-minute drive across the River Seine, will take you to the 15th district of Paris. While there is very little reason to spend time there, the residential area does have one redeeming feature: its shopping centre. A fairly new addition to the city, Beaugrenelle opened three years ago and although it’s more sparkling glass and shiny steel than centuries-old buildings, it’s got all the boutiques by the French brands we love like Claudie Pierlot, Maje and Comptoir des Cotonniers in one place.
Roland Garros runs from 16th May until 5th June 2016.
