Hunt for lions, monsters and river creatures carved in stone! From big cats in the Tuileries to monster masks on Pont Neuf and gargoyles at Notre-Dame, this family walk turns Paris into a giant animal-spotting game.
This route has 5 stops.
🦁 Start in the Tuileries Garden with the Big Cats on Guard! Bronze lions and other big cats by 19th-century animal sculptors like Antoine-Louis Barye guard the paths, including a dramatic "Lion fighting a Serpent".\n\n👀 WHAT TO SPOT (kids):\n• Count all the lions you can find\n• Find the lion fighting a snake\n• Which big cat looks ready to jump?
🦅 Look up at the Louvre Facades – Animals in Stone! Eagles, horses and mythological beasts carved into the palace facades – animals as symbols of power, victory and knowledge. The walls "talk" if you know what to look for!\n\n👀 WHAT TO SPOT (kids):\n• One animal with wings\n• One that looks mythical or imaginary\n• An animal that's alone and one in a group
👹 Cross Pont Neuf and discover Monster Faces over the Seine! About 380 "mascarons" (grotesque stone faces) stare at the river: forest spirits, satyrs and strange creatures from the 17th century.\n\n👀 WHAT TO SPOT (kids):\n• Pick your favourite monster face\n• Find the angriest face and the funniest face\n• How many can you count from where you stand?
🦆 Rest at Square du Vert-Galant – Real River Animals! After all the stone creatures, meet real urban wildlife at river level: ducks, swans, pigeons, maybe cormorants and fish under the surface.\n\n👀 WHAT TO SPOT (kids):\n• One animal on the water, one in the air, one on land\n• Look for ripples that might be fish\n• Close your eyes: how many animal sounds in 20 seconds?
🐉 End at Notre-Dame – Gargoyles & Chimeras! Gothic gargoyles (real rain pipes) and decorative chimeras mix parts of different animals – wings, claws, horns – to create legendary monsters watching Paris for centuries.\n\n👀 WHAT TO SPOT (kids):\n• A creature that looks like it's guarding the cathedral\n• A creature that looks sad or bored\n• Invent a name and superpower for one chimera!