The European Society of Retina Specialists (EURETINA) is about to set its sights on Paris, gathering at Le Palais des Congrès from 4–7 September 2025. And while the congress program promises cutting-edge retinal insights, the City of Light offers its own visual feast: a spectacle of art, cuisine and architecture, all waiting just outside the conference doors.
So, consider this your unofficial travel consult: a guide to what’s worth a closer look once the slides are closed and the retina talks dim.
A wide-angle view of the city
Every visit to Paris begins with its landmarks and the Arc de Triomphe is closest to home. Just ten minutes on foot from Le Palais des Congrès, this 19th-century monument honors French military victories and offers a panoramic terrace view of twelve radiating avenues.
For a different perspective, the Eiffel Tower is only 20 minutes away by metro. Built for the 1889 World’s Fair and once dismissed as an eyesore, it is now the defining symbol of the city. Book timed tickets online to avoid long waits. At night, its sparkling lights flicker like an OCT in motion.
For another angle, board a bateau-mouche near Pont de l’Alma (20 minutes by metro) and take in Paris by water. Bridges, islands and riverbanks glide past like a scrolling fundus photo, best enjoyed with a glass of wine in hand.
Museums to focus on
Paris is dense with cultural detail, but a few centers deserve close attention. The Louvre, a 25-minute metro ride, houses more than 35,000 works across civilizations. To avoid “museum fatigue,” focus on a single wing or theme. The Musée d’Orsay, 20 minutes away, is housed in a former railway station and specializes in Impressionist and Post-Impressionist masterpieces. Here, brushstrokes reveal depth like OCT B-scans.
For a modern twist, the Centre Pompidou (30 minutes by metro) presents a very different Paris: “inside-out” architecture and a vast collection of contemporary art. Closer to the congress, the Musée Jacquemart-André is only a 15-minute walk. Once the private mansion of art collectors Édouard André and Nélie Jacquemart, it offers Renaissance masterpieces and lavish interiors in an intimate setting, which is ideal for a shorter cultural outing.
Tasting notes
Paris is equally renowned for its cuisine, from simple brasserie fare to haute gastronomy. Within walking distance of Le Palais des Congrès, you’ll find:
- Le Congrès Maillot – Just steps from the venue, serving oysters, steak tartare and classic brasserie dishes.
- Chez Georges (17th arrondissement) – Ten minutes on foot, avec boeuf bourguignon et escargots.
- Le Relais de Venise – L’Entrecôte – Known for a single offering: steak-frites with a secret sauce.
Paris also excels at fine dining. If you want to sample Michelin-starred cuisine, consider:
- Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée – Twenty minutes by metro, celebrated for a vegetable- and seafood-based menu.
- Guy Savoy – A 25-minute ride to a riverside setting, consistently ranked among the world’s best restaurants.
- Septime – Thirty minutes away, a Michelin-starred favorite for creative, seasonal cooking.
And no Paris experience is complete without pastries. Pierre Hermé, often called the “Picasso of Pastry,” is famed for his Ispahan macaron (rose, lychee, raspberry). Ladurée, on the Champs-Élysées just 15 minutes away, has been a destination for pastel-colored macarons since the 19th century. For history, Stohrer, Paris’s oldest pâtisserie (Est. 1730), still serves its signature rum baba.
Peripheral excursions
Sometimes the most interesting pathologies show up in the periphery… and so do some of Paris’s gems.
Montmartre, about 30 minutes by metro, has long been associated with artists and bohemian life. Wandering its cobbled streets still evokes the days when Picasso, Modigliani and Toulouse-Lautrec lived and worked there. Climb to the Sacré-Cœur Basilica for a superior field view and then wander the Place du Tertre, where artists sketch portraits faster than you can dilate.
History enthusiasts may prefer Les Invalides, a 20-minute ride from the venue, originally founded by Louis XIV as a hospital for veterans. Today it contains the Army Museum and Napoleon’s monumental tomb.
On Île de la Cité, 25 minutes from the congress, visitors can see the medieval heart of Paris. Notre-Dame Cathedral continues its careful restoration after the 2019 fire, while nearby Sainte-Chapelle dazzles with 13th-century stained glass, one of the world’s Gothic masterpieces.
For a quieter outing, stroll along Canal Saint-Martin. Its tree-lined banks, cafés, bookshops and wine bars dot the area, making it ideal for decompression.
Paris after dark
Paris doesn’t sleep. It simply adapts to scotopic conditions. The Opéra Garnier, about 20 minutes by metro, is one of the world’s most ornate opera houses and still stages a full program of ballet and opera.
Paris is also a city of jazz. Head to Caveau de la Huchette, legendary for live music and swing dancing, or Le Duc des Lombards for live jazz, where rhythm and improvisation mirror the creative chaos of research itself.
For something simpler, stroll the Champs-Élysées or Pont Alexandre III, beautifully illuminated at night.
A few clinical pearls for delegates
If your time is limited, don’t try to cover every quadrant of Paris. Structure your sightseeing like a patient exam: one quick overview (the Arc de Triomphe), one detailed investigation (the Musée d’Orsay) and one indulgence (a Pierre Hermé pastry).
This balanced approach will let you experience Paris without overextending yourself during a busy congress schedule. And even if your French vocabulary is limited to “bonjour” and “merci,” making the attempt enhances rapport, just as it does with nervous patients.
Closing the chart
As delegates converge on Paris for EURETINA 2025, the congress will sharpen our collective vision for retinal care. But outside the lecture halls, the city offers another kind of perspective: one shaped by history, culture and beauty.
So, whether you’re admiring stained glass at Sainte-Chapelle, tasting a macaron on the Champs-Élysées or watching the Eiffel Tower sparkle at night, each moment in Paris provides a reminder of why the art of seeing matters both inside and outside the clinic.
See you at Le Palais des Congrès — and around the City of Light.
Stay tuned for our live EURETINA coverage and discover the latest breakthroughs in retina care.
Editor’s Note: View the full EURETINA 2025 program in PDF here. EURETINA 2025 is being held from 4-7 September, in Paris, France.