For your first year in Paris
Every morning, Paris says bonjour first.
L’Aube is a calm daily companion for beginning again in Paris — one gentle quest, one French phrase, one song, one small win a day. No feeds. No streak pressure. Just the city, opening slowly.
7-day free trial · $9.99/month or $79.99/year · iOS today, Android on the way
Made first for the founder’s mother, 70 · No ads, ever · Cancel in two taps
Vendredi 4 juillet · Jour 22
Bonjour, Li
« Il n’y a qu’un bonheur dans la vie, c’est d’aimer et d’être aimé. »
There is only one happiness in life: to love and be loved. — George Sand
La Vie en rose — Édith Piaf
A line about yesterday, whenever you’re ready.
A bakery worth memorizing
Find the boulangerie you’ll call yours. One phrase to try at the counter, written out loud.
Start this questA stylized preview of the Today ritual.
Un jour, une chose
One day. One thing. That’s the whole idea.
Most apps want your attention all day. L’Aube wants five quiet minutes in the morning — and then it wants you to go outside.
The morning opens gently
The date, a greeting, a French quote worth keeping, and a song to play while the coffee brews. A small invitation to write — never a demand.
One quest, out in the city
A single, doable outing: the bakery, the market, the bench with the good light. Real addresses, the phrase to say, and what to notice while you’re there.
The day becomes memory
Mark it done, add a line and a photo if you like. Your journal quietly teaches L’Aube what your Paris is becoming — and tomorrow listens.
Why L’Aube exists
“My mother moved to Paris alone at seventy. I couldn’t walk her to the bakery from six thousand miles away — so I built something that could.”
Sheldon, founder · Read the whole storyYour companion
Meet Antoine.
Antoine is the voice of L’Aube — a patient Parisian friend who writes your day, answers your questions, and never rushes you. Ask him how to validate a visa, what to say to the pharmacist, or where the quiet gardens are. He answers in plain words, with the French written out so you can say it aloud.
He is a companion, not a search engine: he knows your neighborhood, your pace, and how your first weeks have actually gone.
Ask Antoine
You: What do I say when I walk into a small shop?
Antoine: Just one word, and it matters more than any other: Bonjour. Say it as you cross the threshold, before anything else. When you leave: Merci, bonne journée. That’s the whole ceremony — and shopkeepers will treat you differently all year for it.
Quests & trails
A year of small adventures, at your pace.
Beyond the daily quest, trails gather bigger arcs you can walk at any speed: settling into a new apartment, learning the markets, the museums without lines, weekend trips by train — Reims in 46 minutes, Giverny while the gardens bloom.
Nothing is sequential, nothing expires. Browse, pick what calls to you, and let the rest wait.
Trails
- New move, gently — the first-month essentials, one at a time
- The markets of your quarter — where to go, what to say, what’s in season
- Weekend trips — 37 destinations by train, chosen for calm
- Museums without the crowds — hours, benches, and the one room to see
Gentle admin
The paperwork, without the panic.
Visa validation, health registration, the préfecture’s calendar — L’Aube keeps a quiet eye on the dates that matter and surfaces one line, at the right time, never as a nag. Each reminder points you to the official source and tells you exactly what to open, confirm, or save.
L’Aube gives reminders and official links — not legal advice. Dates and steps are always confirmed on official French government sites.
A quiet line, at the right moment
“One small thing while the coffee is still warm: your long-stay visa can be validated online this month. Ten minutes, one official site — I’ve put the link and the three things you’ll need in today’s note.”
Your journal
Written for you. Read by no one else.
A line a day, a photo if you like. Your journal is private — it is never shown to anyone, and Antoine only ever learns from gentle summaries, never your words verbatim. Over months it becomes two things at once: a record of your year, and the reason your days keep getting more yours.
Jour 47 — from a journal
“The cheesemonger recognized me today. He set aside the comté I liked before I asked. I said ‘comme d’habitude’ and he laughed. My Paris is eleven streets wide now.”
Made for your Paris
It starts from your address, and opens the city outward.
L’Aube begins in your own quarter — your bakery, your market, your pharmacy — then widens, week by week, to the whole of Paris and the trains beyond it. Your address stays private; it is the seed of your year, not a label on it.
Quiet by design
Built like a book, not a slot machine.
No feeds
Nothing scrolls forever. When today’s ritual is done, L’Aube is done.
No ads, ever
You are the customer, not the product. One subscription, nothing else for sale.
Private journal
Your words and photos stay yours. Antoine learns from summaries, never your entries verbatim.
Leave anytime
Cancel in the App Store in a minute. Delete your account and data from inside the app.
« Même la nuit la plus sombre prendra fin et le soleil se lèvera. »
Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise.
Victor Hugo · Les MisérablesQuestions
Asked often, answered honestly.
Do I need to speak French?
No. L’Aube assumes you’re starting from bonjour. Every phrase comes with plain-English meaning and pronunciation written out so you can say it with confidence. If you already have some French, Antoine meets you at your level.
Is it only for retirees?
It was made first for the founder’s mother, 70, newly arrived in Paris — so it is unhurried by design: readable type, no gamification, no pressure. Plenty of younger newcomers like it for exactly that reason.
Is my journal really private?
Yes. Your entries and photos are never shown to other people and never sent verbatim to the AI that writes your days — it learns only from gentle summaries. You can delete your account and data from inside the app at any time.
When is Android coming?
It’s in active development now. Write to hello@laubeparis.com with “Android” in the subject and we’ll tell you the moment it’s ready.
Your first morning is free. So are the next six.
Begin with tomorrow’s dawn. If your Paris doesn’t start to feel different within a week, let it go — no hard feelings, no dark patterns.