The Twenty Arrondissements of Paris - Part III

The 11^th Arrondissement – Popincourt

The eleventh arrondissement of Paris is an ethnically diverse area of the city that houses the Place de la Bastille and its majestic modern opera house. It's also a big draw for fans of nightlife, offering many hip bars and clubs. The main attractions are:

1. Place de la Bastille (shared with the 4th and 12th Arronissements), 2. Cirque d'hiver, 3, Oberkampf nieghborhood (vibrant by night), 4. Edith Piaf Museum, 5. Maison des Metallos (old metalworkers'house; now an arts/culture centre), 6. Place de la Republique.

 The 12th Arrondissement – Reuilly

Paris' twelfth arrondissement is home to the historic train station Gare de Lyon and the Bois de Vincennes, an enormous park known as the Lungs of Paris. The main sights in the 12th Arrondissement are:

1. Place de la Bastille (shared with the 4th and 11th arrondissement), 2. Opera Bastille (Opera National de Paris), 3. Faubourg Saint-Antoine area, 4. Promenade plantee (gardens built on the site of an above ground railway), 5. Viaduc des arts, 6. Bois de Vincennes (huge park, referred to as :The lungs of Paris), 7. Picpus Cemetery, 8. Palais Omnidports de Paris-Bercy (stadium and concert Hall), 9. Gare de Lyon (busy train station and site of the famous restaurant Le Train Bleu).

The 13^th Arrondissement – Gobelins 

The thirteenth arrondissement houses a lively Chinatown and the ultramodern National Library. Other interesting sights include:

1. Bibliotheque Nationale (Paris National Library), 2. Butte aux Cailles quarter, 3.Gare d'Austerlitz, 4. Chinatown (major site for Chinese New Year celebrations in Paris), 5. Manufacture des Gobelins (tapestries manufacturing museum).

The 14th Arrondissement - Observatoire 

The  legendary Montparnasse district, once home to a lively arts and literature scene in the 1920s, has a lot to offer. Must sees are:

1. Montparnasse tower and nighbourhood, 2. Montparnasse Cemetery, 3. Paris Catacombs Museum, 4. Parc Montsouris, 5. Fondation Cartier pour l'Art Contemporain (Cartier Contemporary Art Foundation), 6. Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson (dedicated to photography), 7. Musee Jean Moulin (tribute to the French resistance hero), 8. Rue Daguerre (pedestrain market street), 9. Cite Universitaire (university housing various architectural styles).

The 15th Arrondissement - Vaugirard

The fifteenth Arrondissement of Paris features charming residential streets, a waterpark and the city's largest convention centre. It is quiet and unassuming, but has many charming spots. The main attractions are:

1. Porte de Versailles Exhibition Centre and the Palais des Sports, 2. Musee Bourdelle, 3. Musee Pasteur, 4. Aquaboulevard (Europe's largest waterpark).














                     

The Twenty Arrondissements of Paris, Part II

The 6th  Arrondissement - Luxembourg.



Jardin du Luxembourg



The 6th Arrondisement, once the stomping ground of mid twentieth century intellectuals and writers, is now an up-market hub for designer boutiques, art and antique dealers and houses beautiful formal gardens. The main attractions are:

1. The Luxembourg Gardens, 2. Musee de Luxembourg, 3. Odeon Theatre, 4. Saint-Sulpice Church, 5. Saint-Germain des Pres area and historic abbey, 6. Cafe Les Deux Magots and de Flore, 7. Le Procope (oldest cafe in Paris), 8. La Closerie des Lilas (famous restaurant), 9. Hoel Lutetia.

The 7th Arrondissment - Palais Bourbon

The 7th Arrondissement is a prestigious part of the city that attracts many tourists to sights like the Eiffel Tower and the Musee d' Orsay. Accommodation here is expensive due to the nature of the area. The most interesting sights are:

1. Eiffel Tower and the Champ de Mars, 2. Musee d'Orsay, 3. Rodin Museum, 4. The French National Assembly, 5. Hotel Matignon (seat of the PM), 6. Ecole Militaire, 7. Hotel de invalides (not a hotel but former military complex and resting place of Napoleon I), 8.Musee de Quai Branly (recently opened indigenous arts museum), 9. Maillol Museum, 10. Eugene Delacroix Museum, 11. Bon Marche Department Store and Gourmet Market.

The 8th Arrondissement - Elysee.

Near the city centre, the 8th Arrondissement of Paris is a busy centre of commerce and home to the famous Arc de Triomphe and the Champs-Elysees. The most important attractions are:

1. Arc de Triomphe, 2. Avenue des Champs-Elysees, 3. Grand Palais, 4. Petit Palais, 5. Elysee Palace (home to Presidents), 6. Theatre des Champs-Elysees, 7. Eglise de la Madeleine, 8. Hotel de Crillon , 9. Musee Jacquemart-Andre, 10. Musee Cernuschi (Asian Art Museum), 11. Parc Monceau, 12. Maxim's Art Nouveau "Collection 1900" Museum, 13. Pont Alexandre III (1 if the city's most opulent bridges).

The 9th Arrondissement

The 9th Arrondissement of Paris is home the stunning Garnier Opera House and is well known for its Belle-Epoque Department stores and elegant shopping galleries, popular theatres and hilly residential streets. The main sights are:

1. Opera Garnier (Paris Opera), 2. Galeries Lafayette Department Store, 3. Printemps Department Store, 4. Musee Grevin (Wax Museum), 5. Olympia Theatre and Concert Hall (historic performances by Edith Piaf and others), 6. Les Folies Begeres Cabaret, 7. Musee de Parfum Fragonard, 8. Musee de la Vie Romantique, 8. Grands Boulevards Neighbourhood.

The 10th Arrondissement - Enclos-St- Laurent

The 10th Arrondissement is little-known to tourists but has hidden gems, such as the Canal St Martin area. This edgey, working-class area is just a stone's throw from the busy city centre and now attracts young business people and artists. The principal attractions are:

1. Canal St Martin, 2. Place Saint-Marthe, 3. New Morning (famous Paris Jazz Club), 4. Gare de l'Est and Gare du Nord areas.