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).