The Twenty Arrondissements of Paris - Part IV

The 16^th Arrondissement -  Passy

The 16th arrondissement is an elegant area of Paris which houses important museums such as the Claude Monet/Marmottan Museum, the Palais de Tokyo and the area know as Passy. The main attractions are:
1. Passy neighbourhood, 2. Passy Cemetery, 3. Palais de Tokyo, 4. Musee Marmottan Monet, 5. Maison de Balzac, 6. Musee Galliera, 7. Musee Baccarat, 8. Musee Clemenceau, 9. Fondation Le Corbusier, 10. Maison de Radio France, 11. Parc des Princes (stadium and concert venue), 12. Jardin d'Acclimatation (amusement park for small children).


The 17^th Arrondissement - Batignolles-Monceau

The 17th Arrondissement combines qjuiet upper-class suburbs and spotsuch as Place de Clichy, formerly seamy areas frequented by 19th century artists including Edouard Manet. The most interesting places are:

1. Batignolles neighbourhood (former stomping ground of Manet and Emile Zola), 2. Parc Monceau, 3. Placwe de Clichy.


The 18th Arrondissement - Butte-Montmartre

Thanks to sweeping views, art-drenched history and charming, village-like streets, the 18th arrondisement is one of Paris' most-frequented areas. It also includes loively, bustling immigrant neighbourhoods such as Barbes and Goutte d'Or. The main sights include:

1. Barbes and la Goutte d'Or neighbourhoods (African and North African districts), 2. Montmartre area, 3. Sacre-Coeur Basilica, 3. Montmartre Cemetery, 4. Place des Tertres, 5. Le Moulin Rouge Cabaret, 6. Le Moulin de la Galette, 7. Dali Museum, 8. Le Moulin Rouge and the Pigalle red light district, 9. La Chapelle (Little Jaffna) - Sri Lankan district.


The 19th Arrondissement - Buttes-Chaumont

 Situated in the north-east of Paris, the 19th arrondissement is undergoing a dramatic urban renewal. It features a sweeping park, large cinemas and a science and industry museum. The main attractions are:

1. Buttes-Chaumont park ( a former limestone quarry that was transformed into a park in the 19th century, 2. Canal de l'Ourq, 3. Parc de la Villette and La Cite des Sciences (Science and Industry Museum), 4. The La Chapelle/Little Sri Lanka District.


The 20th Arrondissement - Menilmontant

Paris' 20th Arrondissement is a gritty working class area whose immigrant roots, stately Pere Lachaise cemetery and surprisingly quiet stretches lend a particular charm. Maybe this is why the area and its diverse inhabitants were so extensively documented by photographers such as Willy Ronis. The main sights include:

1. Pere-Lachaise Cemetery, 2. Parc de Belleville, 3. Belleville neighbourhood, 4. Gambetta and Bagnolet nighbourhood (birthplace of Edith Piaf), 5. La Fleche d'Or (famous nightclub).

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.





The Twenty Arrondissements of Paris, Part I

There are so many tourist attractions in Paris that you can't see them all on one trip. So relax and focus on a handful that interest you the most. Here we list the main attractions by arrondissement to help you choose where to go.  
On 1^st January, 1860 Paris was divided into its present day twenty arrondisse -ments by Baron Haussmann. They are arranged in the form of a clockwise spiral, starting in the middle of the city:

1^st(Right bank) Louvre, 2^nd(Right) Bourse, 3^rd (Right) Temple, 4^th(Right) Hôtel-de-Ville, 5^th(left bank) Panthéon, 6^th (Left) Luxembourg, 7^th (Left) Palais-Bourbon, 8^th(right) Élysée, 9^th (Right) Opéra, 10^th (Right) Enclos-St-Laurent, 11^th (Right) Popincourt, 12^th (Right) Reuilly, 13^th (Left) Gobelins, 14^th (Left) Observatoire, 15^th (Left) Vaugirard, 16^th (Right )Passy, 17^th (Right)  Batignolles-Monceau, 18^th (Right) Butte-Montmartre, 19^th (Right) Buttes-Chaumont, 20^th (Right) Ménilmontant.

The 1^st Arrondissement – The Louvre.

The heart of what was once the seat of royal power in Paris, it retains a regal atmosphere of elegance. The Main Attractions in the 1st Arrondissement  are:


1. Musée du Louvre, 2. Tuilearies Gardens, 3. Jeu de Paume National Galleries, 4. Musee de l'Orangerie, 5. Palais Royal (former seat of royal power), 6. La Comédie Française (classic Paris theatre where French playwright Molière once performed), 7. Place Vendome, 8. Forum des Halles (monstrous shopping centre and district), 9. Eglise Saint-Eustache,10 .Chatelet and the Saint-Jacques Tower, 11. Ile de la Cite (natural island on the Seine), 12.Sainte-Chapelle chapel, 13.Pont Neuf Bridge (oldest bridge in Paris).

The 2^nd Arrondissement – The   Bourse

Paris' 2nd arrondissement has attractions most tourists never see, including a medieval tower and one of the best open market streets in the city. The Main Attractions in the 2nd Arrondissement are:


1. The Rue Montorgueil Area, 2. Grands Boulevards Area, 3. Le Tour Jean-Sans-Peur, 4. Opera Comique, 5. Passage des  Panoramas, 6.  Le Grand Rex (historic movie theatre, club and concert Hall), 7. Bourse de Paris (Paris Stock Exchange), 8. Bibliotheque Nationale de France (French National Library - historic site)

The 3^rd Arrondissement - Temple  

              

Referred to as "Temple" after the medieval fortress that once stood in the area and was built by the infamous military order known as the Knights Templar, Paris' third arrondissement is near the heart of the city and combines bustling commercial areas with quiet residential streets. The Main Sights  in the 3rd Arrondissement:


1.The Marais Area (also part of the 4th Arrondissement), 2. Musee Carnavalet (Paris history  Museum and Renaissance-era residence), 3. Picasso Museum, 4. Musee des Arts et Metiers, 5. Musee Cognacq-Jay, 6. Hotel de Soubise (Renaissance-era mansion) and the French National Archives, 7. Musee de la Poupee (Paris Doll Museum) 
                                                                                                                                                          
The 4^th Arrondissement  -  Hôtel-de-Ville

Paris' 4th arrondissement houses some of the city's major historical sites-- including Notre Dame Cathedral-- but it's also a strong symbol of contemporary Paris, holding bustling neighborhoods like the Marais and Beaubourg which attract artists, designers, trendy shopkeepers & students. The Main Attractions in the 4th Arrondissement:


1. Centre Georges Pompidou and the National Museum of Modern Art, 2.The Beaubourg Neighborhood, 3. The Marais Area, 4. St-Gervais St-Protais Church, 5. St-Paul and St-Louis Church, 6.Hotel de Sens (Medieval mansion), 7. Place des Vosges, 8. Hotel de Ville  (Paris City Hall), 9. Rue des Rosiers and Le Pletzl, Old Jewish District, 10. Place de la Bastille, shared with 11th and 12th Arrondissements, 11 The Ile de la Cite (natural island on the Seine), 12. Ile Saint-Louis Neighborhood, 13. Notre Dame Cathedral, 14. Seine River Booksellers, 15.  
Shoah Memorial and Museum    
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
The 5^th Arrondissement – Pantheon or Latin Quarter

The historic heart of the Latin Quarter has been a center of scholarship and intellectual achievement for centuries. The 5th arrondissement is important thanks to sights such as the Pantheon, the Sorbonne and the botanical gardens known as the Jardin des Plantes. The most interesting sights are:


1.The Saint-Michel Neighborhood, 2. The Sorbonne, 3. The Pantheon, 4. Place Saint-Michel, 5. Musee and Hotel de Cluny (Paris Medieval Museum and Gardens), 6. Jardin des Plantes, 7. La Grande Mosquee de Paris(Paris Mosque, tearoom and hammam), 8. Institut du Monde Arabe, 9.  Rue Mouffetard District, 10. Arenes de Lutece (Roman Coliseum), 11. Historic Paris Movie Theatres                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         -