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Paris: understanding the city - the 20 arrondissements

  • Writer: Admin
    Admin
  • May 30
  • 6 min read

The French capital seems to be guided by the River Seine... So much so that when referring to a place in the city center, Parisians often use the terms "Rive Droite" (right bank) and "Rive Gauche" (left bank).

But to plan a good itinerary, according to your interests, there is nothing better than understanding how the city structure works.

Paris is divided into 20 arrondissements (administrative divisions), in a clockwise spiral shape. The first are the most central and are home to the most visited tourist attractions.

Every postal code in the city, which cannot be missing from addresses, is formed by 750XX, where XX designates the arrondissement (1st, 2nd,

3rd, ..., 20th).

This type of guidance is especially useful when you want to combine tours and attractions into one morning or afternoon. It makes your choice much easier, so you don't waste time and can optimize your itinerary.

Some neighborhoods are part of more than one arrondissement. This is the case, for example, of the Marais, which encompasses the 3ème and 4ème. A historic, lively and diverse place, which is so charming that it deserves a chapter of its own. A tourist area with a strong Jewish presence and frequented by families with children. At night, the many bars, much sought after by the LGBT community - who have chosen the neighborhood as their favorite spot - also delight artists of all genres.

We’ll give you an overview of the main attractions in each region, but don’t worry about the names of each one. The most important thing is the number, which always appears in the postal code.

[1] 1st - Louvre

Central, historic, located on the right bank and covering part of the Île de la Cité.

Detail of the Palais Royal

Tuileries Garden

Carrousel Garden

Palace of Justice

Concierge

Pont Neuf

Pont des Arts

Square of the Green Galant

Place Dauphine

Little tip of the Ile de la Cité

Louvre Museum

[2] 2nd - Stock Exchange

The smallest district, located on the right bank, is an important business area - it is home to the Paris Stock Exchange. It is also known for its beautiful covered passages, which date back to the 19th century, and its many shops and restaurants.

Vivienne Gallery

Passage of the Grand Cerf

Saint Denis Gate

rue Montorgueil

Palace of the Stock Exchange

Vivienne Gallery

Detail of the architecture of Galerie Vivienne

Montorgueil Street

[3] 3rd - Temple

Museums, bars, cafes and trendy restaurants, the 3e is home to part of the Marais, a neighborhood considered to be one of the most hyped in the city.

Carnavalet Museum

Carnavalet Museum

Red Children's Market

Le Conservatoire des Arts et Métiers

Museum of art and history of Judaism

Musée de la Poupée (doll museum)

Plaques on the 3ème and detail of the Marché des Enfant Rouges

[4] 4 ème - l'Hôtel de Ville

A very touristy area, it is home to part of the Île de la Cité and the Île de Saint-Louis. It is worth walking around and using the metro as a means of transport.

Parvis Notre Dame

Square Jean XXIII

Place des Vosges Center Pompidou

Fontaine Stravinsky

Marché aux flowers Elizabeth II

Sully Hotel

Townhouse

Square Barye

Place de la Bastille (4e,11e,12e)

BHV (Bazar de l'Hôtel de Ville)

Square of the Ile de France

Saint Louis Church on the Island

Sully Bridge

Notre Dame Cathedral

Detail of the Notre Dame Cathedral

Pompidou Center

Pompidou Center

Marché aux flowers Elizabeth II

Sculpture in front of the Elizabeth II Flower Market

[5] 5th day - Pantheon

Located on the left bank, there is the Quartier Latin, a meeting point for young students. But that's not all: monuments, gardens and lots of history delight tourists and locals alike.

Plant Garden

Pantheon

Sorbonne

Square Viviani

Arab World Institute

Cluny Hotel

Church of Saint Etienne du Mont

Rue Mouffetard

Great Mosque

Lutèce Sands

Sully Bridge

Plant Garden

Great Mosque

[6] 6th day - Luxembourg

With many attractions and one of the most famous gardens in France, it is also a residential neighborhood. The Saint Germain des Pres neighborhood in particular is synonymous with elegance and sophistication, combining magnificent architectural projects with several green spaces.

Luxembourg Gardens

Detail of the Luxembourg Gardens

Luxembourg Gardens

Église Saint Germain des Prés

Institute of France

School of Fine Arts

Place Saint Michel

Saint Michel Fountain

Church of Saint Sulpice

Hotel des Monnaies

Le Procope (very old restaurant in Paris)

Furstemberg Square

Pont des Arts

Pont Neuf

[7] 7th day - Bourbon Palace

With large museums and tree-lined streets, the location is very prestigious as it is home to the Eiffel Tower.

Eiffel Tower

Eiffel Tower at night

Champ de Mars Musée d'Orsay Musée Rodin Assemblée Nationale

Palais Bourbon Hôtel Matignon (prime minister's headquarters) École Militaire Hôtel des Invalides Musée du Quai Branly (museum of indigenous arts) Musée Maillot Musée Eugène Delacroix

Alexandre III Bridge

Pont d'Iena (7e, 16e)

Alma Bridge

[8] 8th day - Elysée

It is home to numerous luxury shops and hotels and is home to one of the most famous avenues in the world: the Champs Élysées.

Place Charles de Gaule (Place de l'Etoile) Avenue des Champs-Élysées Grand Palais Petit Palais Palace Elysée Théâtre des Champs-Élysées

Place de la Concorde Eglise de la Madeleine Musée Jacquemart-André Parc Monceau Pont Alexandre III

Alexandre III Bridge

Detail of the Pont Alexandre III with the Grand Palais in the background

Grand Palais

[9] 9th day - Opera

Two famous high-end shopping arcades and residential addresses make this neighborhood a popular destination. It is known as the Grands boulevards neighborhood because of its wide avenues.

Detail of the architecture of the Galerie Lafayette

Opéra Garnier

Grevin Museum (wax museum)

Galeries Lafayette

Spring Stores

Fragonard Museum of Perfume

[10] 10th - Warehouse

The Canal de Saint Martin is the landmark of this district.

East Station

Gare du Nord

Saint Martin Canal

Place de la République(10e, 11e)

[11] 11th - Popincourt

Bars, restaurants and a lively nightlife are increasingly drawing attention to this area, which is not very touristy but is seeing rental prices rise due to high demand, especially from young people who are in tune with the new gastronomic hub that is emerging in the area.

Place de la Bastille (4e, 11e, 12e)

Place de la République (10e, 11e)

Place de la Bastille

[12] 12th - Reuilly

The Bois de Vincennes park, known as the lungs of Paris, is the main attraction of the place.

Place de la Bastille (4e, 11e, 12e)

Bastille Opera

Vincennes Woods

Gare de Lyon

Reuilly Station

[13] 13th - Gobelins

It is home to the largest Asian community in Paris.

Austerlitz Station

Bibliothèque Nationale de France

[14] 14th- Observatory

Popular and bourgeois, diversity is also an attraction in this district. Formerly home to many artists, it still preserves several of its cafés that served as meeting points for philosophers, writers, painters and sculptors.

Montssouris Park

Paris Observatory

The catacombs

[15] 5th - Vaugirard

Quite populated and very residential.

Montparnasse Station

Maine-Montparnasse Tour

Bourdelle Museum

André Citroën Park

[16] 16th day - Passy

Originally occupied by monks, today it is the most elite district in Paris, with the most expensive real estate in the city.

Chaillot Palace

Tokyo Palace

Place Charles de Gaulle (8e, 16e, 17e)

Arc de Triomphe (8e, 16e, 17e)

Place de l'Alma

Marmottan Monet Museum

Balzac's House

Boulogne Woods

Acclimatization Garden

House of Radio France

Baccarat Museum

Clemenceau Museum

Pont d'Iéna (7e, 16e)

View of the city, with the Tower in the background, from the Arc de Triomphe

Soul Plate

Place de l'Alma

[17] 17ème- Batignolles-Monceaux

From fashionistas to art lovers, this district is cosmopolitan. Its architectural diversity shows that it grew without much planning. In the past, it was also frequented by many artists.

Place Charles de Gaulle (8e, 16e, 17e)

Arc de Triomphe (8e, 16e, 17e)

[18] 18ème- Buttes-Montmartre

Ah... Montmartre... It's one of the main tourist attractions and the highest point in the capital. It was the center of a flourishing artistic community in the early 20th century. Picasso, Dali, Van Gogh, Renoir and many others depicted the place in different ways in many of their works. Artists from other fields also lived and worked there.

The neighborhood has two distinct areas, one with sex shops, cabarets and the world-famous Moulin Rouge, in the place known as Pigalle, and on the other end, a neighborhood with incredible cafes and bakeries, alleys with picturesque little houses and the beautiful Sacre-Coeur Basilica.

Stop by to visit the Café des Deux Moulins, located in Lepic and the main setting for the film "Amelie" and don't forget to visit the mur des je t'aime, which makes for fantastic photos, in Square Jehan Rictus.

Don't miss the opportunity to buy souvenirs, as you can find great prices there, in little shops that sell everything from postcards to pashminas.

Place du Tertre

Le mur des je t'aime (Square Jehan Rictus)

Moulin Rouge

Place des Abbesses

Dalí Space Museum

Basilica of the Sacred Heart

Place du Tertre, where several artists exhibit their works on Sunday

The wall I love you

[19] 19th - Buttes-Chaumont

Although the area itself is not very touristy, there are two of the most beautiful parks in the city, which undoubtedly make for cinematic walks.

Some details of the Parc des Buttes Chaumont

Villette Park

[20] 20th-Ménilmontant

The last of the arrondissements of Paris has as its main tourist attraction the Père Lachaise cemetery, but those who know the area will know that it is home to charming villas and houses, as well as beautiful green areas. It is an eclectic and diverse neighborhood with many immigrants.

Chopin

Frédéric Chopin's tomb at the Cimetière du Père Lachaise

Avenue at Père Lachaise

One of the cemetery's alleys

 
 
 

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