top of page

Paris: Understanding the city - the 20 arrondissements

The French capital seems to be guided by the river Seine ... So much that when referring to some place in the center of the city, Parisians use the term "Rive Droite" (right bank) and "Rive Gauche" (left bank).

But to plan a good script, according to your interests, nothing better than to understand how the structure of the city works.

Paris is divided into 20 arrondissements (administrative divisions), following the shape of a snail, clockwise. The first are the most central and there are the most visited tourist attractions.

All postal code of the city, which can not miss the addresses, is formed by 750XX, where XX designates the arrondissement (1er, 2ème, 3ème, ..., 20ème). This form of guidance is especially useful when you want to put together rides and attractions in the same morning or afternoon. This makes your choice a lot easier, so you do not 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 covers the 3ème and the 4ème. Historical place, lively and diverse and that, so charming, will yield us a chapter apart. A tourist area with a strong Jewish presence and quite frequented by families with children. At night, the many bars, much sought after by the LGBT community - who chose the neighborhood as a favorite point, also makes the joy of artists of all genres.

Let's give you an overview of the main attractions in each region, but do not worry about the names of each one. The most important is the number, which always appears in the zip code.

​[1] 1er - Louvre

Central, historical, it is located on the right bank and covers part of the Île de la Cité.

Detail of the Palais Royal

Jardin du Carrousel

Palais de la Justice

Conciergerie

Pont Neuf

Pont des Arts

Square du Vert Galant

Place Dauphine

Île de la Cité

Musée du Louvre

 

​[2] 2ème - Bourse

The smallest district, which is on the right bank, is an important business area - there is the Paris Stock Exchange. Also known for its beautiful covered walkways, dating from the 19th century, with several shops and restaurants

Galerie Vivienne

Passage du Grand Cerf

Porte Saint Denis

rue Montorgueil

Palais de la Bourse

Galerie Vivienne

Galerie Vivienne

Rue Montorgueil

 

[3] 3ème - Temple

Museums, bars, cafes and trendy restaurants, the 3e houses a part of the Marais, considered one of the most hypes of the city.

Musée Carnavalet

Musée Carnavalet

Le Conservatoire des Arts et Métiers

Musée d'art et d'histoire du judaïsme

Musée de la Poupée (museu de bonecas)

3ème - Musée Picasso and Marché des Enfant Rouges

 

[4] 4ème- l'Hôtel de Ville

A very touristy region, it houses part of the Île de la Cité and Île de Saint-Louis. It is worth to stroll and use the metro as a means of transportation.

Parvis Notre Dame

Square Jean XXIII

Fontaine Stravinsky

Hôtel de Sully

Hôtel de Ville

Square Barye

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

BHV (Bazar de l'Hôtel de Ville)

Square de l'Île de France

Église Saint Louis en l'Île

Pont de Sully

Catédrale de Notre Dame

Notre Dame - Cathédrale

Centre Pompidou

Centre Pompidou

Marché aux fleurs Elizabeth II

Marché aux fleurs Elizabeth II

 

[5] 5ème- Panthéon

Located on the left bank, there is the Latin Quarter, a meeting place for young students. But not only that: monuments, gardens and lots of history make the joy of tourists and locals alike.

Panthéon

Sorbone

Square Viviani

Institut du Monde Arabe

Hôtel de Cluny

Église Saint Etienne-du-Mont

Rue Mouffetard

Grande Mosquée

Arenes de Lutèce

Pont de Sully

Jardin des Plantes

Grande Mosquée

 

[6] 6ème- Luxembourg

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

Jardin du Luxembourg

Jardin de Luxembourg

Église Saint Germain des Prés

Institut de France

Ecole des Beaux-Arts

Place Saint Michel

Fontaine Saint Michel

Église Saint-Sulpice

Hôtel des Monnaies

Le Procope (restaurante muito antigo de Paris)

Place de Furstemberg

Pont des Arts

Pont Neuf

 

[7] 7ème- Palais Bourbon

With great museums and tree-lined streets, the place is very prestigious for being the address of the Tour Eiffel.

Tour Eiffel

Tour Eiffel

Champ de Mars Musée d’Orsay Musée Rodin Assemblée Nationale

Palais Bourbon Hôtel Matignon (sede do primeiro-ministro) École Militaire Hôtel des Invalides Musée du Quai Branly (museu de artes indígenas) Musée Maillot Musée Eugène Delacroix

Pont Alexandre III

Pont d'Iena (7e, 16e)

Pont de l'Alma

 

[8] 8ème- Elysée

With numerous shops and luxury hotels. It is the address of 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

Pont Alexandre III

Pont Alexandre III

Grand Palais

 

[9] 9ème- Opéra

Two famous galleries of sophisticated shops and residential addresses make this neighborhood a much visited place. It is known as the Grands Boulevards neighborhood for its wide avenues.

Galerie Lafayette

Opéra Garnier

Musée Grevin (museu de cera)

Galeries Lafayette

Magasins du Printemps

Fragonard Musée du Parfum

 

[10] 10ème- Entrepôt

The Canal de Saint Martin is the point of reference for this district

Gare de l’Est

Gare du Nord

Canal de Saint-Martin

Place de la République(10e, 11e)

 

[11] 11ème- Popincourt

Bars, restaurants and lively nightlife are increasingly calling attention to this place that is not very touristy, but sees the price of its rents increase due to the great demand, especially of young people tuned to the new gastronomic pole that is emerging in the area.

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

Place de la République (10e, 11e)

Place de la Bastille

 

[12] 12ème- Reuilly

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

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

Opéra Bastille

Bois de Vincennes

Gare de Lyon

Gare de Reuilly

 

[13] 13ème- Gobelins

It is home to the main Asian community in Paris.

Gare d’Austerlitz

Bibliothèque Nationale de France

 

[14] 14ème- Observatoire

Popular and bourgeois, diversity is also attraction in this district. Former home of several artists, it still preserves several of its cafes that served as a meeting point for philosophers, literati, painters and sculptors.

Parc Montssouris

Observatoire de Paris

Les catacombes

 

[15] 5ème- Vaugirard

Quite crowded and very residential.

Gare Montparnasse

Tour Maine-Montparnasse

Musée Bourdelle

parc André Citroën

 

[16] 16ème- Passy

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

Palais de Chaillot

Palais de Tokyo

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

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

Place de l'Alma

Musée Marmottan Monet

Maison de Balzac

Bois de Boulogne

Jardin d’Acclimatation

Maison de Radio France

Musée Bacarat

Clemenceau Musée

Pont d'Iéna (7e, 16e)

Tour Eiffel , view from the Arc de Triomphe

Plade de l'Alma

Place de l'Alma

 

[17] 17ème- Batignolles-Monceaux

From fashionisas to art lovers, this district is cosmopolitan. Its architectural diversity shows that it was growing without much planning. Also, in the past, it was frequented by several artists.

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

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

 

[18] 18ème- Buttes-Montmartre

Ah ... Montmartre ... It is one of the main tourist sites and the highest point of the capital. It was the center of the promising artistic community in the early twentieth century. Picasso, Dali, Van Gogh, Renoir and many others portrayed the place in different ways in many of his works. Artists from other areas also lived and worked there.

The neighborhood features two distinct areas, one of sex shops, cabarets and the world famous Moulin Rouge, known locally as Pigalle, and on the other end, a neighborhood with incredible cafes and bakeries, picturesque little streets and the beautiful Basilica of Sacre-Coeur.

Check out the Café des Deux Moulins, which is in Lepic and was the main setting for the film "The Fabulous Destination of Amelie Poulain" and do not forget to meet the mur des je t'aime, which renders fantastic photos, in Square Jehan Rictus.

Do not miss the opportunity to buy souvenirs, because there are great prices, in stores that sell from postcards to pashminas.

Place du Tertre

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

Moulin Rouge

Place des Abbesses

Musée Espace Dalí

Basilique du Sacré-Coeur

Place du Tertre

Le mur des je t'aime

 

[19] 19ème- Buttes-Chaumont

Although the area itself is not so touristy, there are two of the most beautiful parks in the city, which undoubtedly reveal cinemas.

parc des Buttes Chaumont

Parc de la Villette

 

[20] 20ème-Ménilmontant

Although the area itself is not so touristy, there are two of the most beautiful parks in the city, which undoubtedly reveal cinemas.

Chopin

Tomb of Frédéric Chopin at the Cimetière du Père Lachaise

Alameda no Père Lachaise

Cimetière du Père Lachaise

留言


bottom of page