Paris map - Paris districts, arrondissements

Paris by District (Arrondissement) & neighborhood

The center of Paris is divided in 20 districts (arrondissements) in a sort of spiral with the first arrondissement in the middle and the higher numbers on the outer circle.

Paris is also defined by area (quartiers) such as the Latin Quarter
(5th and 6th districts) and the popular Opera and Montmartre Quarter (9th and 18th districts).

Each district of Paris is like a village with its own history, talents, atmosphere - and deserve your attention.

The north of Paris is divided from the south by the River Seine into what is commonly known as the rive droite (right bank) and rive gauche (left bank).

The Louvre Museum, Palais Royal, Rivoli Street & les Halles quarter are all here.

People come from all over the world to visit the Louvre, one of the world's finest museums, and then walk in the Tuileries Gardens, opposite the Pyramid. Place Vendome is home to Paris' jewelers (Van Cleef & Arpels, Boucheron.) and whilst haute couture creators such as Yves St-Laurent or Christian Dior can be found on rue Saint-Honore. For more affordable prices, go to the Forum des Halles, inner Paris's largest shopping mall.

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It used to be a business district with the Paris Stock Market (the Bourse). The Lively pedestrian Rue Montorgueil is now one of the most popular streets in Paris.

West from Rue de Richelieu is the "theatre district" of Paris: a good dozen can be found in this part of town. The 2nd district of Paris, is also a great place to sample typical Parisian atmosphere: little passageways and arcades full of shops and small cafes, abound around Boulevard Montmartre and Rue Croix-des-petits-champs.

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Along with the 4eme arrondissement, this district makes up the Marais, one of the sought-after and oldest and neighborhoods in Paris.

The Marais boasts the most beautiful private mansions dating from the Middle Ages, such as the Hôtel de Rohan or de Sal, in Rue de Sevigne, where the rampart walk once was. Paris's historical museum, the Carnavalet, is also situated here.

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This is the main center of the Marais. A lively neighborhood with a lifestyle scene as well as lots of bars, shops, and restaurants.

Opposite l'Hotel de Ville (townhall), are the two islands of Paris, l'Ile de la Cite and l'Ile St-Louis: don't miss Notre-Dame and Place Dauphine on the former, and a walk in the main street of the latter. Place des Vosges is one of Paris's most famous plaza and finally, the main focus for contemporary art in France is also in this part of town, at the Beaubourg/Pompidou Centre.

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The Latin Quarter of Paris: this neighborhood has the feel of a small village. If you fancy a walk, visit the Jardin des Plantes and its zoo and the amphitheatre of Lutetia, a vestige of Roman times. The Museum of the Middle Ages is in the Square de Cluny, and the quays host hundreds of second-hand books sellers. At night, thousands of young people gather on the Place de la Contrescarpe and Rue Mouffetard. The rue Mouffetard is a primary artery where shops, international restaurants and student bars and cafes are found in Paris.

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Once a favorite spot of Ernest Hemingway, this is a very colorful part of the Left Bank: St. Germain.
It used to be the hangout for intellectuals and artists, nowadays this Parisian neighborhood has become newly chic.
Upscale small stores, international restaurants and art galleries can be found almost everywhere in Paris.

The Rues de Buci, de Seine, Dauphine and Mazarine, and the area between Boulevard St-Germain and the Seine provide perfect examples of Parisian charm: you can find shops and cafes, and busy pubs at night. For a quieter atmosphere in Paris, wander through the Luxembourg Gardens, or for more shopping, check out Rue de Rennes, where there is much to see.

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The Eiffel Tower, the Orsay Museum and many more in this very wealthy district.

Generaly called "the ministries district", it also hosts some of Paris most famous monuments: the Invalides, the Eiffel Tower, the Champ de Mars and L'Ecole Militaire. Between Quai Voltaire and Rue de l'Universite, hundreds of antique dealers will welcome you in Carre Rive Gauche (literally the left bank square). For more art in Paris, the Orsay Museum is absolutely marvellous.

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The quarter around Champs Elysees has lots of shopping and visitors, while in the area between the Champs Elysees and La Madeleine you will find a mixture of 19th century buildings mixed with businesses.

A visit of Paris should obviously start with the Champs-Elysees, the most popular avenue in the world, which starts from the Etoile Plaza and ends on the Place de la Concorde. Also to be seen are the Madeleine Church and the Parc Monceau, a paradise for joggers. Do not miss the Jacquemart-Andre Museum, the Grand and Petit Palais, and the Musee de la Decouverte, Paris's best science museum.

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The Paris Opera is located in this district.
Also is Pigalle, the Red Light district and its world known Moulin Rouge.

The Opera is the monument to visit in this district, but there are also other things to do: the Musee Grevin (Paris equivalent for Tussaud's in London), a walk in New Athens, around the metro station St-Georges. Most of all, this district is famous for its department stores on Boulevard Hausmann: Printemps & the Galeries Lafayette.

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The two great train stations of Paris are here: the Gare du Nord and the Gare de l'Est. This multi-cultural neighborhood also remains quite atistic and geographically quite central.

Along the Canal St-Martin are the Quai de Valmy and Jemmapes and a stroll here makes one of the nicest walks in Paris. If you start from Rue du Temple and head down to Place de Stalingrad you will pass several locks and barges.

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The New Opera Bastille & la Place de la Bastille are located here.

This district has some of the finest Parisian nightspots: Rue Oberkampf is very trendy and the Rues de la Roquette and de Lappe are more popular than ever.

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Known as Paris' "new Saint-Germain," this spot (Bercy) is popular with the younger set and draws them in with hip, trendy restaurants and nightlife.

Paris's Marina is there, spreading from the River Seine to the Place de la Bastille and its fabulous Opera theatre.

The Palais Omnisport Paris-Bercy hosts many spectacular events including concerts and sports fixtures.

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The eastern part of this district is often called "Chinatown":
it houses an incredible quantity of Chinese and Asian restaurants and shops, and even massive Oriental superstores.

Paris's brand new huge library (F. Mitterrand) is by the river, on the Quai de la Gare. The Cour St Emilion is also a great spot: You will find restaurants, cafes, and busy pubs at night.

In the western part, stroll in the nice village of La Butte-aux-Cailles, a Parisian gem, and on Place d'Italie, you will find Europe's biggest cinema screen.

Split into two segments (northern end and southern end), the 14th Arrondissement was home to many American ex-pats and other famous writers, including Hemingway, Henry Miller, Scott Fitzgerald, T.S. Eliot, Alice B. Tolkas and Gertrude Stein to name but a few. The southern end encompasses a quiet residential area.

The International Cite Universitaire and the famous Montparnasse are located in this residential district traditionally known for its restaurants, cafes and movie theaters all around the Bd. Montparnasse.

Rue d'Alesia is the perfect place for clothes shopping, retail temptation stretching from one end of the street to the other. The parc Montsouris is Paris's nicest park, and just opposite it is the International Universitary Residence, which deserves a visit for its medley of international architectural styles. Finally on the Denfert-Rochereau Plaza stands a huge bronze statue of a lion and the famous rue Daguerre.

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Located on the Left Bank, this is probably the premier example of a residential neighborhood in Paris. With the Latin Quarter and Montparnasse to its east side, the 15th arrondissement still manages to maintain a dignified and decent quality of life within its own boundaries.

Large primarily residential neighborhood upscale in the area bordering the 7th arrondissement and the Seine & middle class in the rest of the arrondissement.

For experiencing actual living in Paris, with all its local cafes, groceries, etc... this is the place to be.

The Parc des Expositions, a replica of the famous Statue of Liberty and the beautiful Citroen gardens, named after the car manufacturer who had his first factory there.

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The 16th district is widely considered as the neighborhood for the wealthy.

It is generally known as the smartest district of Paris - This residential area, formerly the village of Passy, is perfect for those seeking a tranquility. The Trocadero offers a nice view of the city as well as two museums (Marine Museum and Museum of Mankind). Avenue Foch is impressive, as is the Parc des Princes (Paris Stadium). West from the ring road, streches the Bois de Boulogne, the western equivalent of Bois de Vincennes.

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The western part of the 17th arrondissement stretches from the Arc de Triomphe, the av. de Ternes, Place de Wagram and near Parc Monceau.

It boasts two of the great restaurants of Paris, Guy Savoy and Michel Rostang. This area is littered with restaurants, bars and shops and the evenings are full of active street life.

Shopping for all things musical should be done on the famous Rue de Rome.

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Montmartre. This residential neighborhood of all artists and bohemians.

The most interesting spot in this district is without doubt the Sacre-Coeur basilica and the surrounding streets. It is still incredibely charming and the view from the stairs of the basilica will absolutely stun you. Also famous in the 18th is the Pigalle area (Boulevards de Clichy and de Rochechouart) and its nightlife: bars, clubs, etc. This is Paris's red-light district. The french hit movie "Amelie" has been mostly shot in this part of Paris.

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Les Buttes Chaumont is an interesting park where children can enjoy different attractions such as Donkey rides and puppet shows.. A residential neighborhood with many ethnic restaurants and shops.

The Cite des Sciences et de l'Industrie in La Villette was founded to be science's showcase in Paris, with great success, thanks largely to La Geode, a totally spherical cinema. Les Buttes Chaumont is an attractive park and you can finish a walk through here at the second part of the canal previously mentionned.

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Belleville and the Pere-Lachaise cemetery where various celebrities such as Jim Morrisson of the Doors, Edith Piaf, Oscar Widle, and Colette are rested...