Paris

Paris, beautiful and sophisticated, lives up to her reputation. Sectioned off by arrondissements, there is not just one interesting area to visit, but many. Each arrondissement has its own character, flavor, and style. It is almost as if “Paris” were a name given to a group of clustering villages. Depending on the reason for your trip or the number of times you’ve been to Paris, each arrondissement will have its own appeal and attraction. We include descriptions of selected arrondissements. The arrondissements chosen are especially interesting and are the location for some charming, boutique hotels. Avoid disappointment and make hotel reservations as far in advance as possible.The First and Second Arrondissements are ideal locations for “first-timers” in Paris. At the heart of the city, many of the major tourist attractions are situated here: the Place de la Concorde, Rue de Rivoli, the Madeleine elegant and expensive shops along the well-known Rue du Faubourg Saint Honoré, the Tuileries, and the Louvre. Find a hotel here and you will never have to deal with the Métro or taxi drivers. You can take romantic walks along the Seine or in the Tuileries Gardens. Excitement was born on the Champs Élysées, a wide boulevard that runs from the Place de la Concorde to the Arc de Triomphe at the Place de l’Étoile, officially known as the Place Charles de Gaulle. The highlight of the Third Arrondissement is the picturesque Place des Vosges and the focus of the Fourth Arrondissement is Paris’s two quaint and charming islands, the Île Saint Louis and the Île de la Cité. The Place des Vosges is a tranquil park, shaded by trees and echoing with the sound of children at play, and a short walk away is the wonderful Musée Picasso. The Île Saint Louis is a charming island with many enticing antique and craft shops and neighborhood restaurants. The larger Île de la Cité is home to Paris’s grande dame—the spectacular Nôtre Dame and the intricate and delicate Sainte Chapelle with its stunning display of stained glass. Crossing bridges in either direction, it is a short walk along the quai to the Latin Quarter or a pleasant stroll to the Louvre.The Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Arrondissements together comprise the ever-popular Latin Quarter. Here you will find activity and companionship abounding. There are crêperies, sidewalk cafés, food stands, the Sorbonne and its students, antique shops and art galleries, and so many restaurants—all promising “favorites” to be discovered. At night many of the small streets are blocked off and the Latin Quarter takes on a very special ambiance. The Left Bank of the Latin Quarter is separated from the Right Bank by the Seine and the Île de la Cité. The grandeur of Nôtre Dame is overpowering when illuminated at night. Along the quai are many secondhand book stalls. The Musée d’Orsay in the grand old train station houses an exhibition of Paris’ greatest collection of Impressionist art. With the Left Bank as a base, you can also conveniently tour the Luxembourg Gardens and Les Invalides, the wonderful Musée Auguste Rodin with his works housed in a lovely mansion as well as staged in a gorgeous garden, and view Paris from the Eiffel Tower. The Left Bank and Latin Quarter offer an endless wave of activity and several charming hotels.The Eighth Arrondissement, crowned by the Arc de Triomphe, graced by the Champs Élysées, and home to the Grand and Petit Palais, is a bustle of activity and sits next to the Ninth Arrondissement with the sophisticated Opéra. There are shops, sidewalk cafés, nightclubs, cinemas, and opportunities for endless people watching. It makes for a wonderful evening’s entertainment to stroll the wide boulevard: people are always about and it is safe and well lit. It is also a lovely walk down the “Champs” to the Louvre. Also located in the Eighth is the Gare Saint Lazare, first built in 1837 as the main link between Paris and St. Germain en Laye. Trains from Gare Saint Lazare travel to Normandy and Great Britain via Dieppe.If you plan to arrive in or depart from Paris by train, you will find yourself in one of these four arrondissements (with the exception of the Gare Saint Lazare in the eighth), which are located near the city’s core. Train tracks do not cross the River Seine, so the train station you use will be determined by whether your outlying destination/point of origin is to the north, east, south, or west. Trains to eastern France, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria leave from the Gare de l’Est, whose original building, now termed the Western Wing, dates to 1850, in the Tenth Arrondissement. Also in the Tenth, the Gare du Nord was first built in 1864 and then expanded and rebuilt three more times. The Gare du Nord, as its name implies, services destinations to the north: Belgium, Holland, Northern Germany, and Scandinavia. In the Twelfth, trains from the Gare de Lyon travel to southern France, the Alps, Switzerland, Italy, and Greece. The Gare de Lyon was built to coincide with the Universal Exhibition of 1900 and recent modernizations allow it to service the pride of the French rail network, the TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse). A destination in its own right and considered an historical monument, Le Train Bleu is a wonderful restaurant within the station. Opened in 1901, with a Belle Époque interior, it boasts 40 paintings by 30 artists that depict city destinations. In the Thirteenth, trains from the Gare d’Austerlitz travel to points in the southwest: the southwest of France, Spain, and Portugal. This station was named for the famous battle won by Napoléon in Austria in 1805 against Austro-Russian armies. The Gare Montparnasse, in the Fifteenth, is one of the oldest stations, dating to 1840, and was completely rebuilt after World War II. It services Brittany, western France, and the TGV-Atlantique.The Sixteenth Arrondissement is Paris’s elite residential district. It is a quiet area, characterized by stately, elegant apartment buildings, lovely shopping streets, and exclusive corner markets. The Rue de la Pompe and the Avenue Victor Hugo are two well-known avenues lined with beautiful and expensive shops. Also tucked away here is the Musée Marmottan, a personal favorite, with one of the most magnificent collections of Impressionist art housed in what was formerly a hunting lodge and then the private home of the Marmottans. In the Musée Marmottan one can view works of Degas, Manet, and Renoir and the world’s largest collection of Monet. The Sixteenth Arrondissement is bordered on one side by the Bois de Boulogne, a scenic park where people walk, exercise their dogs, cycle, run, play soccer, and escape the frenzy of the city. This neighborhood of Paris, more usually and colloquially known as Montmartre rather than the Eighteenth Arrondissement, is an enchanting, artistic district. Climb the narrow streets and mount the steps to the Sacré Coeur, begun in 1875 under the genius of the architect Abadie who tragically died before seeing its completion in 1914. The interior of the church contains one of the world’s largest mosaics, depicting Christ with outstretched arms. It is worth the climb to the top of the dome from where you get a panoramic view of the city.