This article presents the main landmarks in the city ofParis within administrative limits, divided by its20 arrondissements. Landmarks located in the suburbs of Paris, outside of its administrative limits, while within themetropolitan area are not included in this article.
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The1st arrondissement forms much of the historic centre of Paris.Place Vendôme is famous for its deluxe hotels such asHôtel Ritz,The Westin Paris – Vendôme,Hôtel de Toulouse (headquarters ofBanque de France),Hôtel du Petit-Bourbon,Hôtel Meurice, andHôtel Regina[1]Les Halles were formerly Paris's central meat and produce market, and, since the late 1970s, are a major shopping centre. The old Halles were demolished in 1971 and replaced by theForum des Halles. The central market, the biggest wholesale food market in the world, was transferred toRungis, in the southern suburbs.[2]
TheAxe historique, is a line of monuments which begins in the first arrondissement at the center of the Louvre with equestrian statue ofLouis XIV and continues through the 8th toward the west through theArc de Triomphe du Carrousel, theTuileries Gardens, theLuxor Obelisk erected in the centre ofPlace de la Concorde, theChamps-Élysées, theArc de Triomphe, centred in thePlace de l'Étoile circus, theAvenue de la Grande Armée (through the 16th and the 17th), and ends at theGrande Arche de la Défense outside of Paris. The formerConciergerie prison held some prominentAncien Régime members before their deaths during theFrench Revolution.[3] Also of note in the 1st arrondissement are the theatresThéâtre du Châtelet,Théâtre du Palais-Royal, squares such asPlace des Pyramides,Place Dauphine,Place des Victoires andPlace du Châtelet, theComédie-Française,Galerie nationale du Jeu de Paume, thePalais de Justice andPalais-Royal.
The2nd arrondissement of Paris lies to the north of the 1st. TheBoulevard des Capucines,Boulevard Montmartre,Boulevard des Italiens,Rue de Richelieu andRue Saint-Denis are major roads running through the district. The 2nd arrondissement is the theatre district of Paris,[4] overlapping into the 3rd, and contains theThéâtre des Capucines andThéâtre-Musée des Capucines,Opéra-Comique,Théâtre des Variétés,Théâtre des Bouffes-Parisiens,Théâtre du Vaudeville andThéâtre Feydeau. Also of note are theAcadémie Julian,Bibliothèque nationale de France,Café Anglais andGalerie Vivienne.[5]
The 3rd arrondissement is located to the northeast of the 1st.Le Marais is a trendy district spanning the 3rd and 4th arrondissements. It is architecturally very well preserved, and some of the oldest houses and buildings of Paris can be found there. It is a very culturally open place, known for its Chinese, Jewish and gay communities. ThePlace des Vosges, established in 1612 to celebrate the wedding ofLouis XIII toAnne of Austria lies at the border of the 3rd and 4th arrondissements and is the oldest planned square in Paris,[6] and thePlace de la République was named after the constitutional change in France. The 3rd arrondissement is noted for its museums such asMusée des Archives Nationales,Musée Picasso,Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature,Musée Cognacq-Jay,Musée d'Art et d'Histoire du Judaïsme,Musée de la Poupée,Musée des Arts et Métiers and theCarnavalet Museum, and theatres such asThéâtre Déjazet,Théâtre de la Gaîté, andThéâtre du Marais. Several hotels are located in this district includingHôtel de Guénégaud andHôtel de Soubise.[7]
The 4th arrondissement is located to the east of the 1st.Place de la Bastille (4th, 11th and 12th arrondissements, right bank) is a district of great historical significance, for not just Paris, but also all of France. Because of its symbolic value, the square has often been a site of political demonstrations, and it has a tall column commemorating the final resting place of the revolutionaries killed in 1830 and 1848.[8]Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal,La Force Prison,Centre Georges Pompidou andLycée Charlemagne are notable institutions here. The 12th-century cathedral Notre Dame de Paris on the Île de la Cité is one of the best-known landmarks of the 4th arrondissement, and there are the Gothic 13th-century Sainte-Chapelle palace chapel,Notre-Dame-des-Blancs-Manteaux,Saint-Louis-en-l'Île,Saint-Merri,Saint-Paul-Saint-Louis,St-Gervais-et-St-Protais, andTemple du Marais. Roads running through the 4th arrondissement includeRue Charlemagne,Rue de Rivoli,Rue des Francs-Bourgeois, andRue des Rosiers. There are also a number of notable hotels in the district, includingHôtel de Beauvais,Hôtel de Sully,Hôtel de Sens, Hôtel de Ville,Hôtel Lambert, andHôtel Saint-Pol, and a significant number of bridges, includingPont au Change,Pont au Double,Pont de Sully,Pont Louis-Philippe,Pont Marie,Pont Notre-Dame,Pont Saint-Louis, andPont Saint-Michel.[9]
Quartier Latin (5th and 6th arrondissements, "Left Bank") is a 12th Century scholastic centre formerly stretching between the "Left Bank's" Place Maubert and theSorbonne campus of theUniversity of Paris, is the oldest and one of the most famous colleges in Europe and the World.[10] It is known for its lively atmosphere and manybistros. Various higher-education establishments, such asCollège de France,Collège Sainte-Barbe,Collège international de philosophie,Sciences Po Paris, theÉcole Normale Supérieure,Mines ParisTech, and theJussieu university campus, make it a major educational centre in Paris.ThePanthéon church is where many of France's illustrious men and women are buried.[11] Also of note is theArab World Institute,Musée Curie,Hotel des Trois Colleges,Jardin des Plantes,Musée national du Moyen Âge,Muséum national d'histoire naturelleParis Mosque,Paris Observatory,Sainte-Geneviève Library, andThéâtre de la Huchette.[12]
The 6th arrondissement, to the south of the centre and Seine has numerous hotels and restaurants and also educational institutions. Hotels located in the district includeHôtel Au Manoir Saint Germain des Prés,Hôtel de Chimay,Hôtel de Vendôme,Hôtel des Monnaies,Hôtel Lutetia, andL'Hôtel, cafés includeCafé de Flore,Café Procope, andCafé de la Rotonde, and academies and schools include theAcadémie française, the medical schoolAcadémie Nationale de Médecine,Académie de la Grande Chaumière,Collège Stanislas de Paris,School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences,Paris Tech, and theAmerican Graduate School in Paris, with itsBusiness and Economics andInternational Relations and Diplomacy schools. Among the museums located in the 6th arrondissement are theMusée "Bible et Terre Sainte",Musée d'Anatomie Delmas-Orfila-Rouvière,Musée Dupuytren, andMusée Edouard Branly. TheJardin du Luxembourg contains one of the several small-scaleStatues of Liberty in Paris.[13] It was created byBartholdi who created thelarger version of the statues which was sent as a gift from France to the United States in 1886 and now stands in New York City's harbour.[14] TheOdéon-Théâtre de l'Europe is located in this district, as is theLuxembourg Palace. ThePont des Arts,Pont Neuf, and Pont Saint-Michel bridges lead across the Seine to the historic centre.
The 7th arrondissement lies to the southwest of the centre, across the Seine. The Eiffel Tower is the most famous landmark of the 7th arrondissement and of Paris itself. It was a "temporary" construction byGustave Eiffel for the 1889Universal Exposition (early "World's Fair"), but was never dismantled and is now an enduring symbol of Paris, instantly recognized throughout the World. TheAxe historique (Historical axis) is a line of monuments, buildings, and thoroughfares that run in a roughly straight line from the city centre westwards.[15] Many hotels are located in this district includingHôtel Biron,Hôtel de Castries,Hôtel de Conti,Hôtel de Mademoiselle de Condé,Hôtel du Châtelet, and Hôtel Matignon. TheInvalides museum is the burial place for many great French soldiers, includingNapoleon Bonaparte, later the Emperor Napoleon I, (1769–1821), and the 18th Century military school,Ecole Militaire, is also located here.[16] Other museums include theMusée Rodin and theMusée de la Légion d'honneur. TheUkrainian Embassy and theWorld Heritage Centre lie in the 7th arrondissement, and several bridges crossing the Seine includePont de la Concorde andPont Royal.
TheAvenue des Champs-Élysées is a 17th-century avenue connecting thePlace de la Concorde and the NapoleonicArc de Triomphe, which straddles the 8th, 16th and 17th arrondissements. It is a major tourist attraction and shopping street, one of the most famous routes of the World, hosting labels such asSephora,Lancel,Louis Vuitton andGuerlain, as well asRenault,Toyota and numerous small souvenir outlets, and is perhaps the most well-known street in France.[17] TheCanadian andAmerican Embassies and many hotels lie in the 8th arrondissement, includingHôtel de Crillon,Hôtel Le Bristol Paris,Hôtel de la Marine,Hôtel de Marigny,Hôtel de Pontalba,Hôtel Fouquet's BarrièreFour Seasons Hotel George V,Hotel Napoleon andHôtel Salomon de Rothschild as well as theLes Ambassadeurs,Ledoyen, andTaillevent restaurants. Theatres located here include theThéâtre des Champs-Élysées,Théâtre des Folies-Marigny,Théâtre de la Madeleine andThéâtre Marigny, and museums include theMusée Cernuschi,Musée Jacquemart-André andMusée Nissim de Camondo.[18]
Place de la Concorde was built as the "Place Louis XV", site of the infamousguillotine andexecution in 1793 ofLouis XVI, theKing of France during theFrench Revolution, (1789–1799), setting off the infamous "Reign of Terror", where the severed, bloody head of the King was exhibited to the crowds of Parisians. TheEgyptian obelisk of Luxor is Paris's "oldest monument". On this square, on either side of theRue Royale, there are two identical stone buildings: the eastern one houses theFrench Naval Ministry, the western the luxuriousHôtel de Crillon.Avenue Montaigne, next to the Champs-Élysées, is home to luxury brand labels such as "Chanel", "Prada", "Christian Dior" and "Givenchy".[19]Faubourg Saint-Honoré is not only home to theÉlysée Palace (official residence and home of thePresident of the French Republic, but is also one of the city's high-fashion districts with labels such as "Hermès" and "Christian Lacroix".[20] TheÉglise de la Madeleine is located in the 8th arrondissement.
The 9th arrondissement lies north of the centre and is a continuation of the theatre and museum district with theatres includingThéâtre de l'Athénée,Éden-Théâtre,Théâtre Mogador,Théâtre de l'Œuvre,Théâtre des Nouveautés,Théâtre du Vaudeville,Théâtre de Paris andThéâtre Verlaine, and museums such asMusée Grévin,Musée du Parfum,Musée national Gustave Moreau,Musée de la Franc-Maçonnerie andMusée de la Vie Romantique. The district also contains theCafé de la Paix,Casino de Paris,Lycée Condorcet,Grand Synagogue of Paris,Salle des Concerts Herz, and several hotels such asHôtel Drouot, Hôtel Guimard andHôtel Thellusson.[21]
Avenue de l'Opéra is a Haussmannian thoroughfare created in theSecond Empire, beginning in front of theOpéra Garnier onPlace de l'Opéra and ending atPalais-Royal in the first arrondissement. In the vicinity of the Opéra Garnier is the capital's densest concentration of department stores and office buildings including thePrintemps andGaleries Lafayette department stores, the Paris headquarters ofBNP Paribas andAmerican Express.[22] The Palais Garnier, built in the laterSecond Empire period, houses the Paris Opera and theParis Opera Ballet.[23]
The 10th arrondissement lies northeast of the centre and is a continuation of the theatre district with many theatres includingThéâtre Antoine-Simone Berriau,Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord,Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin,Théâtre de l'Ambigu-Comique,Théâtre de la Renaissance,Théâtre des Variétés-Amusantes andThéâtre du Gymnase Marie Bell. Roads running through the district includeBoulevard de la Chapelle,Boulevard de MagentaRue d'Abbeville, andRue du Faubourg-Saint-Denis. Also of note isMusée de l'Éventail,Hôpital Saint-Louis,The Kurdish Digital Library,Lariboisière Hospital,Lycée Edgar-Poe,Prison Saint-Lazare and theSaint Laurent andSaint-Vincent-de-Paul churches.[24] TheAlhambra music hall opened in 2008.
The 11th arrondissement is located in eastern Paris, west of the 20th arrondissement. Roads running through the district includeBoulevard du Temple,Boulevard Richard-Lenoir,Rue du Dahomey,Rue Oberkampf, andRue Saint-Bernard. It contains the squaresPlace de la Nation,Place de la République,Place du 8 Février 1962, the theatresBataclan,Théâtre des Folies-Dramatiques,Théâtre de l'Ambigu-Comique,Théâtre des Délassements-Comiques, andThéâtre des Funambules, the museumsMusée du Fumeur andMusée Édith Piaf,[25] andLa Roquette Prisons.
The 12th arrondissement in the southeastern suburbs of Paris is separated from the 13th by the Seine with several bridges. The district contains the Place de la Bastille and Place de la Nation (bordering the 11th),Picpus Cemetery andParc de Bercy, and theBoulevard de la Bastille runs through it. A 12th-century convent was located here,Saint-Antoine-des-Champs, and today the Buddhist templesKagyu-Dzong andPagode de Vincennes are located in the 12th arrondissement.[26] Landmarks of note includeBassin de l'Arsenal,Bastille railway station,Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy and the restaurantLe Train Bleu.Opéra Bastille, the main facility of theParis National Opera, was inaugurated in 1989 as part of PresidentFrançois Mitterrand's "Grands Travaux". Designed by Uruguayan architectCarlos Ott, it is located at the Place de la Bastille and houses a 2,700-seat theatre as well as smaller concert hall and a studio.[27]
The 13th lies in the south-eastern part of Paris. It contains the neighbourhoods ofChinatown,Floral City,Butte-aux-Cailles, and theItalie 2 shopping centre with some 130 stores.[28] Institutions such as theBibliothèque nationale de France andÉcole Estienne are located here, as isLes Olympiades,Paris Store,Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital,Place d'Italie, andStade Sébastien Charléty.Sainte-Rosalie church was built in 1869 in honour of SisterRosalie Rendu. The district is also known for its bridges such asPont amont,Pont de Bercy,Pont de Tolbiac, andPont National.
Montparnasse is a historic left bank area in the 14th arrondissement, the southern part of Paris, famous for artists' studios, music halls, and café life.[29] TheMontparnasse Cemetery, largeMontparnasse – Bienvenüe Métro station,Théâtre Montparnasse, and the nearby loneTour Montparnasseskyscraper are located there. Other landmarks include theCatacombs of Paris,École normale supérieure de jeunes filles,Hôpital Cochin,Hôtel de Massa,Le Dôme Café,La Santé Prison, andÉchelles du Baroque, the latter of which is a residential building complex, completed in 1985 by the international teamRicardo Bofill in the baroque style.[30]
The15th arrondissement marks the southwestern part of the city. The Boulevard du Montparnasse with itsTour Montparnasse passes through here (to be noted: the panoramic restaurant on the 56th floor). Dominating the river is theFront de Seine district with the newly reopenedBeaugrenelle Shopping Center. There are several bridges such asPont de Bir-Hakeim,Pont de Grenelle where the replica of theStatue of Liberty is standing onÎle aux Cygnes,Pont Mirabeau,Pont du Garigliano andPont aval. A number of institutions are based in the15th arrondissement, thePasteur Institute, and research hospitals:Hôpital Européen Georges-Pompidou andNecker-Enfants Malades Hospital. Art Schools such asAcadémie de La Palette today, replaced by thePanthéon-Sorbonne University, Saint Charles Campus-Visual arts and aesthetics[31] andÉcole nationale supérieure des arts appliqués et des métiers d'art andPanthéon-Assas University-Law school - Vaugirard Campus. The International culinary schoolLe Cordon Bleu andSchiller International University are both located in the15th arrondissement . Other places of interest include museums such asMusée Bourdelle, Musée Mendjisky (School of Paris),Musée Pasteur,Musée Jean Moulin, (French Résistance),Musée de La Poste andMusée du Montparnasse,Théâtre Silvia-Monfort nearParc Georges-Brassens, theAustralian embassy and Japan cultural Center.
The French automobile companyCitroën had several factories along the river,Quai André-Citroën. The modernistParc André Citroën now lays in their place with theBallon Generali in the center. ThePalais des Sports was built in 1960 to replace the oldVel' d'Hiv and has hosted many notable music concerts over the years.[32] Nearby, is theParis expo Porte de Versailles, Paris convention Center.
Val de Seine, straddling the15th arrondissement and the communes ofIssy-les-Moulineaux andBoulogne-Billancourt to the south-west of central Paris is the new media hub of Paris and France, hosting the headquarters of most of France's TV networks (TF1 in Boulogne-Billancourt,France 2 in the 15th arrondissement,Canal+ and the international channelsFrance 24 andEurosport in Issy-les-Moulineaux), as well as several telecommunication andIT companies such asNeuf Cegetel in Boulogne-Billancourt orMicrosoft's Europe, Africa & Middle East regional headquarters in Issy-les-Moulineaux.[33]
The 16th arrondissement is the largest district of Paris, marking the western side of the city, which extends beyond the left bank of the Seine.Paris Saint-Germain F.C. are based here and play their home games at theParc des Princes andStade Roland Garros hosts the annualFrench Open tennis tournament.Tennis Club de Paris, theStade de Paris rugby club,Longchamp Racecourse, and theAuteuil Hippodrome, a horse racing venue established in 1873 and which hosted the equestrian events of the1924 Summer Olympics are based in the 16th arrondissement.[34] Avenues passing through the district includeAvenue d'Iéna,Avenue de la Grande Armée,Avenue de Malakoff,Avenue Foch,Avenue Henri-Martin andAvenue Victor-Hugo. Like the 2nd arrondissement, the district has many museums, includingMusée Clemenceau,Musée Marmottan Monet,Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris,Musée national de la Marine,Musée d'Ennery,Musée d'Art Dentaire Pierre Fauchard,Musée de la Contrefaçon,Musée Galliera andMusée du Vin, and theThéâtre national de Chaillot. ThePassy neighbourhood contains thePassy Cemetery. A number of organizations are based in the 16th arrondissement, includingRadio France and theOrganisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.[35]
The 17th arrondissement to the west of the 18th arrondissement marks the northwestern suburbs of the city. The avenuesAvenue de la Grande Armée,Avenue de Wagram andAvenue des Ternes pass through the district.It has several squares, includingPlace Charles de Gaulle (with the Arc de Triomphe, bordering 16th and 8th),Place de Wagram,Place des Ternes andSquare des Batignolles, the latter of which is in the neighbourhood ofBatignolles, which also contains theBatignolles Cemetery andParc Clichy-Batignolles. Other landmarks of note include theAcadémie d'Agriculture,Hyatt Regency Paris Étoile,Théâtre Hébertot andPalais des congrès de Paris.[36]
La Défense, beyond the 17th arrondissement (straddling the communes ofCourbevoie,Puteaux, andNanterre, 2.5 km (2 mi) west of the city proper) is a key suburb of Paris and one of the largest business centres in the world. Built at the western end of a westward extension of Paris's historical axis from the Champs-Élysées, La Défense consists mainly of business high-rises, with most of thetallest skyscrapers in the Paris urban area, built around a pedestrian esplanade. Initiated by the French government in 1958, it now hosts 3,500,000 m2 (37,673,686 sq ft) of offices, making it the largest district in Europe developed specifically for business.[37] Its most emblematic building, theGrande Arche (Great Arch), houses a part of theMinistry of Ecology.[38][39]
The 18th arrondissement marks the northern suburbs of the city.Montmartre is a historic area on the Butte, home to theBasilique du Sacré-Cœur. Montmartre has always had a history with artists and has many studios and cafés of many great artists in that area.[40] The boulevardsBoulevard de Clichy,Boulevard de la Chapelle andBoulevard de Rochechouart pass through the district. Notable landmarks include theAcadémie de La Palette,Théâtre de l'Atelier,Cirque Medrano,Place de Clichy,Élysée Montmartre,Espace Dalí,Moulin Rouge, andMusée d'Art Juif.Plaine Saint-Denis (straddling the communes ofSaint-Denis,Aubervilliers, andSaint-Ouen, immediately north of the 18th arrondissement, across the Périphérique ring road) is a former derelict manufacturing area that has undergone large-scale urban renewal since the 1980s,[41] and contains most of France's television studios as well as some major movie studios.
The19th arrondissement marks the northeast suburbs of Paris. It contains theConservatoire de Paris,Cité de la Musique,Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie, and the neighbourhood ofLa Villette, which contains theGrande halle de la Villette andParc de la Villette. The Conservatoire, a prestigious music and dance school. was established in 1795,[42] and in 1946 it was split into two Conservatoires. Several canals run through the 19th arrondissement includingCanal de l'Ourcq andCanal Saint-Denis, and thePlace de la Bataille-de-Stalingrad lies at their intersection, commemorating theBattle of Stalingrad. One of the Paris Métro stationsStalingrad is also named after it. TheZénith de Paris, one of the largest concert venues in Paris located here. Opened in 1984, it has a capacity of 6,293 people,[43] and has hosted concerts of many of the top names in pop music.
The20th arrondissement marks the eastern suburbs of the city and contains the neighbourhood ofBelleville and also borders thecommune of the same name. The neighbourhood of Belleville covers both of the 19th and 20th arrondissements, and was annexed to the City of Paris in 1860. During the first half of the 20th century, many immigrants settled there:German Jews fleeing theThird Reich in 1933, andSpaniards in 1939, and it became a "Jewish ghetto".[44] ManyAlgerians andTunisian Jews arrived in the early 1960s. Belleville is home to one of the largest congregations of theReformed Church of France., and contains the Église Réformée de Belleville. Also of note is theCharonne quarter and its ÉgliseSaint-Germain de Charonne, theThéâtre national de la Colline (established in 1951), andParc de Belleville, situated on the hill between theParc des Buttes-Chaumont and thePère Lachaise Cemetery.[45]