Paris where to live for a tourist. Districts of Paris - Where is the Best Place to Live for a Tourist. What can a tourist visit?

Arriving in the French capital, not all tourists think about which districts of Paris they will visit on their trip. They are interested in several famous sights that are definitely worth seeing and taking photos against their background. Meanwhile, the magical city is fraught with a large number of charming corners and wonderful architectural monuments located away from hiking trails and therefore less famous.

If you want to enjoy Paris to the fullest and explore it as best as possible, then you need to learn more about the city’s districts. This will help not only to find your way around the French capital, but also to create an ideal travel route for yourself. What are they, the districts of Paris, and what interesting things can be found in each of them?

How the capital of France is divided

Administratively, the French capital is divided into 20 sections called arrondissements. Each of them is a separate “town”, headed by its own mayor. All counties are assigned a specific number from 1 to 20 and a postal code. The authorities decided to number them starting from the city center and moving in a spiral from west to east to the outskirts of the capital. The result is 3 spiral circles.

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Knyazeva Victoria

Guide to Paris and France

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The smallest ones were located in the center, and the outlying districts became large in area. The map of Paris arrondissements, when you look at it, resembles a snail. All areas were divided into 4 blocks, setting up a police station in each of them.

Central areas of the city

The oldest arrondissements of Paris are located in its center. The historical core of the capital, from which in 52 AD. and the history of the city began, is the 1st arrondissement of Paris, the Louvre. Located in the western part and on the opposite right bank territories adjacent to the Seine, the area is small in size. But due to its rich history, it is literally “stuffed” with attractions. Here is the largest museum on the planet, the Louvre, after which the district is named.

The 1st arrondissement of Paris was occupied by a huge market for more than 8 centuries, described in detail by E. Zola in the novel “The Belly of Paris”. Now a multi-level shopping center-forum has been built here. An architectural gem area is the chapel of Sainte-Chapelle. The Comédie Française theater is located in this district; Molière himself staged his productions here. History buffs will love the Louvre area.

The capital of France needs no introduction: tens of millions of tourists come here every year, who know very well what they want to see in Paris itself and its suburbs. But they all have one thing in common: they all need somewhere to live. Parisian hotels, however, do not pamper travelers with accessibility and service: hotels here are expensive, and a room costing 120–150 euros does not guarantee you all imaginable and inconceivable benefits - it may well turn out to be a closet under the very roof with a non-working shower and breakfast in the form of coffee and a croissant. To prevent this from happening, you need to be responsible when choosing a hotel.

It hardly makes sense to settle outside the city center in Paris: it’s a bit far from the residential areas and suburbs to get to the sights, and it’s expensive—the metro in Paris also costs money. Therefore, I advise you to pay attention only to those hotels that are located more or less close to the attractions of the center. It’s not difficult to navigate - the hotel will certainly indicate in the description that it is located, say, 100–200 meters from Eiffel Tower or the Arc de Triomphe, or some other iconic landmark. This is especially important if you are traveling to Paris for the first time - focusing on famous objects, the likelihood of getting lost while looking for a hotel is much lower.

Which area of Paris is best to stay in?

If you look at the map of Paris, then preference should be given to hotels located in the first 9 arrondissements (administratively Paris is divided into 20 arrondissements). However, there are also good hotels in other districts, and in the process of choosing a hotel, it is perhaps more advisable to focus not so much on the administrative division, but on the convenience of accommodation in certain areas or even quarters of the city.

Neighborhood of the Louvre

The "most central" district of Paris is called Louvre(Louvre)(this is the 1st arrondissement, on booking sites it is often called the “Louvre-Shuttle”). As is easy to understand, most of it is occupied by the Louvre Palace Museum itself, as well as the adjacent Tuileries Garden, part of the Rue de Rivoli, Place Vendôme and the Palais Royal (often also called the Palais Royal). If you stay in this area, then a definite plus will be the availability of walking distance there are many attractions from your hotel, and there is a high probability that a piece of the Louvre will be visible from the window of your room, and you will live in some historical building, in addition, on Rivoli Street there is a significant number of shops, cafes and restaurants. There are also disadvantages, and quite significant ones: the cost of living in the local hotels is quite high; even for the most modest conditions they can ask for 120–180 euros per day or more, and it often happens that the description of the hotel and photographs on its website do not quite correspond to reality. Since the buildings in this area are quite old, it may well turn out that the hotel does not have an elevator, and you will have to carry your luggage yourself up to the 4th floor. Another disadvantage is that the bathrooms are often small, but this can be tolerated if not for poor pressure or lack of hot water. It often happens that the rooms are not equipped with air conditioning (this is especially important if you are traveling to Paris in the summer), the audibility between the rooms is appalling, and the furniture in the rooms is very shabby. Reviews of tourists left on hotel booking sites will help you save yourself from contemplating all of the above: they will definitely not remain silent if anything of the above is noticed in the hotel. Despite the respectability of the area as a whole, I would not recommend settling in the area around the Forum des Halles shopping center.– in the evenings it’s quite dull there and I personally don’t feel confident in the periodically hanging around teenage groups, sometimes aggressive.

In the Louvre area, you can pay attention, for example, to the Mansart hotel with spacious rooms and bathrooms, or the cute designer hotel Odyssey by Elegancia with colorful rooms, or the cozy Le Relais Saint-Honoré. If you like to cook yourself and want to feel like a Parisian, you should take a closer look at the apartments - for example, Apartments du Louvre, where you will have a fully equipped kitchen, washing machine, etc. at your disposal. If your travel budget is not limited, then it makes sense to stay at the Hôtel De Vendôme, which overlooks Place Vendôme directly.

Place de la Concorde area

Located next door to the Louvre Place de la Concorde(Place de la Concorde), from which the Champs Elysees begin. In my opinion, from the point of view walking this is the optimal place to stay in the center of Paris: the Louvre is about 10 minutes on foot from here, and this walk will be pleasant - through the Tuileries Gardens; From here it is convenient to go for a walk in the direction of the Invalides (L"hôtel des Invalides) and in the direction of the Orsay Museum (Musée d'Orsay), not to mention the fact that the Eiffel Tower is literally nearby. However, try to avoid hotels/rooms , which overlook the Place de la Concorde - this is one of the noisiest squares in Paris. But in the depths of the district, on the contrary, it is very worth settling - it is much quieter here, because many streets are closed, and only a car can go to the next store. bring groceries. By the way, there are not only several grocery stores in this area, but also many nice cafes where you can have breakfast. personal experience, I can recommend the nice hotel New Hotel Roblin, located near the Madeleine Church (l "église de la Madeleine) - our room, for example, had a spacious bathroom with a window onto the courtyard, and the bedroom had a small balcony.

Champs Elysees and surroundings

Live near Champs Elysees(les Champs-Élysees), which stretch from the Place de la Concorde to the Arc de Triomphe, are also quite interesting. Closer to the Place de la Concorde, the hotels are located in traditional Parisian houses with attics, and if your room is on the top floor, it is very likely that you will get a nice balcony or attic. Further, towards the Arc de Triomphe, there are a large number of shops, and finally, near the arch itself there is a completely traditional quarter, which does not lack food shops, of which there are much more than shoe and bag stores (in the center it is usually the other way around). It’s convenient to live here if your goal is shopping or traveling outside the central districts of Paris (for example, to the Abbey of Saint-Denis or Vincennes Castle) - the Gare St. Lazare train station is nearby, where 5 metro lines intersect, and There are shops of the Champs Elysees and boutiques of Rue St nearby. Honor. Here it is worth taking a closer look, for example, at the Wo Wilson-Opera by Elegancia hotel, from where it is convenient to go to the shops on the boulevards, or at the chain Best Western Premier Opera Diamond, from which you can walk to the Louvre or Montmartre. The Royal Garden Champs-Elysees hotel also seemed like a nice option for me to stay, where we got a nice and quite spacious room with a balcony-garden and where there was absolutely no noise from the street, although the window was always open. I fell in love with the Arioso Hotel for its courtyard with spiral staircase, a balcony with a table and chair and walls upholstered in chintz in a traditional Parisian style. In the immediate vicinity of the Arc de Triomphe, I can recommend Hotel Duret, in a quiet, uncrowded location, there is a supermarket and many cafes nearby.

Latin Quarter

Popular and quite convenient place for basing it is also considered Latin Quarter (Quartier latin), home to the Sorbonne, one of the oldest universities in the world. The area's main attractions are the Pantheon, the Luxembourg Gardens and the Baths of Cluny. Despite the fact that there are no fewer tourists in the Luxembourg Gardens than in the Tuileries Park near the Louvre, the area itself looks calmer and more homely; grandmothers are often seen here walking their dogs or going home with a baguette under their arm. Closer to the university there are a large number of inexpensive bistros, which are designed mainly for students, but tourists can also save a little on food. There are also shops here, not only grocery stores, but also used bookstores and antiques. The attractions of the Ile de la Cité and the Louvre are also within easy reach of the Latin Quarter - you just need to cross the bridge. In this area, I like the Villa Pantheon Hotel, located a block from the Pantheon and decorated in pre-war style, although there are, of course, other options.

Montparnasse

Good areas to live in Paris, in my opinion, are: station area Monaparnasse(Montparnasse). There are not as many attractions here as in the very center, but they do exist: this is a tall observation tower, from where you can see the whole of Paris, and the cemetery of the same name, no less visited than Père Lachaise. The area around the station (let me remind you, just in case, that in general there are seven railway stations) not a “station”, but quite decent, here we walked calmly both late at night and early in the morning. The main advantage of the area is good infrastructure: There are many grocery stores here, and at the exit of the metro there is a huge shopping center, so in any case you won’t leave without shopping and you won’t remain hungry. A possible disadvantage of the area may be its distance from the center, but for those who like to walk a lot, this is not a problem - in just 20–25 minutes you can walk to the Eiffel Tower, and in 15–20 minutes you can walk to Luxembourg Gardens. In this area, I can recommend the modern hotel Concorde Montparnasse, where we got a room overlooking the square with fountains (we have already stayed in hotels of this chain several times in Europe and have always been satisfied). Hotel Waldorf Montparnasse, where we also stayed at one time, is located opposite the Montparnasse Tower, the rooms here are very compact but cozy, we liked the large window into the courtyard in the bathroom. In this area you can also live closer to the catacombs, it is a 15-minute walk from the station - the convenience is that a special bus from Orly airport (Orlybus) comes to the square near the catacombs, and you can spend the night here (in a hotel, not in the catacombs) and the next day move towards the station to go in the right direction. Here I can safely recommend Best Western Nouvel Orléans with spacious rooms with a balcony by Parisian standards.

I'll continue the topic Parisian train stations , of which, as I wrote above, there are already seven of them in Paris. Living next to them is optimal when you are passing through Paris and early the next morning you need to travel further. Alternatively, if you have quite a lot of time budgeted for your trip, you can combine hotels in Paris: while you are walking around the city, it is logical to live closer to the center so as not to waste your legs, and when you need to leave, say, to Tours or Reims with Amiens, you can move closer to the station, so as not to jump up at the light or dawn, but calmly (and perhaps even on foot) take a walk towards the station. The areas near most of the stations are not scary at all, but rather bourgeois, quite decorous, they are all the same as in the center, houses with attics, which are still remembered by Baron Haussmann. For those who are planning to leave the Gare de Lyon station or the Gare d'Austerlitz station across the river, I can recommend the Villa Lutèce Port Royal hotel, from where the aforementioned stations are about a 10-minute walk away. A cozy hotel, although a few a little cramped, but the crampedness is nice, not disturbing, but giving it a kind of charm.

There are other quite popular areas in Paris, such as Montmartre or Marais.

Montmartre

Montmartre(Montmartre) is considered one of the most colorful areas of Paris; artists, poets, writers and journalists have long settled here (many of whom, by the way, subsequently migrated to Montparnasse, discussed above). Now there are a large number of shops selling all sorts of things and overrated, in my opinion, cafes and restaurants that shamelessly take advantage of the popularity of the area. It’s nice to walk around Montmartre and buy all sorts of nonsense, but I don’t recommend living here - there are always people hanging around here who are trying to snatch your bag, entangling your hands with colored threads, you also come across beggars here, and in the evenings there are numerous establishments under red lantern (and we are not talking about Chinese restaurants at all) and erotic-themed shops.

Mare

Area Mare(Marais) located closer to the center, in the 3rd and 4th arrondissements of Paris, and is now still considered ultra-fashionable - not least because this area has been chosen by the gay community. Here there are a couple of streets of genuine, real Paris, where you can easily stumble upon a half-timbered building, and the center from here is about 10-15 minutes on foot, so the area is strategically located well, but, in my opinion, it is very overrated, and in some hotels, even recommended by guidebooks, for example, Hotel de la Bretonnerie, there is something to complain about (if you get up late, you may not have enough pastries for breakfast), but you don’t really want to - it’s too cozy.

Defense

If this is not your first time going to Paris, then to complete the picture you can settle in an area where you have not been before - for example, V Defense(La Defense), "Parisian Manhattan". This is a good opportunity to see a place that you haven’t been able to get to all the time. There is quite a large number here retail space and a significant number of monuments of modern art, while the area is well connected to the center of Paris public transport. Hotels in La Défense are all modern, with spacious rooms, and you can often book a lovely room with breakfast for just 110–130 euros, which is not at all expensive for Paris. I advise, in particular, to pay attention to the Hilton Paris La Defense hotel, where you can choose pillows for your room in advance and buy metro passes without problems or queues.

What else to consider when choosing a hotel in Paris

In conclusion, I will add a few words about the features characteristic of Parisian hotels in general. It is worth understanding that with the high congestion of Paris with tourists staff A significant number of hotels are not at all interested in welcoming you as if they were family (there are already plenty of tourists, why bother trying), but they answer most questions and do their job - getting you into a room - quite clearly. Breakfast in the vast majority of Parisian hotels, in our understanding, they are meager and not worth the money at all: if breakfast costs 6–8 euros per person, this, as a rule, means that coffee and croissants will be served. If breakfast costs 12–15 euros, then they will add more cereal and perhaps some fruit and cheese. There are exceptions, but in most cases you can safely refuse hotel breakfasts and eat in your room or in a nearby cafe, fortunately, Paris has no shortage of nutritious establishments. Availability in hotel room kettle or coffee maker– rather an exception to the rule, this happens very rarely. If you prefer to travel by car, you need to remember that automobile– not the best means of transportation around the French capital; it is better to leave the car in the parking lot and use public transport or a bicycle to move around the city.

1st arrondissement of Paris

This is the most prestigious district, located near the Louvre and Place de la Concorde. Rue de Rivoli passes here - one of the main ones, as well as.

2nd arrondissement of Paris

4th arrondissement of Paris

Arrondissement de l'Hôtel de Ville — the oldest district of Paris, located on the right bank of the Seine, including where Notre Dame is located. Partially located here. Among others are Place des Vosges, Sevastopol Boulevard, Saint-Jacques Tower, and Paris City Hall. One of the most expensive places in the city.

5th arrondissement of Paris

Orcug Pantheon - on the left bank of the Seine River, south of Notre Dame. One of the oldest areas of the city. This includes (where the cheapest restaurants are even on weekends), the Sorbonne, the palace and baths of Cluny, the arenas of Lutetia, . Quite an expensive place.

Restaurant street in the Latin Quarter

6th arrondissement of Paris

This is one of the oldest districts of Paris, the 6th arrondissement is named after the Luxembourg Palace and gardens located here. In addition to this, there are , . Expensive place.

7th arrondissement of Paris

The district is named after Palais Bourbon. The main attraction of the area is. The headquarters, many foreign embassies, and ministries are also located here. Among the attractions are the Bourbon Palace and the Champ de Mars. Very expensive place.

Palace of the Invalids

8th arrondissement of Paris

- one of the most prestigious areas of Paris, where the houses of wealthy citizens, fashionable and expensive shops are located. Here are the Arc de Triomphe, the Grand Palais, the Elysee Palace, the Pont Alexandre III, Place de la Concorde and Haussmann Boulevard, along which the two largest are located. One of the most expensive places in the city.

Alexander III Bridge

9th arrondissement of Paris

This is the Opera area. Conveniently located near Paris North Station, where trains from the airport and also arrive. The main attraction of the district is. In addition - Galeries Lafayette, Boulevards Capucines and Haussmann, Place Pigalle.

Paris Opera

10th arrondissement of Paris

There are two main stations of the city here: the northern one, where trains from the airport arrive, and the eastern one, where many people arrive high speed trains from other countries, including Switzerland. Proximity to train stations has a corresponding effect on the public in the area. The area is not very expensive and not very pleasant.

Gare du Nord station

11th arrondissement of Paris

This is the area behind Place de la Bastille and Place de la République. Here you can already find hotels at a reasonable price. Middle area.

12th arrondissement of Paris

This is the most eastern district Paris, where the Bois de Vincennes and Place de la Bastille are located. Middle area.

13th arrondissement of Paris

This is the southeastern outskirts of Paris. A poor area where workers once lived, the area is now considered a local Chinatown due to the abundance of Asian immigrants. A boring place with typical high-rise buildings.

Chinatown in Paris

14th arrondissement of Paris

This is the southern district of Paris, which includes. Despite the distance from the center, it is not the cheapest place. Quite decent, without crowds of suspicious people, with average hotel prices. Other attractions include the Paris Catacombs. Plus nearby.

15th arrondissement of Paris

This is the southwestern arrondissement of Paris, the most populous of all. This includes

The exact age of Paris is unknown, but it is definitely more than 2 millennia. All this time, palaces and slums, fortresses and factories, churches and prisons were built and destroyed completely chaotically on its territory. By the end of the 19th century, the city was a chaotic conglomeration of streets, alleys, squares, vacant lots and ruins. All this disgrace clearly did not correspond to the status of the capital of the empire, which was proclaimed by Napoleon III. He decided to radically reconstruct Paris. This matter was entrusted to Baron Haussmann, who had a reputation as a purposeful, effective manager. It is to him that we owe the current appearance of the capital of France. Before reconstruction, there were no magnificent boulevards and embankments that so adorn Paris, and the well-known symbol also appeared thanks to the energy of this baron. The resulting radial structure of the city's layout also suggested the way it should be administrative division which is still followed today.

Today, the territory of Greater Paris is divided into 20 districts, differing in their history, infrastructure, and traditions. The numbering goes clockwise, starting with the first arrondissement - the Louvre, so administrative map city resembles a spiral shell of a sea mollusk. Each house has a sign with the county number in front of the street name. Sometimes these signs are duplicated in other languages.

1st arrondissement: Louvre

This is the most old part capital, located on the right bank and includes part of. Here is the highest concentration of historical attractions: the Arch of the Carousel, the Champs Elysees, the Louvre, Sainte-Chapelle, the Tuileries Garden, Concorde Square, the Palais Royal, the Conciergerie, the Vendôme, the Comédie Française theater. Lovers can indulge their souls on Rue de Rivoli.

2nd district: Exchange

The smallest district, financial institutions and the headquarters of the largest banks are concentrated here. The center of the district is the building of the Exchange, which has been operating since the 19th century and is also a landmark.

3rd district: Temple

Situated on the right bank, this district has incredible rich history. Its heart is the Marais quarter, one of the few islands of Paris that survived the Ottoman transformations. At the same time, it has its own face and character, unlike other districts. This is now the center of the fashion industry, and the shops are filled with products from talented young designers. Attractions of the district: , Carnevale, History of France, Arts and Crafts, Hunting and Nature, Puppet Museum.

4th arrondissement: Hotel de Ville

Another historical district on the right bank of the Seine. Includes part of the Marais quarter, part of the Hotel de Ville (former). From here, from Cite Islands, the history of Paris and France began. Here is the great Notre Dame Cathedral and the Saint-Jacques Tower. Art lovers will not miss the Center for Contemporary Art named after.

5th arrondissement: Pantheon

Almost every building in this district is historical. , the Sorbonne, the Pantheon, with its famous second-hand bookstores, all this is located here. The most cheerful and youthful district of Paris.

6th district: Luxembourg

Located on the left bank of the Seine. Here, in, which is located in the garden of the same name, meetings of the French parliament take place. Nearby stands the most old church Paris - .

7th arrondissement: Palais-Bourbon

The most aristocratic and expensive district of Paris. On its territory there is the Eiffel Tower, the Bourbon Palace, the Invalides Church with the tomb of Napoleon.

8th arrondissement: Champs Elysees

This is a real tourist Mecca, which includes the famous Champs Elysees street with all the shops and restaurants located on it. Sights: Arc de Triomphe, Grand and Small Palaces, where they are located art museums, Elysee Palace, Saint-Lazare Station, .

9th arrondissement: Opera

The center of the district is the Opera Garnier, a grandiose building that also has mystical fame. Besides it, in this district there is concert hall"Olympia", the Lafayette department store and many shops on the Grands Boulevards, designed for a wide range of customers' incomes.

10th arrondissement: Anclos-Saint-Laurent

Main attractions: Eastern and Northern, Canal Saint-Martin. The area is unsafe in the evenings, but is popular with adventure seekers in the red light district.

11th arrondissement: Poppancourt

The center of the city's nightlife, which never ceases day or night. Great amount nightclubs, discos, bars are open around the clock. Here, on the Place de la Bastille, all the informals of the capital meet and gay parades take place.

12th district: Röyi

Stretched from the Opera building to. There are no luxury shops or buildings, but many small shops and stalls filled with souvenirs. Tourists are attracted by the Vincennes Zoo and the Vesensky Forest.

13th arrondissement: Tapestry

It is named so because the building of the ancient Gobelin Manufactory is located here. But today this district is the territory of emigrants from the East, a kind of Chinatown. The Chinese, Filipinos, Malays, Vietnamese, Koreans live here, this is a special world where even signs and menus are written in hieroglyphs.

14th arrondissement: Observatory

Covers the Montparnasse district, once famous for its bohemian life. The Rotunda cafe, where future celebrities of the artistic and literary world met, is still open. Now it is a quiet, unusually cozy area.

15th arrondissement: Vaugirard

The most populous district of Paris. The city's most famous skyscraper is located here. Co observation deck Its rooftop offers stunning views of the city.

16th arrondissement: Passy

It is considered the most bourgeois district of Paris. Here is the Russian Embassy, the Museum of Humanity, the Balzac House Museum, the Museum of Forgeries, and the Trocadero Theater.

17th arrondissement: Batignolles-Monceau

Not so respectable, but very calm area, around the square and Boulevard Clichy. Here is the unusually pleasant Parc Monceau.

18th arrondissement: Montmartre

19th arrondissement: Buttes-Chaumont

Not so long ago it had a very bad reputation, but now it is well-maintained, comfortable and safe. Parisians love to come here to relax in the Palace of Science and Technology with its panoramic cinema.

20th arrondissement: Menilmontant

A troubled area where immigrants from all over the world have long settled. There is only one attraction - which all those who believe in communist ideas consider it their duty to visit.

No matter how hard the Parisian authorities try, the districts of Paris differ greatly in the level of security and welfare. The 13th, 15th, 19th and 20th arrondissements are considered the poorest, the most expensive and aristocratic are the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 6th, 7th, 8th and 16th. You need to be especially careful in the evenings in the alleys of Montmartre.

By Moscow or St. Petersburg standards, Paris cannot be called big city. It is noisy and densely populated, like all capitals, but at the same time it is quite compact. Walking on foot, you will quickly find yourself in new areas of Paris. There are 20 of them in the city. And each is interesting and unique in its own way. By choosing only standard tourist routes around the historical center, you risk missing out on a lot of interesting things - small details and touches that make up the spirit of the city. To truly understand a city, you need to visit all of them. arrondissements of Paris.

However, there is one subtle point here. Among the districts of Paris, there are some where you just have to “look” to get an idea about them. By settling there, you can greatly spoil your impression of the city. Such districts include Chinese, African and Indian quarters. Here the crime rate is higher than in other areas of Paris, there is practically no indigenous population, and it is always quite noisy and dirty. But hotel prices here are the lowest, 60-80 euros per night. Such cheapness is not a concession to the location; renovations in the hotel will most likely also turn out to be more than modest.

Eiffel Tower.

Prices for decent Parisian hotels, in quieter areas of the city, start from around 120 euros per night. It is unlikely that they will be near the historical center, but the city has a well-developed transport system and you can easily get to any place. From this point of view, it is most convenient to settle next to the first metro line. Passing through the entire city, it captures the most popular tourist stops: the Louvre, Arc de Triomphe, Champs Elysees, Tuileries Garden.

Prices in “legendary” hotels, known throughout the world on a par with the Louvre, with an ideal location and service, start from 500 euros per night. Thus, the room rate will tell you a lot about what you can expect from a hotel in a particular area. Figuring out on your own which district of Paris is best to book a hotel in is not easy. You can find a lot of information on this topic on the Internet, but it is often contradictory. Still, there are general recommendations that are worth listening to.

The districts of Paris are numbered clockwise, starting from the historical center - the Ile de la Cité (it is numbered 1), and then spiraling towards the outskirts. It is adjacent to the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th districts. The largest number of museums, architectural monuments and other attractions are located here: Notre Dame Cathedral, Louvre, Tuileries Garden, Conciergerie, Picasso Museum, Center Georges Pompidou, Place de la Bastille, Place des Vosges, Sorbonne, Pantheon, Latin Quarter, Luxembourg Palace and Garden. This is just a small list of what is just around the corner if you are lucky enough to live here. Native French people live here, mostly financiers and lawyers. You definitely won't be disappointed with a hotel in these areas, but the price will be accordingly.

Parisians relax in a pack

The “second circle” includes districts 7, 8, 9, 15, 16 and 17. They began to form in the 19th century; there are also many attractions here, and prices are slightly lower. Historically, the 7th, 16th and 17th districts were home to the Parisian aristocracy. Times are changing, but housing here is still prestigious, and restaurants are expensive. This is easily explained, in the 7th arrondissement, for example, close to the symbol of Paris - the Eiffel Tower. In front of it is the Champ de Mars, the Bourbon Palace, nearby the Rodin House Museum, the Orsay Museum, the Invalides House with the tomb of Napoleon. The 16th arrondissement is home to the Balzac and Trocadéro house museum, but the heart is Rue Passy, home to respectable shops and restaurants. The 17th arrondissement is home to many foreign embassies, the Palais des Congrès and Parc Monceau. Everything is respectable and very calm.

The remaining districts of the “second circle” are 8, 9 and 15 - busy tourist places. 8th district attracts Champs Elysees with many shops, boutiques and restaurants, Place de la Concorde and Place des Stars, Arc de Triomphe, Petit and Grand Palais. The center of the 9th arrondissement is the Opera Garnier, there are also many museums here: museum wax figures Grevin, Fragonard Perfume Museum, Gustave Moreau House Museum, Museum of Romantic Life. Despite the fact that this district is located almost in the city center, prices here are reasonable for both accommodation and food. Tourists are also attracted by the proximity of two large shopping centers, where everyone goes for shopping: Galeries Lafayette and Printant. The 15th district is the most populous. Among the attractions: the Montparnasse Tower is the main skyscraper of Paris.

Market in the city

The “third ring” was formed by the eastern and northern districts: 10, 11,12,13,14, 18,19, 20. They are simpler, poorer, more democratic. Many workers and immigrants live here. To be fair, it is worth noting that the peripheral areas of Paris are not so much dangerous as rather inconvenient for tourists. On the other hand, hotel prices here are much lower than in the center. Still, some areas should be avoided.

For example, the 10th arrondissement, located near the Northern and Western stations (Gard du Nord and Gard du l est). It would seem that the center is nearby, the infrastructure is developed, and the prices are affordable. However, experienced tourists There is no way they will rent a house here - this is an Indian area where visitors from African and Arab countries. There are three RER lines running here ( commuter trains) and two of them lead to the most criminal suburb of Paris - Saint-Denis.

The 13th arrondissement will not be the most interesting place to live. This is Parisian “Chinatown”. Although not only the Chinese live here, but also Filipinos, Japanese, Vietnamese and Thais. On every corner you can find a restaurant with local cuisine, a souvenir shop, a small market. It’s interesting to visit, but it’s better to choose another area for living. The second largest Chinatown is in the 20th district. Of all the attractions here is the Père Lachaise cemetery. The 11th district may scare away the stormy nightlife. Others, on the other hand, will be attracted by the many clubs, bars and restaurants open around the clock. It is always lively here; rallies, demonstrations and parades often take place.

The 18th and 19th arrondissements used to be notorious, but today, due to the substantial funds invested in their improvement, these areas are often recommended for tourists to stay. The 18th district is a district of Montmartre - one of the most romantic places Paris. 19 - famous for the town of science and technology La Villette and the Buttes Chaumont park.

Street musician in Montmartre.

Many guidebooks maintain the classic division of Paris into “left bank” and “right bank”. The spirit of the Left Bank was defined by the school at Notre Dame. The school became the Sorbonne, and the Latin Quarter appeared around it - students, youth, artists, musicians, poets. Traditionally, the left bank is considered aristocratic and bohemian. And the right one is the administrative and business center. However, nothing is permanent. Borders are blurred, the center is shifted here and there, so you should not rely on this opinion when choosing a hotel. Focus on the price, the proximity of the attractions you want to visit most, the opportunity to stroll in the evening on foot along the quiet cozy streets of Paris. Let them be away from tourist routes, the atmosphere of real Paris is made up of little things.

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