A Guide to Paris Neighborhoods

Imagine the swirl of the shell of those delicious little escargots you find on the menus of so many Parisian bistros. You'll notice that those shells spiral out in a clockwise direction from the center. Paris neighborhoods are arranged in a similar fashion, starting with the 1st arrondissement and spiraling outwards to the 20th. The arrondissements are surrounded by the ring road of the périphérique and beyond lie the suburbs of Paris, known as the banlieues. Each of these Paris neighborhoods has something special to offer, so we'll take you through the highlights here.

Located right in the center of the city, Louvre is one of the grandest of Paris neighborhoods but also the least populated. Instead of residential areas, it has some of the city's best-known sights, such as the Louvre and Royal Palace. Just to northeast, Bourse is the smallest arrondissement, but one of the city's foremost business districts. It's home to the former stock exchange, the Palais de la Bourse, and the National Library. Both areas are extremely well policed and are among the safest neighborhoods in Paris.

Temple encompasses the northern part of the historic Marais district. Its narrow cobbled streets offer a view of the medieval city and with an abundance of little boutiques, galleries, and bars, it's one of the trendiest neighborhoods in Paris. Temple is also great for culture, with the Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers, the Picasso Museum, and the Carnavalet Museum. Hôtel-de-Ville contains the southern part of the Marais and the eastern section of Île de la Cité, the oldest quarter of the city. It's home to the Notre-Dame Cathedral and Centre Pompidou.

Situated on the famous Left Bank, or Rive Gauche, Pantheon is where you'll find the Latin Quarter and famous Sorbonne university. You can wander a maze of narrow streets and alleys, brimming with bookshops and bistros. For Bohemian Parisians, this has long been regarded as one of the coolest neighborhoods in Paris. Immediately to the west, Luxembourg provides the perfect opportunity to escape the bustle of the city. The Jardin du Luxembourg is one of the world's great parks and is a must for a relaxing stroll, while the Odéon Theatre, Saint Sulpice church, and the 11th century abbey of Saint-Germain des Prés provide other diverting attractions.

These are undoubtedly two of the best neighborhoods in Paris for sightseeing. Palais-Bourbon is just to the west of Luxembourg and is home to the Eiffel Tower, one of the most famous landmarks in the world and a Paris icon that draws millions of tourists. It's also a magnet for lovers of history and culture, with the Invalides, Napoleon's tomb, Musée d'Orsay, Musée Rodin, and the Musée du Quai Branly. Cross the Seine and you will find Élysée, with one world's greatest boulevards, the Champs-Élysées, along with the Place de la Concorde, Arc de Triomphe, Grand Palais, Petit Palais, the presidential Palace, Madeleine church, and the achingly romantic Monceau Park.

Opéra is one of the most diverse Paris neighborhoods, with magnificent boulevards, upscale restaurants and designer shopping in the south and the red light Pigalle area (thought by some to be one of the Paris neighborhoods to avoid) to its north. In the south is the former Opéra Garnier, a magnificent opera house, and the Galeries Lafayette, a renowned department store. The imposing Sainte-Trinité church is also to be found here. Enclos-St-Laurent will be familiar to you if you arrive in Paris by train, as the Gare de l'Est and Gare du Nord are found here. You can also go for a romantic walk along the Canal Saint-Martin and visit Saint-Vincent-de-Paul church.

Popincourt is one of the more low profile Paris neighborhoods but a popular residential area. Oberkampf in the north is known for its nightlife and the spectacular shows at Cirque d'Hiver (the winter circus) inspired artists such as Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Georges Seurat. Reuilly is home to the impressive Bastille Opera and is also a popular residential area. It hosts the Bercy Stadium and the modern Bercy Park and is bordered on its eastern side by the massive Bois de Vincennes, Paris' biggest park.

Another of the largely residential Paris neighborhoods, Gobelins is home to the impressive modern building of the National Library. It also houses the Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, a sprawling 17th century hospital complex with an impressive chapel. This is also where you'll find the largest Chinatown in Paris. Observatoire takes its name from the the observatory of Paris and is one of the more lively Paris neighborhoods. There's some great nightlife to be found around Montparnasse Boulevard, and many famous French citizens are buried in Montparnasse Cemetery. Another popular tourist attraction in Observatoire are the catacombs, an former quarry that was turned into an underground tomb due to overcrowded cemeteries in the late 18th century.

Vaugirard is the largest of Paris neighborhoods both by size and population. It also boasts the soaring Tour Maine Montparnasse, the tallest skyscraper in the city center. The Parc André Citroën in the west of the arrondissement, meanwhile, is one of the most interesting modern parks in Paris. Passy is definitely one of the rich neighborhoods in Paris. It is bordered by the huge Boulogne park to the west, and its handsome boulevards attract some of the wealthiest Parisians. Palais de Chaillot offers superb views across the Seine to the Eiffel Tower and also houses some notable museums, including Musée Guimet, the Palais de Tokyo and Musée Marmottan.

Batignolles-Monceau is another of the more diverse Paris neighborhoods, with some grand boulevards in the south and the red light Pigalle neighborhood in the north. In the west, you'll find the huge Palais des Congrès complex, a large convention center with adjoining hotels. Butte-Montmartre is home to one of the most famous Paris neighborhoods, Montmartre. On a hill with fabulous views across the city, it's famous for its street artists, the Basilica of Sacré-Coeur, and the Place du Tertre. It's also where you'll find the Moulin Rouge, with its world famous can-can dancers and extravagant cabaret shows. 

One of the lower-key Paris neighborhoods, Buttes-Chaumont still contains two of the city's most interesting parks, the Parc des Buttes-Chaumont and the modern Parc de la Villette, which houses the city's popular science museum. Ménilmontant, meanwhile, is a mostly residential neighborhood with a cosmopolitan character. It's also home to the most famous cemetery in Paris, the Cimetière du Père-Lachaise. Visitors come to see the graves of people such as Balzac, Gertrude Stein, Oscar Wilde, Bizet, Chopin, Rossini, Maria Callas, Edith Piaf, Isadora Duncan, Jim Morrison, Pissarro, Modigliani, Delacroix, Sarah Bernhardt, and Yves Montand.