Due to its historical significance, the Bastille district is an integral part of many Paris city tours, although specialized excursions that focus solely on the Bastille arrondissement are also available. Highlights of artistic Bastille include the Viaduc des Arts, a modern version of an old Paris viaduct; Port de l'Arsenal; and Opera Bastille, which you can explore on a guided tour.
However, one of the best ways to absorb the culture and French history is on a food tour—feast on French delicacies and sample wines at Marche d'Aligre market, browse shops selling charcuterie and cheese, and stroll along Promenade Plantee.
A Bastille tour is ideal for history and food lovers.
The neighborhood is most often visited on half-day walking tours of Paris.
Book a tour of Opera Bastille in advance to see the opera house's interior.
The Bastille neighborhood is mostly accessible to wheelchair users, but some of the attractions might not be.
Reach the Bastille neighborhood by car, train, or metro with ease—the Bastille metro station is serviced by Line 5. Walking to the Bastille district along the banks of the Seine River is also a pleasant—if more time-consuming—way to arrive. Alternatively, make your way there as part of a guided walking or Segway tour of Paris or the Bastille proper.
At night, Bastille comes to life with an eclectic mix of swanky wine bars, raucous taverns, atmospheric jazz clubs, and cutting-edge cocktail bars. Begin your evening with fine French fare at an intimate bistro and end your night dancing among Parisians. Or, visit by day to soak up the neighborhood's history.
A French celebration established to commemorate the storming of the Bastille in 1789 by Parisian revolutionaries, Bastille Day—or la Fête Nationale in French—is one of France's major national holidays. Now, Bastille Day is celebrated with one of Europe's largest regular military parades and the Louvre even offers free admission. Expect large crowds, of course.
