Paris is divided into 20 arrondissements or districts, each with its own distinct personality. To help narrow down your options, we’ve highlighted our favorite neighborhoods below.
Poised in the lofty 18th arrondissement, hilly Montmartre offers unbeatable views overlooking the City of Light. Make like Amélie Poulain and ascend to Basilique du Sacré-Coeur for the best vantage. While you’re there, swing by other local landmarks such as Montmartre Cemetery; stop by the Rue des Martyrs to browse boutiques and food shops; and finally head to nearby Pigalle for an after-dark cabaret show.
One of Paris’ most popular neighborhoods, the Latin Quarter (the city’s fifth arrondissement) was home to some of the 20th century’s most influential artists and literary luminaries, and it’s still renowned for its bohemian, romantic spirit. The area is filled with students, thanks to universities such as the Sorbonne. Other highlights include the Luxembourg Gardens (Jardin du Luxembourg) and the storied Shakespeare and Company Bookstore.
Historically the city’s Jewish quarter, Le Marais is now one of Paris’ hippest neighborhoods, spread across the third and fourth arrondissements. Its narrow streets are filled with upscale boutiques, stylish cafés, and cutting-edge galleries. The area is also a sightseeing heavyweight, thanks to landmarks such as the Picasso Museum (Musée National Picasso Paris) and historical Place des Vosges. Don’t forget to sample the falafel sandwich at L’As du Fallafel on the Rue des Rosiers: it’s one of the city’s essential eating experiences.
Just west of the Latin Quarter in the sixth arrondissement, Saint-Germain-des-Prés was also formerly frequented by writers and creatives (it’s home to Les Deux Magots and the Café de Flore, where the likes of Ernest Hemingway and Simone de Beauvoir once lingered). Today, however, the neighborhood has grown up into the epitome of chic Paris. Stroll its boulevards, browse its shops, and wander into the church for which the area is named.
Also known as le premier arrondissement, the first arrondissement is in the very heart of Paris. It may be small, but this neighborhood packs plenty of bang for it sightseeing buck. Its most famous resident is unquestionably the Louvre, but the first arrondissement also houses the Palais Royal, Tuileries Garden (Jardin des Tuileries), and Les Halles.
While the western half of Île de la Cité is technically part of the first arrondissement, the island—one of only two Seine islands in Paris—really is an entity all its own. Boasting two of Paris’ most noteworthy monuments (Notre Dame Cathedral and Sainte Chapelle) and traversed by the picturesque Pont Neuf, it’s at the top of most visitors’ Paris wish lists.
Claire Bullen is an award-winning food, drinks, and travel writer and editor who has lived and worked in Chicago, Philadelphia, New York, Paris, and London. She is the author of The Beer Lover's Table: Seasonal Recipes and Modern Beer Pairings, and the editor at GoodBeerHunting.com. Her writing has also appeared in Time Out New York, The Daily Meal, Pellicle Magazine, and beyond.
