Friday, November 8, 2013

Places of Interest in Paris, France

The Best Neighborhoods

  • Montmartre: Striding a hill atop Paris, Montmartre used to be a village of artists, glorified by masters such as Utrillo, and painted, sketched, sculpted, and photographed by 10,000 lesser talents. Today, it's overrun by tourists, building speculators, and nightclub entrepreneurs who moved in as the artists moved out. However, a few still linger and so does much of the villagelike charm.
  • Quartier Latin: Over the Seine on the Left Bank, the Latin Quarter lies in the 5th arrondissement and consists of streets winding around the Paris University, of which the Sorbonne is only a part. The logical starting point is place Saint-Michel, right on the river. From here you can wander at leisure, getting lost as you discover the doglegged cluster of alleys adjoining the river -- rue de la Huchette, rue de la Harpe, rue St-Séverin. End up by strolling along boulevard St-Germain, lined with sophisticated cafes and shops.
  • Le Marais: The vaguely defined maze of streets north of place de la Bastille, known as Le Marais, or "the Marsh," is an attraction in itself. During the 17th century, this was a region of aristocratic mansions, which lost their elegance when the fashionable set moved elsewhere. The houses lost status, but they remain standing and restored today, as the once-decaying Marais has been gentrified. Today, it's one of the most fashionable districts in Paris, home to funky shops, offbeat hotels, dozens of bistros, hot bars, and "gay Paree."
  • Ile St-Louis: A footbridge behind Notre-Dame leads to this enchanting island on the Seine, full of tree-shaded quays, town houses with courtyards, and antiques shops. This smaller and more tranquil of the Seine islands has remained much as it was in the 17th century. Over the years, many illustrious French have called St-Louis home -- none more famous than Voltaire. This is our favorite real estate for wandering in the whole city.
  • Ile de la Cité: "The cradle of Paris," where the city was born, is actually an island shaped like a great ship in the middle of the Seine. The site of France's greatest cathedral, Notre-Dame, it invites exploration and wandering. Home to French kings until the 14th century, Cité still has a curiously medieval air, with massive gray walls rising up all around you, relieved by tiny patches of parkland. Sainte-Chapelle and the Conciergerie are both found on the island.

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