Paris Orientation

The Seine River—one of the favorite spots of young romantics—flows through Paris, dividing the city between the Rive Gauche (Left Bank) on the south and the Rive Droite (Right Bank) to the north. Paris is subdivided into twenty arrondissements, or districts (abbreviated “ème”). Starting with the premier (first) arrondissement in the heart of Paris, the rest follow a clock-wise pattern that spirals around to the city's outermost areas. A ring highway called the périphérique encircles the arrondissements, separating them from the banlieues (the ‘burbs). Within the city, each arrondissement has a local mayor and council, but the head honcho is really the City Mayor, who is elected by the city council and serves six-year terms. The current mayor is prominent socialist Bertrand Delanoë, France's first openly gay high-ranking politician.

Apart from the arrondissements, Paris is divided by a diverse number of neighborhoods that are sometimes comprised of more than one arrondissement. These neighborhoods have distinct features and feels that make each unique against the city backdrop. Here's a quick break down of Paris' seventeen neighborhoods:

Île De La Cité And Île St-louis

Right at the center of the city, these two islands are the beating heart of old Paris. Île de la Cité was the site of the first settlement of Paris and has the historic landmarks to prove ...more

The Marais (3ème, 4ème)

Called “The Swamp” in French, the lively, funky Marais district bears no resemblance to its wet, marshy beginnings. Glorious 17th-century architecture, including the breathtaking Place des Vosges blends ...more

Latin Quarter (5ème)

Boasting the prestigious Sorbonne built in 1257, the Latin Quarter was the intellectual heart of Paris and played host to a number of geniuses including Descartes, Satre, and Hemingway. No longer teeming ...more

St-germain (6ème)

St. Germain has a similar intellectual history to that of the Latin Quarter, and these days it is as well known for its upscale apartments as it is its charming cobblestone streets. Stop for lunch to people ...more

Champs-Élysées (8ème)

The Champs Élysées boulevard, is perhaps Paris's most visited shopping district, but it is by no means its best. Ridiculously expensive stores, ho-hum chain restaurants, and absurd auto showrooms line ...more

Opéra (9ème)

With nightclubs, porn shops, high-end department stores, and famous opera houses, this area has something for just about everyone. The rococo Opéra Garnier, with ceilings painted by Chagall, is a gorgeous ...more

Canal St-martin (10ème)

In the days of Napoleon III, the 10ème was a hotbed for revolutionary zeal, but these days the area has become lackluster. Two train stations bring the most foot traffic to its streets, and currently ...more

Bastille (11ème, 12ème)

This youthful, somewhat raucous neighborhood's history lies in beginning of the O Revolution when restless Parisians stormed the Bastille fortress. The club goers and pub patrons of today keep this ...more

Butte-aux-cailles And Chinatown (13ème)

From overcrowding to pollution, the 13ème has not been the most reputable of Parisian neighborhoods, but it is certainly not without merit. Since the influx of refugees during the Vietnam War, Paris's ...more

Montparnasse (14ème, 15ème)

Café life reigned supreme here for the first half of the 20th century, and in the 1920s it would have been completely normal to see Hemingway and Fitzgerald getting tré deep in conversation (and très ...more

Passy And Auteuil (16ème)

Once little 12th-century woodland suburbs, the villages of Passy, Auteuil, and Chaillot were eventually integrated into the city and are now known for their posh, bourgeois inhabitants and picturesque ...more

Batignolles (17ème)

Diverse is the best way to describe the 17 ème. Bourgeoisie and working class residents living mere minutes perhaps they're attracted by the delicious ethnic restaurants. Its uppercrust lives closer to ...more

Montmartre (18ème)

Can, can you do the can-can? Cabaret performers in Montmartre can. The historic bohemian area of Paris, whose steep, windy streets were once populated by artists galore, is now frequently overwhelmed with ...more

Buttes Chaumont (19ème)

This working-class region has the feel, but not the maddening crowds, of neighboring Montmartre. Immigrants of all backgrounds call it home, and different ethnic communities have sprung up over the years ...more

Belleville And Père Lachaise (20ème)

A history of violence and suppression has shaped the 20ème into a tough yet charismatic area with a large immigrant population from France's old colonies. Visitors don't usually frequent the 20ème, but ...more