Paris Montparnasse

Cimitière Montparnasse, 3 bld. Edgar Quinet (☎01 44 10 86 50), Opened in 1824, Cimitière Montparnasse is the prestigious final resting place of countless famed Frenchman, and an escape from the touristy hustle and bustle of Montparnasse. Be sure to stop at the security station at the Bld. Quinet entrance for a map marking the resting places of the cemetery's celebrities. The map reads like a Who's Who? of French greatness; Charles Baudelaire, Alfred Dreyfuss, Guy de Maupassant, Samuel Beckett, Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir (the two are buried together), among many others, hold real estate here. The presence of these great minds is surely enough to make humanities buffs shed a tear, and the graves continue to be lovingly adorned with cigarette butts, beer bottles, metro tickets, and personal statements of gratitude in several languages. The rest of the cemetery, however, leaves a bit to be desired. The broken windows, bright green trash receptacles, and candy-cane-striped “Do Not Enter” signs detract from the solemn beauty. Free. Open 24hr.
Catacombs, 1 av. du Colonel Henri Roi-Tanguy (☎01 43 22 47 63; www.catacombes-de-paris.fr/), The Catacombs were originally the sight of some of Paris's stone mines, but was converted into an ossuary (i.e. place to keep bones) in 1785 due to the stench arising from overcrowded cemeteries in Paris. A journey into these tunnels is not for the handicapped or the light of heart—it's a 45min. excursion, and there are no bathrooms, so we recommend that all middle-aged men double down on their Maxiflow the night before, and handle business before you descend into the abyss. The visitor enters down a winding spiral staircase, and soon thereafter, is greeted by a welcoming sign: “Stop, here is the Empire of Death.” The visuals are quite unlike anything you've ever seen before. Morbid-themed graffiti lines the walls, and the view of hundreds of thousands of bones makes you feel, well, quite insignificant in the grander scheme of things. Try to arrive before the opening at 10am; nestled twice as deep below ground as the metro, the Catacombs offer a refreshing respite from the midday heat Denfert Rochereau. Cross av. Roi-Tanguy with lion on your left. €7, over 60 €5.50, 14-26 €3.50, under 14 free. Open Tu-Su 10am-4pm. Takes credit cards.
Tour Montparnasse, 33 avenue du Maine (☎45 38 52 56), Built in 1969, this modern tower stands 59 stories tall and makes Paris look uncommonly small. The elevator is allegedly the fastest one in Europe, and spits you out to a mandatory photo line on the 56th floor. After being shoved in front of a fake city skyline an forced to smile for a picture that you probably don't want and will be pressured to pay for, you're finally allowed up to the 59th floor to take in the real, slightly more breathtaking view. From this obnoxiously lofty modern skyscraper, you can properly take in the beauty, uniformity, and meticulous planning behind Paris's historic streets. Thankfully, the city ruled that similar eyesores could not be constructed in Paris's downtown shortly after this one was built; the city's distinctive style are definitely here to stay. The Tour has a cafe, which provides a wildly overpriced selection of prepackaged food. The view can be a little much on hot summer days, but is nonetheless cool for those who aren't afraid of outdoor, non- Montparnasse-Bienvenue. Entrance on rue de l'Arrivée. M-Th Su 9:30am-10:30pm, F-Sa 9:30am-11pm. Last entry 30min. before close. Wheelchair access.
Fondation Cartier pour L'Art Contemporain, 261, bd. Raspail (☎01 42 18 56 50; www.fondation.cartier.com), With a spectacularly sunny, industrial-deco first floor and a cooler basement level home to audiovisual displays, this terrific contemporary museum showcases a series of non-sequitur exhibits that add a little edge to Paris's vibrant art scene. In years past, the Cartier has hosted several Japanese artists, including Hiroshi Sugimoto, Takashi Murakami, and Daido Moriyama, and avant-garde exhibits on graffiti and rock and roll. The innovative, quirky displays push the limits of visitors' interaction with art. Half the fun is in watching how visitors react to the unconventional displays; older folks generally have a blank, “what the hell is going on?” look on their faces as they walk through. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access.
Cité Universitaire, 17 bd. Jourdan (☎01 44 16 64 00; www.ciup.fr), Built in the 1920s to nurture cultural exchange between students from around the world, the Cité Universitaire teaches students of over 140 different nationalities. The university's architecture is pretty impressive—the roof of Le Corbusier's Pavilion Suisse housed anti-aircraft guns during WWII—but the best thing to do here is grab a drink at the Maison's café, and head out to the back deck, where students blend languages, bend accents, and study a whole lot of nothing. There's always at least one soccer game and one picnic happening on the big lawn. The Cité welcomes merrymakers of all ages; many a wannabe student has attempted to relive college years here, only to pay the price of admission in cigarette giveaways to students doubling as professional moochers. Whether you're a student yourself or an aging Boomer looking for your personal Hot Tub Time Machine, this is a great place to make some new friends. Wheelchair access.
Musée Bourdelle, 16 rue Antoine Bourdelle (☎01; www.paris.org/Musees/Bourdelle), No, this is not a museum of whorehouses, you dirty, dirty traveler—you're thinking of bordelle. The Musée Bourdelle is tucked away on the rue Bourdelle, delightfully close to Montparnasse Bienvenue. Despite its convenient location for tourists, there are few of them here; thanks to the tranquil block on which the museum is located, you might be so lucky as to forget you're anywhere near major tourist attractions. For the T philistines among us, Antoine Bourdelle was a French sculptor whose work was extremely influential in the early 1920s; this museum is located at the site of his former home and workshop. Start your visit in the Salle des Platres, the first main room to the left of the entrance. An informational video walks visitors through the process of constructing a sculpture employed by Bourdelle and his peers. Some of the museum's most beautiful offerings, including the gigantic Aphrodit Takes credit cards.
Mémorial de la Libération de Paris, 23 allée de la 2ème D.B., Jardin Atlantique 01 40 64 39 44 Opened in 1994 for the 50th anniversary of the liberation of Paris from Nazi control, the memorial is comprised of the Mémorial du Maréchal LeClerc and the Musée Jean Moulin, named after two celebrated WWII heroes. LeClerc led the first Allied division to liberate Paris from German control in 1944, and Moulin founded the National Council of Resistance, collaborating with de Gaulle to overthrow the German occupation from the inside. The museum contains a wealth of newspaper clippings, radio segments, slideshows, and old guns and uniforms from the period. Savvy multi-taskers are likely to be thrilled a by the dazzling 13-superscreen slideshow upstairs. The image of tanks barreling through empty Parisian streets and American soldiers receiving hugs from tearful Parisians will choke up even the most cynical of visitors. The Memorial's visual exhibits are certainly cool, but we necessarily don't recommend visiting the Memorial unless you have a background in the hi
Parc André Citroen, Inaugurated on the scene of a former Citroen automobile company plant in 1992, the Parc was designed by an ensemble of architects, under the direction of Clément and Alain Provost. The park spans 13 hectares, and boasts two greenhouses, a 250m long pool, ping pong tables, basketball courts, a hot air balloon station, and an unintended skate park for the fashionably disaffected young males of Paris. In the summer, sunbathers, screaming children, and curled old men are permanent fixtures on the park's benches and manicured lawns. If you really feel the need to tweet or blog about how awesome the park is, bring your laptop and take advantage of one its three Wi-Fi areas. Does not take credit cards. Wheelchair access.
Institut Pasteur, 25 rue du Docteur Doux For group visits, 01.45.68.82.83 (www.pasteur.fr), You probably learned about this guy in middle school bio. An extremely influential scientist in the late 19th century, Louis Pasteur's breakthroughs in pasteurization (gee, wonder who that was named after?), crystallization, vaccination, and the nature of germs guaranteed him a halo-ed spot in the history books and a street named after him in almost every French city. Today, Pasteur's legacy is manifested in this research institute—which uncovered the AIDS virus in 1983—and commemorated in the public museum, which is housed in Pasteur's former laboratory and renovated home. If you're a nerd, or have a V nurse/doctor fetish, your trip here will be pretty exciting. You're in France now; there are plenty of good-looking doctors. The museum has preserved Pasteur's test tubes and instruments for public viewing in the actual laboratory where he pasteurized, germinated, etc. Non-science people, much of this stuff will likely float over your head. But the Does not take credit cards.