The six Paris districts you should know, from classically French cobbled streets to edgy underground clubs
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Looking for a relaxing stroll through museums? Vintage shopping down hidden side streets? Or fancy discovering street art in one of the grittier neighbourhoods? Anna Richards explores the districts that help you see the authentic side of Paris. All eyes were on the French capital for the 2024 Olympic Games, and the city is sure to remain a popular destination throughout 2025. One of the most important things to ask when planning a Paris city break is: which neighbouthoods deserve your time?.
![[La Place des Vosges in le Marais is arguably the prettiest square in Paris]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/06/17/21/iStock-505567675.jpg)
The best way to get your head around the layout of Paris’s 20 central arrondissements, which looks as illogical as the French counting system, is to think of it as a snail’s shell. How typically French, to structure their capital city like an escargot. The first arrondissement is where you’ll find the Louvre, former home of the French royals, and from here, the spiral goes clockwise and outwards.
![[From the Temple de la Sibylle, in Parc des Buttes-Chaumont, you can enjoy beautiful views of the city]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/07/20/13/iStock-2160328783.jpg)
Each district has its own distinct character and may well appeal to a different type of traveller. Part of the beauty of Paris is that it has a heart and soul away from the main tourist attractions. These are the six districts that will help you discover it.
![[A stroll through Montmartre makes you feel like you’re on a film set]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/07/20/13/iStock-2068371534.jpg)
Read more: Best Paris hotels. Read more: The best things to do in Paris. Belleville often feels crowded, albeit with people who really live and breathe the quartier rather than groups of tourists following a guide with an umbrella, but the abundance of green spaces mean there’s always somewhere to unwind. Parc des Buttes-Chaumont, a former gypsum quarry which also used to serve as a gibbet and then a sewage depository, is now an urban oasis, with views that take in the Eiffel Tower and La Defense in one shot.
![[Jardin des Plantes offers an oasis in the heart of the city]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/07/20/13/iStock-2160835917.jpg)
