Paris is broken down into districts or arrondissements, of which there are 20. Many travelers, both first time and seasoned veterans won’t visit all of Paris when they go, and usually certain sections of the city are where most people stay and visit. Our hotel program is broken down not by arrondissements, but roughly by sections of Paris that are most desirable and well known by most people. Landmarks are used to name these categories because of their proximity to the hotel. You can see roughly where these landmarks are on the basic area map. Each of these sections are excellent places to be in Paris – there is no least desirable section. The following are where our hotels are located, and by visiting each you can learn about the area and see which hotels are listed there:

Champs Elysees/Trocadero/Arc de Triomphe
Madeleine/Opera/Montmarte
Louvre/Chatelet/Marais
Latin Quarter/Saint Germain des Pres/Notre Dame/Montparnasse
Eiffel Tower/Porte de Versailles

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Champs Elysees/Trocadero/Arc de Triomphe

La Voie Triomphale, or Triumphal Way stretches from the Louvre to La Defense, and its very grandeur is evoked all along the famed Champs Elysees. The street is home to historical masterpieces as the Arc de Triomphe, the Elysee Palace, and the Grand et Petit Palais. Of course it also houses the modern sites such as the Virgin Megastore, theatres, cabaret, and restaurants. This avenue is the heart of the city and the rallying point of the French people. On Bastille, parades take place, the Tour de France finishes here, and the Liberation of Paris during WWII was celebrated here, as well as World Cup champions, and much more. From the avenue at the Rond Point, a visit to the Avenue Montaigne with its Haute Couture houses including Chanel, Christian Dior, Guy Laroche, and Ungaro is worthwhile.

Trocadero is the name given to the area in 1827 after a military tournament on the site had re-enacted the capture of the Fort Trocadero near Cadiz. Close to the Eiffel Tower and on a line from the Arc de Triomphe, this area has the museums of the Palais de Chaillot and the Musee d’Art Moderne which are a very worthwhile and complete visit. Trocadero is in th 16^th district which is considered well to do, but is a very nice area to visit The 17^th district is just as exclusive, it is quiet but peaceful. Visit the Parc Monceau on the other side of the Arc from Trocadero..

Sites to See: Arc de Triomphe, Grand Palais, Petit Palais, Palais de la Decouverte, Place de la Concorde, Obelisk, Palais de Chaillot, Parc Monceau, Palais des Congres.

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Madeleine/Opera/Montmartre

This district, which encompasses the opera house and its long avenues to the Palais Royal and place Vendome, is the hub of theatre and home to contemporary fashion where the streets are thronged with elegantly attired people day and night. The landmark of the 9^th district is the beautiful Opera, now called the Opera Garnier., It was built by Charles Garnier in 1875, with a famous ceiling decoration from Chagall. You can visit this building and learn about the Phantom of the Opera! It is from here that the famous musical is based.

Behind the Opera, on Boulevard Haussman, are the big French department stores : Galeries Lafayette and Printemps. Set on the grand boulevards of Paris, this famous part of the city is one of the best decorated and most visited at the Christmas holidays. Fashion shows and many accommodations are available in these stores to foreign shoppers. Many store employees speak some English.

Another Napoleonic structure on the classical temple model is the church of La Madeleine. It was started in 1764, but not completed until 1842, the church serves some high brow weddings and is known for its perspective across place de la Concorde. The chief attractions are the luxury food shops in the surrounding square, including Fauchon, La maison de la Truffe, and Hediards.

The Place Vendome, known as the most elegant and chic octagonal square in Paris, was designed in 17^th century. It is surrounded by very expensive jewelry boutiques such as Cartier. The famous Ritz Hotel is in front of the Place Vendome.

Further to the east and north is the area of Montmartre. A famous hilltop area of Paris, the unique Sacre Coeur sits atop the butte. Largely unchanged over the decades, this area of Paris has its quiet and winding streets that lead down to some of the more "colorful" parts of Paris in Pigalle. In the area, Boulevard de Clichy and Pigalle, you can walk along the Rue Lepic famous for its fine food shops. Pigalle is especially famous for its peep shows, but is also littered with lively clubs and quirky late night bars, and old cabarets.

To the north of the Butte Montmartre is the Marche aux Puces Saint Ouen, Paris’s largest fleamarket. Sacre Coeur and the crypt and the gallery in the dome are all open to visitors. Take a walk, or ride the funicular, up the many steps to the Sacre Coeur for a stunning view.

Sites to See: Opera Garnier, Place de l’Opera, Place Vendome, Rue St. Honore, Les Grands Boulevards, La Bourse, Place des Victoires, Faubourg Poissonniere, Musee Baccarat, Sacre Coeur, Boulevard Clichy, Abesses Quarter.

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Louvre/Chatelet/Marais

Between Le Louvre and the Tuileries palace is the charming Jardin des Tuileries (Tuileries Garden), especially appreciated by children for puppet shows and sailboat models. It is a nice place to take a walk, read a book, or enjoy some sunshine if the chance provides. From the gardens, an integral part of the Louvre Museum, one can sit and contemplate the enormous museum.

One of the famous sites of Paris is Le Louvre, and though some people wouldn’t know it if they were in front of it, a relatively new glass pyramid clears all doubt. Built around 1200, the Louvre was a former palace for the royal family and it became a museum in 1793 during the french revolution, and after the death of Louis 16. It is the largest royal palace in France and houses one of the richest collections of art and antiquities in the world. Many, many rooms and halls break up the themes and provide a way to visit that can require days to see it all. It is suggested to read any number of books to prepare for your visit.

Les Halles (also known as Forum des Halles) was named by Emile Zola " Belly of Paris" for all of its food vendors, but today all of that old marketplace is gone and replaced by shopping and restaurants. It is today the favorite spot of Parisian teenagers, thanks to its huge underground shopping mall. Around this lively place is Saint-Eustache, a splendid church built from 1532 to 1754, but placed on the spot of a chapel from 1214. The original and grandiose plans took from the Notre Dame style.

Though it is currently closed and under renovation The Centre George Pompidou (also called Beaubourg) , is today one of the most popular attractions of Paris. It is set to re-open at midnight this year! Next to this famous building are a few cafes and bistrots, with terrace, around the amazing and funny Stravinsky Fountain with its bizarre water fountain statues.

The Marais district stretches between the Bastille and the Hotel de Ville, and Le Marais means " the marsh" which comes from the flooding by the Seine until 16^th century. It has private residences, mansions and private hotels that have kept their pre-Revolution architecture. The Place des Vosges (built by Henri 4) is surrounded by an ensemble of 36 symmetrical stone houses of two storeys steep pitch slate roofs. This quarter is a very lively quarter with clothing boutiques, antique shops, boulangeries /patisseries, tea shops and bistrots. This is also a middle-eastern influenced section of the city and some of the best bistros and foods can be found here.

The place de la Bastille is at the crossroads of large boulevards and its July Column reminds of the famous events of 1789. This area east of the Marais gets its name from the infamous Bastille prison, which was stormed on 14 July 1789 by insurgents, at the start of the French Revolution. Artists, galleries and the opening of the Opera Bastille in 1989 have transformed the district into one where a young crowd can find plenty to do at night. Along the strees of Faubourg-St. Antoine is the old cabinet maker’s district and is still a place to find furniture. The marche Aligre is one of the best markets at the place d’Aligre.

Sites to See: Louvre, Hotel de Ville, Tuileries Gardens, St Eustache Church, Forum des Halles, Pompidou Center, Stravinsky Fountain, Place des Vosges, Picasso Museum, Carnavalet Museum, Hotel Rohan, Hotel de Guenegaud, Hotel de Soubise, Place de la Bastille, Opera Bastille, Marche Aligre.

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Latin Quarter/Saint Germain des Pres/Notre Dame/Montparnasse

The Latin quarter is a part of the left bank that was originally Roman, and hence, its name. This area is a lively place in Paris with its bistrots , its cafes frequented by students from the Sorbonne, the most famous university in France, (founded in 1253), its bookstores and inexpensive restaurants. The place St. Michel is the pivotal meeting point of the area, and just a stone’s throw from Notre Dame, it generally attracts numbers of people continuously. Crossing the Seine one can reach Notre Dame and the Ile de la Cite as well as the Ile St. Louis. Staying on the left bank can take one past the Sorbonne and the Pantheon. Just to the west of the Pantheon is the Luxembourg Gardens, a quiet an lovely garden meticulously cared for. Fronting rue de Vaugirard, the Palais du Luxembourg was designed in the early 17^th century for Queen Marie de Medicis, the Florentine wife of Henry 4. The palace and its grounds remained in royal hands until the 1789 Revolution. Today it houses the French Senate.

Another exciting part of the left bank is Saint Germain des Pres. Famous for its literary neighborhood and bookstores, it also has many cafes, some famous such as Cafe de Flore or Cafe des Deux Magots, where Jean Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir frequented. A bit to the south from Saint-Germain-des-Pres Church is the Place Saint Sulpice, surrounded by great fashion boutiques and shopping on the Rue de Rennes (shoes, leather purses, accessories).

For a relaxing moment, the Paris Mosque is a great place to have a mint tea and pastries from North Africa. There is also a Turkish bath, but certain days are reserved for men and others for women.

Ile de la Cite is situated in the middle of Seine river and is where the Parisii tribe and first inhabitants of Paris set up in the 3^rd century BC. Today, the famed Notre Dame sits here and as well the beautiful Gothic church of Sainte Chapelle. The Ile Saint Louis is a tiny and intimate island in the middle of Seine, just upstream from Ile de la Cité. This little island has a quiet neighborhood feel to it, and is a nice place for a walk. To be found and tried is the delicious Bertillon sorbet and ice cream ( the most delicious in the world).

Sites to See: La Montagne Ste Genevieve, Pantheon, Musee National du Moyen Age – Thermes du Cluny, Sorbonne and Sorbonne Church, St. Severin, Notre Dame Cathedrale, St. Chapelle, Pont Neuf, Ile St. Louis, Luxembourg Gardens and Palace, Odeon, St. Sulpice Church, Abbey of St. Germain des Pres, Institut de France, Montparnasse Boulevard and shopping.

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Eiffel Tower/Porte de Versailles

The symbol of Paris, and one of the most recognizable in the world. At 320 meters high (approx. 1050 feet), three different levels accessible by foot or elevator. The view of it from the Trocadero is superb, or from the other end of the Champ de Mars. To get the best view of Paris go to the 3^rd level at the top, but you’ll have to wait in line for the lifts. You could wait in a shorter line and climb the stairs to the 2^nd level where you will still have an excellent view. It is possible to have dinner at the restaurant Jules Vernes on the second level, but plan in advance as reservations are sometimes booked up more than 6 weeks out.

Nearby in the 7^th arrondissement is the Hotel des Invalides. This structure was commissioned by Louis XIV in 1671 to house homeless veterans of various wars. Much of the huge building is now occupied by the Musee de l’Armee (Military Museum). See the Dome Church, a masterpiece of Louis XIV period style. Inside also can be seen the sarcophagus of Napoleon.

One of the most beautiful and important museums of Paris is nearby, the Musee d’ Orsay. This beautiful museum is a former railroad station built for the Great Exhibition of 1900 and then made a museum of 19^th century art and early 20^th century. Pre-Impressionist, Impressionist, and post Impressionist Paintings with endless pieces by Delacroix, Millet, Renoir, Monet, Cezanne, Van Gogh, Gauguin, Degas and more. There are sculptures by Rodin.

Sites to See: Eiffel Tower, Ecole Militaire, Hotel des Invalides, the Dome Church, Military Museum, Rodin Museum, Orsay Museum.

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