Une Semaine à Paris
French Listening Comprehension
Chapter 2 - Quel quartier choisir ?
Travel Insert
The bilingual audio book Une Semaine à Paris includes inserts with detailed travel
information after each chapter. Here is the travel insert for
chapter two.
Choosing Paris Neighborhoods to Visit
Which are best for you? Part 1
It is challenging to generalize about Paris' vibrant neighborhoods, but these capsule descriptions will provide an overview of the character and the notable sights, and advantages of the 20 Paris arrondissements. In general, the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th 8th and 18th arrondissements contain the prime quartiers and notable attractions for visitors, but virtually every arrondissement has something wonderful to offer!
1er This is the heart of central Paris and offers multiple attractions for visitors. The Louvre, the Tuileries gardens, Les Halles, and the lovely Palais Royal are all here.
2e This is primarily a business district - the Paris Stock Market (la Bourse), and the original Bibliothèque Nationale are here. Visitors enjoy the 19th century passages couverts such as the Gallerie Vivienne for shopping, as well as the area around the Place des Victoires, rue du quatre Septembre for contemporary French Chic.
3e Along with the 4ème, this neighborhood includes part of the Marais, one of the oldest intact neighborhoods in Paris, and the interesting Temple district near Place de la République. Stately historic public buildings like the Archives Nationales and 17th century mansions that once housed Paris' noblest families are still to be seen and in some cases visited, as many contain museums. Winding streets, interesting boutiques, cafés, and art galleries (along rue Vieille du Temple) characterize this neighborhood. Notable museums: the Musée des Arts et Métiers (a fascinating museum full of the history of French scientific discoveries and inventions) and the Musée Picasso.
4e The center of the Marais, this is a lively neighborhood with a strong alternative lifestyle scene as well as lots of trendy bars, boutiques, and restaurants. The rue des Rosiers remains the heart of Paris' ancient Jewish quarter, while now a street full of trendy designers side by side with felafel shops and ancient synagogues. Notable venues are the rues St. Paul, St. Antoine, and the rue des Francs Bourgeois for excellent shopping, art galleries, antique shops, cafés, bistros, and more. The 4ème is also home to the tranquil Place des Vosges, considered one of the most beautiful squares in Europe. Notable museums include the Carnavalet, for the history of Paris, the Cognac Jay house museum, and Beaubourg (also called the Centre Pompidou), the national museum for modern art. And two of the oldest Paris neighborhoods, the Île de la Cité and Île St. Louis, are in the 4ème. Home to Notre Dame Cathedral, Ste. Chapelle, the Conciergerie, excellent shops, beautiful and historic residential and public buildings, and the not-to-be-missed Berthillon Ice Cream's main shop, the two Îles are well worth a stroll and some relaxing along the quais of the Seine.
5e The ancient Latin Quarter (le Quartier Latin), and still a center for learning. This neighborhood takes its name from the Sorbonne, where Latin was the common tongue for students and professors during the Middle Ages. The neighborhood is energetic, with the feel of a small village complete with winding streets, lots of students, small shops, and ethnic restaurants. Notable museums and monuments include the Panthéon, the Musée Cluny (medieval art), and the Institut du Monde Arabe. The Église St. Étienne du Mont near the Pantheon has a lovely Renaissance-era interior. The rue Mouffetard is a vibrant market street (closed Mondays) full of shops, ethnic restaurants, student bars, and cafés. On the eastern side of the 5ème, the Arennes de Lutece (intact remains of a Roman Amphitheatre within a nice park) and the Jardin des Plantes are well worth a visit.
6e St. Germain. Once the literary neighborhood of choice for bohemians, writers, and intellectuals, this neighborhood is now quite chic. Upscale boutiques, art galleries, literary cafés, and restaurants can be found throughout this quartier, along with unique boutiques, world-class antique shops, galleries, and still lots of bookstores. Notable churches are St. Sulpice and the Église St. Germain des Près, the oldest church in Paris. The Luxembourg Gardens are one of Paris' most lovely and extensive parks. The streets around St. Sulpice, rue du Cherche Midi, rue du Bac, and rue Jacob are prime shopping and browsing areas.
7e The Eiffel Tower (la Tour Eiffel), the Champs de Mars, Les Invalides, the Rodin Museum, the excellent rue Clerc Market Street, and the incomparable Musée d'Orsay are among the attractions of this wealthy neighborhood. The 7ème is also home to a large, upscale international population.
8e This wealthy neighborhood includes quiet, elegant residential areas, world class boulevards, and unparalleled designer shopping. The area on and around the Champs-Élysées has luxury hotels and shopping, several three-star restaurants, famed cafés, elegant tearooms, and lots of tourists. Between the Champs-Élysées and Place de la Madeleine, the rue du Faubourg St. Honoré contains excellent antique shops, other luxury goods dealers (eg. Hermes), and 19th-century residential buildings intermingled with businesses. The Place de la Madeleine is gourmet-central with the world-famed Fauchon, Hediard, the Maison des Truffes, Maille Mustard and more. The rue Royale is lined with world-renowned china and tablewares shops, and is home to a branch of the famed Ladurée, one of Paris' most elegant tearooms. On the northern boundary of the 8ème, the Nissim de Camondo museum, near the lovely English-style Parc Monceau, is a notable house museum with outstanding decorative arts collections.
9e A diverse residential, business, and tourist area popular for the Grands Boulevards lined with shopping, cafés, movies, and other diversions. The Paris Opera (l'Opéra de Paris) is located here. The northern part of the 9ème includes Pigalle, the slightly tacky Red Light district sitting at the foot of the butte Montmartre, as well as the famous Moulin Rouge nightclub.
This travel insert from Une Semaine à Paris was written by Sally Peabody of
Your Great Days in Paris
and is featured here with permission.
I have featured a total of three chapters of Une Semaine à Paris on my site. If you are interested in the entire book, read my review by clicking on the link in the red box or visit the author's website.
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Une Semaine à Paris sound files and transcript are used with the permission of Camille Chevalier Karfis Audio book & podcast author at French Today |
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