Guide to Paris Arrondissements
The city center of Paris is made up of 20 arrondissements (districts), which are numbered from 1 to 20.
The arrondissements are arranged in the form of a clockwise spiral. The numbering starts with the first ("1er", short for French premier) arrondissement in the middle of the city on the Right (north) Bank of the Seine River. The arrondissements turn clockwise from there, spiralling out and around the city.
Arrondissements do not have names and do not correspond to neighborhoods such as the Latin Quarter or Invalides.
When written, arrondissment numbers are followed by a small 'e,' - e.g. 2e, 3e, 12e. This is an abbreviation for the French -ieme, which is the equivalent of -th in English. For example, "5e" is short for cinquieme, which means "5th."
Fortunately for travelers, Paris zip codes are directly related to the arrondissements. The last two numbers of the zip code identify the arrondissement. For example, an address with a zip code of 75012 is found in the 12th arrondissement, 75004 is in the 4th arrondissement.
Each arrondissement has its own unique character and selection of attractions for the traveler:
- 1st (1er). The geographical centre of Paris and a great starting point for travelers. The Louvre Museum, the Jardin des Tuileries, Place Vendôme, Les Halles and Palais Royal are all to be found here.
- 2nd (2e). The central business district of the city - the Bourse (the Paris Stock Exchange) and the Bibliothèque Nationale are located here.
- 3rd (3e). Archives Nationales, Musée Carnavalet, Conservatoire des Arts et Métiers, the northern, quieter part of the Marais
- 4th (4e). Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Hôtel de Ville ( Paris town hall), Beaubourg, le Marais (gay Paris)
- 5th (5e). Jardin des Plantes, Quartier Latin, Universités, La Sorbonne, Le Panthéon
- 6th (6e). Jardin du Luxembourg, Saint-Germain des Prés
- 7th (7e). Tour Eiffel, Les Invalides, Musée d'Orsay
- 8th (8e). Champs-Elysées, the Palais de l'Elysée, la Madeleine
- 9th (9e). Opéra Garnier, Grands Magasins
- 10th (10e). Canal Saint-Martin, Gare du Nord, Gare de l'Est
- 11th (11e). the bars and restaurants of Rue Oberkampf, Bastille, Nation, New Jewish Quarter
- 12th (12e). Opéra Bastille, Bercy Park and Village, Promenade plantée, Quartier d'Aligre, Gare de Lyon, the Bois de Vincennes
- 13th (13e). Quartier Chinois, Place d'Italie, La Butte aux Cailles, Bibliothèque Nationale de France (BNF)
- 14th (14e). Montparnasse Cemetery, Denfert-Rochereau, Parc Montsouris
- 15th (15e). Montparnasse Tower, Gare Montparnasse, Stadiums
- 16th (16e). Palais de Chaillot, Musée de l'Homme, the Bois de Boulogne
- 17th (17e). Palais des Congrès, Place de Clichy
- 18th (18e). Montmartre, Pigalle, Barbès
- 19th (19e). Museum of Science and Industry, Parc de la Villette, Bassin de la Villette, Parc des Buttes Chaumont
- 20th (20e). Père Lachaise Cemetery
- La Défense. The skyscraper district on the western edge of town.
