Paris Arrondissements: Part 3

Welcome back to our tour of Paris. In this post, we will explore the 9th-12th arrondissements. We are moving out from the centre so you may want to consider using the Paris Metro. I will cover more about this in a future post.

Paris Metro

9th arrondissement is known as Opéra Garnier/Grands Boulevards. Here you will find the Opéra de Palais Garnier. Built between 1861-1875, at the request of Napoleon III. The architect was Charles Garnier, who is buried in Montparnasse Cemetry. This building was the setting for the novel, The Phantom of the Opera, written by Gaston Leroux.

Opéra de Palais Garnier

It is so beautiful and ornate inside. We suggest you take a tour if you are not able to see a performance. The venue is primarily used for dance performances. https://www.operadeparis.fr/en/visits/palais-garnier

Even if you are not able to enjoy a performance, take a tour of the Opéra de Palais Garnier’s beautifully ornate interior. These plush velvet chairs looked so inviting.

and so did the ornately decorated balconies.

We didn’t see a performance but we did enjoy a tour of the interior. Plush, ornate and and beautifully decorated. The ceiling is magical, so don’t forget to look up.

Don’t forget to look up to enjoy the 220m2 ceiling painting by Marc Chagall.

The Galeríes Lafayette Paris Haussmann is a famous grand magasin, even if you don’t buy anything, it’s worth visiting to see the beautiful ornate ceiling and at Christmastime, the decorations are amazing.

Our second visit to Galeries LaFayetette was so much better.

The ceiling of Galeries LaFayetette at 40 Bd Haussmann, 75009 Paris, France

We enjoyed an afternoon fashion show in 2012. Unfortunately, we were told no photos where allowed. So Chris missed out on taking photos with his camera, yet people with phone cameras clicked away. Afterwards, we enjoyed the views from the rooftop with a great cup of coffee from the coffee cart. https://haussmann.galerieslafayette.com/en/events/original-fashion-shows/

Chris on the rooftop of Galeries LaFayetette. We found the best coffee we had ever had in France (at that time) and we had a great view over Paris too.

If you enjoy shopping, Au Printemps is another grand magasin in this area and for a little night time activity, Folies-Bergères is a world-famous cabaret venue. Check out there website to see what shows are available.

10th arrondissement is known as Canal St Martin and Place de la Rebublique .The canal is 4.6 km long and connects Canal de l'Ourcq to the river Seine. They say that the neighbourhood has quite a bohemian feel with plenty of cafés and restaurants. For more information check out this blogpost. Both Gare de l’Est and Gare du Nord, two of Paris’ main train stations are in this area.

Canal Saint Martin is popular for houseboats known as péniches.

Boat cruises are possible on the canal. https://www.canauxrama.com/en/canal-saint-martin.htm And if you love chocolate, then why not indulge yourself with a visit to Choco-Story Paris - Musée du Chocolat

Colonne de Juillet in Place de la Bastille marks the place where the Bastille Prison stood

11th arrondissement is called Bastille. Very much an entertainment quarter, in addition to the main opera house of Paris, Opéra Bastille, there are many theatres in this area including Comédie Bastille, Comédie Oberkampf and Comédie des 3 Bornes. This video takes you on a little tour of the 11th.

Colonne de Juillet in Place de la Bastille engraved with the names of those that died in July 1830 revolution

Promenade Plantée – is a lovely escape from the city streets below. Start your walk by climbing the stairs in Avenue Daumesnil in Bastille. It is built on the old railway viaduct that has been transformed into a garden. High above the crowds, it is pretty and tranquil with glimpses into the buildings as you pass by. The footpath stretches from Bastille to the Bois de Vincennes in the 12th.

Chris wandering and photographing Paris from Promenade Plantée.

Originally called Cirque Napoléon and opened by Napoleon III in 1852, it became Cirque d’Hiver in 1873. It is an ornately decorated circular venue and in addition to its long history of performing circus acts, it hosts a variety of events and shows. The flying trapeze first wowed the world here, performed by Jules Léotard from Toulouse in 1859. He was also the first to wear the one piece clothing item named after him.

Inside, Cirque d’Hiver, there is a museum of costumes, props, old posters and photos. This theatre is located at 110 rue Amelot, Paris 75011.

Cirque d’hiver watercolour painting by moi

12th arrondissement is called Bercy, here you will find the amazing Le Train Bleu restaurant (located within the Gare de Lyon) as seen in my post about this experience https://www.frenchviews.com.au/my-journal/le-train-bleu-restaurant-in-paris  

Train station Gare de Lyon

Treat yourself to something very special, both for the gourmet experience and ambiance of this beautiful restaurant. Open for lunch and dinner, there is also a bar for a quick drink.

Inside Le Train Bleu We highly recommend this experience. The food and wine were delicious and the opulent decorations kept our heads swivelling to admire our surroundings.

Be waited on like royalty in Le Train Bleu, a very special experience

Parc de Bercy is a public park on the right bank of the Seine, which includes an indoor sports and concert arena. Next to the park is Bercy Village, here rows of 19th century wine warehouses have been restored as shops, restaurants, cinemas and art galleries, with open streets and awnings to protect visitors from the weather. https://www.bercyvillage.com/tourisme

Now known as Accor Arena, when we stayed in the hotel next door, we watched fascinated, as they mowed the lawn on these slopes.

Bois de Vincennes is a large green space with cycling/hiking trails, lakes and a botanical garden. It also includes the main zoo of Paris.https://www.parczoologiquedeparis.fr/fr

La Petite Ceinture is the abandoned railway line which once went around Paris. It is now accessible from 12th – 20th arrondissements. More about this in a future post.
That’s all for this addition but be sure to come back next time to continue our tour of the Paris arrondissements.

À bientôt!