Just a 'petit morceau' about Paris by Lady_Mystique
The river Seine divides Paris in a gentle arc, and flows from east to west...and...if you face the direction of the flow, the Right Bank 'Rive Droit' is on your right and the Left Bank 'Rive Gauche' is...you guessed it!The Right Bank is generally characterized as a centre of commerce and banking, haute couture, palace hotels, and grand, wide boulevards.
The Left Bank, historically considered the centre of learning and religious activity, and with its enclave of writers and intellectuals, is rich with cafe life. The hotels here tend to be small and charming, rather than grand hotels of luxury.
Paris is divided into 20 districts called arrondissements, each with its own mayor and town hall or "marie".
Many small neighborhoods lie within these arrondissements, several spilling over its boundaries into others. Each arrondissement is referred to by an ordinal number; the first ("le premier"), the second (le deuxieme"), etc. They spiral clockwise from the central portion of the city to the ring road called the Boulevard Peripherique.
The number of the arrondissement is also the last 2 digits of a Paris address, whereas the first 2 digits signify Paris.
For example, an address with a postal code of 75008 will be in the eighth arrondissement; one with a postal code of 75011 will be in the 11th.
This helps when you have an address you need to go to...it'll help you head towards the right part of the city.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.
