A lot to love in Paris’ 14th arrondissement

There’s something different to love in every arrondissement of Paris.  Each week, the team at vivreparis.fr puts together a small list of their favorite parts of one of the capitals diverse arrondissements.  This time, the team reflects on the wonderful 14th: a more residential arrondissement, with several lively sectors, quaint side-streets, underground catacombs steeped in history, and residents invested in the life of its inhabitants.  Once you visit, you are sure to love it.

Lively areas

Although it is often said that the 14th is residential, family-friendly, and calm, there are still a lot of lively places in the neighborhood. The cinemas and theaters of Montparnasse, the boutiques of Alésia, the bars of Denfert-Rochereau, the terraces of place Edgar Quinet, the small shops of the rue Daguerre … it’s impossible to be bored, the 14th is full of all sorts of things to do.

The cinemas and theaters of Montparnasse (Wikimedia Commons)

Les Catacombes de Paris

One of the most unusual places in the city, it’s in the 14th arrondissement that we find the entrance to the most famous underground space in Paris: the catacombs. Not for the faint of heart, the catacombs are old quarries where millions of bones were deposited from 1786 to 1814.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Quaint side-streets 

In terms of small, pretty lanes, the 14th has something to offer.  Le square Montsouris, la rue des Termopyles, la Cité Bauer, and even la Villa d’Alésia are undoubtedly some of the prettiest passages in Paris.  They seem to plucked straight from the countryside, with their climbing plants, flowers, bricks, colorful details, and charming houses.  We are under the impression that we’ve left the capital in the blink of an eye, and it sure feels good.

La rue des Thermopyles (Wikimedia Commons)

One of the most beautiful parks in the city

Paris is full of parks, each one more beautiful than the last, and among them: le Parc Montsouris.  Established in the southern part of the arrondissement, this superb park was inaugurated in 1869 and is one of the larges green spaces in the capital.  Its lake, beautiful statues, lush trees, and large rolling lawns have made it one of our favorites places in the city, an ideal place to “recharge”.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Inventive residents

Last but not least, the inventive spirit of the residents of the neighborhood is one of the things to love about the 14th.  Here, solidarity, sharing, and a village-like mindset are put into action.  Because it is not always easy to get to know your neighbors in a city as populated as Paris, the group Hyper Voisins ensures that relations between residents of the 14th are in good shape.  This group surely isn’t lacking the imagination necessary to create convivial events within the arrondissement either: from pot lucks in the street on tables 700 feet long to garden parties and open air movies in le parc Montsouris, one thing is sure… it is good to live in the 14th arrondissement.