Monthly Archives: August 2021

Interesting (and Economical) Day Trips from Paris

With its hundreds of museums, intriguing historic sites and vibrant neighbourhoods to discover, there is plenty to do in Paris. However, it can also be nice to get away from the busy city centre, have a change of scenery or take in some nature. Luckily, Ile-de-France, the greater Parisian metropolitan area, has an abundance of fantastic day trip options, many of which you can access completely free, especially if you have a student transit pass. Here are some of our favourites.

Photo: Basilique-Cathédrale de Saint-Denis

Basilique-Cathédrale de Saint-Denis

Although Notre-Dame Cathedral might be the world’s most famous Gothic cathedral, the first built in this style is sitting on the norther edge of Paris. Started in the 1130s, the church was constructed above the presumed grave of one of France’s earliest saints, Denis, who was executed by the Roman rulers of the times in around 270 AD. Over the centuries the church rose in prominence and became the final resting place of France’s monarchs, holding the remains of all but three of kings from the 10th century until 1789. Visitors today can admire the royal tombs while gazing up at the church’s flying buttresses, pointed arches and stained glass windows.

Address & Information: Cathedral Website
Getting there: 30-40 minute by Métro, line 13 to Basilique de Saint-Denis station. Short walk, follow the signposts. Note: Saint-Denis can be a little sketchy so we don’t recommend veer off the main streets.
Cost: Free for EU Nationals under 26 and other students with valid ID.

Chateau de Vincennes (top) and Bois de Vincennes boat-rides

Château et Bois de Vincennes

A quick jaunt outside the eastern border of Paris will take you to this impressive medieval fortress and sprawling woods. A royal hunting lodge dating back to the mid-12th century, in the 1300s King Charles V added the imposing 52-metre-high donjon, the tallest in Europe and still standing today. Although the royals used it as a residence over the centuries, it was never revamped like castles of Versailles or Fontainebleau. The fortress was eventually converted into a prison, which held some infamous prisoners such as the Marquis de Sade and Louis XIV’s rival Nicolas Fouquet. Pack a picnic and make a day of it by carrying on your explorations in the adjacent Bois de Vincennes. The huge woods has kilometres of pathways, a lake where you can rent out boats, a Buddhist Temple and a botanical garden, le Parc Floral de Paris, which hosts a variety of events including open-air concerts, mostly in summer.

Address & Information: Chateau de Vincennes Website
Getting There: 30-40 minute by Métro, line 1 to Château de Vincennes, or RER A to Vincennes. Castle right outside Métro station.
Cost: Exterior of castle and woods are free, interior is free for EU Nationals under 26 and other students with valid ID. If you wish to visit the Parc Floral it has a small entrance fee.

Château et Foret de Fontainebleau

Skip the crowds at Versailles by venturing to this marvellous castle southeast of Paris instead. Another favorite hunting retreat of the royals, King Francois I redesigned the castle in the Renaissance style. It features opulent rooms decked out in elaborately carved wood, paintings, mirrors and more. The castle was also a favourite of Napoléon Bonaparte, who refurbished parts of it in the Imperial style. Behind the castle are beautiful gardens à la francaise, or to better connect with nature, spend the afternoon exploring the forest’s extensive hiking trails. If you visit on Tuesday, Friday or Sunday, before heading to the castle, you can pick up some picnic supplies at Fontainebleau’s food market.

Address & Information: Castle’s website. See some suggested hikes here.
Getting There: An hour from central Paris, 40 minutes by suburban train from Gare de Lyon (line R) to Fontainebleau-Avon. Castle a short walk from the station.
Cost: Castle free for EU Nationals under 26 and students with ID. Forest is free.

Auvers-sur-Oise

While visiting Monet’s home and garden in Giverny can make for a nice art excursion from Paris, there is much more to see, and far fewer crowds, in this charming village briefly inhabited by and the final resting place of Vincent van Gogh. Strolling through town, helpful panels show you the various places the Post-Impressionist painter captured on canvas, copies shown on the boards and many of the originals are displayed at the Musée d’Orsay. You can also visit or have lunch at the inn he lodged at, the Auberge Ravoux, and pay homage to the troubled artist at his grave in the local cemetery. The town has several other sites, including a small castle, various art studios and homes of other 19th century artists and a museum dedicated to Absinthe. On summertime weekends the town often holds art or music festivals.

Address & Information: Tourism website. Visit from March to October as many sites are closed in winter
Getting There: In summertime there is a direct train on weekend mornings around 9:30 am from Gare du Nord which is only 30 minutes. The rest of the year it’s an hour train ride from Saint-Lazare or Gare du Nord, take a regional train to Pontoise, change here for the trains in the direction of Persan-Beaumont, get off at Auvers station.
Cost: Free to walk around, small entry fee for various sites.

Photo: Provins Tourisme

Provins

If you’d like to get a taste of France without going too far, then consider visiting this medieval town east of Paris. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the beautiful hilltop village thrived over the centuries due to its position as a fiefdom of the Counts of Champagne and its popular fairs, which still take place before Christmas. A visit at any time of year will delight thanks to its magical historic centre home to the Tour César fortress, stone churches, narrow lanes and protective city walls.

Address & Information: Local tourism website
Getting There: Around an 80-minute train journey, Gare de l’Est to Provins. The town is accessible on foot from the station.
Cost: Most sites can be visited freely from the exterior.

Photo: Street art by C215, Vitry-Sur-Seine / Paris Tourisme

Contemporary Art & Street Art in Vitry-Sur-Seine

For something more offbeat, considering visiting this close southeaster suburb popular with street artists. The city is home to MAC/VAL, France’s only museum dedicated to contemporary art from the 1950s to today. In the shadow of a towering Jean Dubuffet statue, the contemporary building houses over 2,000 works by both well-established names like Christian Boltanski and Annette Messager, and up-and-coming artists. After visiting the museum, continue your artistic discoveries in the streets of Vitry, where you’ll come across hundreds of works by French and international street artists like C215, Indigo, Kashink, Swoon and Alice Pasquini. This artistic flourishing has earned the city the title of “Capital of Street Art.” You can find the works easily using this helpful map and discover more about Parisian street artists in our article here.

Address & Information: MAC/VAL website
Getting There: Around a 30-45 minute trip from central Paris by Métro and bus, line 7 to Porte de Choisy then bus 172, 180 or 183 to Place de la Libération.
Cost: Free for under 26 and other students with valid ID.

Looking for other interesting things to do in Paris? Carrying on your exploring with these articles:

Graduate Profile: Film Professional & Critic Phuong Le

In the latest in our Alumni Spotlight series we connect with Phuong Le, an alumna of our Film Master’s Programme in Paris. Since graduating from our Paris School of Arts and Culture (PSAC), Phuong has been establishing herself in the film world, now working as the Editorial Coordinator for the streaming website MUBI and as a freelance film critic. Discover how Phuong chose to pursue her studies at our Paris School and how these influenced her career this interview.

Where are you from and what originally brought you to Paris?

I’m originally from Vietnam, and I went to college in New York. Having graduated with a minor in French and a Film Studies concentration, I saw Paris as the perfect place to be. Not only can I practice the language in an organic way here, I can also enrich my knowledge of cinema history in the very country where the medium was born. The cultural wealth offered by the libraries, the archives, and the numerous cinemas is invaluable.

What attracted you most about studying at PSAC?

Before coming to PSAC, I was already aware of the great scholars on the film studies faculty, and the opportunity to study and learn from them was absolutely unmissable. Paris is, of course, another incredible attraction. Having previously lived in New York and London, I prefer staying in metropolitan, diverse cities where I rarely feel like an outsider. The academic vigour of the programme and the irresistible charm of Paris proved to be the perfect fit for me.

What were some of the highlights of your experience?

There were simply too many highlights to count! I will always remember my first time going to the BnF library, to which I had a specific subscription for researchers thanks to Kent. The rather Sci-Fi looking library was unlike any place I had been before. To descend into the research “dungeon,” I had to use several escalators, which took me deeper and deeper into the belly of this futuristic, metallic concrete structure. The feeling was pleasantly overwhelming, as if I was being literally locked in a cocoon of knowledge. Equally pleasurable were my many wanderings from one arthouse cinema to another in the 5^th and the 6^th arrondissement.

What are you currently doing and how did that opportunity come about?

I’m currently the Editorial Coordinator for MUBI, a streaming website and distribution company for arthouse and classic films. I’m also a freelance critic, and I regularly write for The Guardian, Sight & Sound, and many other outlets. The job application process was pretty standard, and since film criticism is quite a tough business, I feel very fortunate to able to do what I love.

Do you think that your studies at PSAC helped with your career prospects?

Absolutely. During my time at Kent, I developed an interest in psychogeography thanks to an engaging seminar on the subject with Professor Vybarr Cregan-Reid. Professor Frances Guerin’s course on Paris and cinema also furthered my fascination with how films represent urban lives. Now, I have a regular column at Sight & Sound where I discuss the relationship between films and geography. Such an opportunity would not have been possible without the many eye-opening seminars I was privileged to attend at Kent.

Would you recommend PSAC to potential students and if so what would you tell them?

Moving to a new country can be daunting, but from my personal experiences, I would highly recommend everyone to take the leap. As one of the few programmes that allow students to develop their scholarly or creative portfolios in English while living in France, PSAC manages to ensure a degree of familiarity while at the same time widening your horizons.

Merci beaucoup Phuong!

Connect with Phuong here:

Phuong Le on Twitter.
Read Phuong’s Reviews on The Guardian.
Subscribe to her newsletter at this link.

Touring the Former Villages of Paris

Paris grew from its centre, around the Ile-de-la-Cité, outwards. Once walled, over the centuries the city burst beyond its boundaries and new fortifications would be built. As part of the vast mid-19th century urban renewal of Paris undertaken by Prefect Baron Haussmann and Napoleon III, in 1860 the space between Paris’s last pair of city walls was annexed. Amidst the fields and vineyards of this zone were a number of villages. Remnants of several of these remain and provide a fascinating look into the past. From Montmartre to the Butte-aux-Cailles, these charming village neighbourhoods are the perfect weekend outing.

Montmartre

The best known of Paris’s former villages, Montmartre is known for Sacré-Coeur and the nearby artist square, Place du Tertre. However, there’s much more to the neighbourhood. Once a working class village on the northern fringes of Paris, Montmartre started to draw artists in the 1870s thanks to its cheap rent and free-flowing joie de vivre. A visit around its back streets guides you past small houses, windmills and the former residents and art studios of late 19th and early 20th century artists including Renoir, van Gogh, Suzanne Valadon and Picasso.

Belleville

The most rebellious of Paris’s former villages, the neighbourhood of Belleville still attracts more alternative Parisians. Its proximity to the gypsum quarries located on this edge of Paris brought in a working class popular. French music legend Edith Piaf spent part of her childhood in the area and famously claimed to have been born on rue de Belleville (instead of in the nearby hospital listed on her birth certificate). Reasonable rents also drew in waves of immigrant communities, including Greeks, Armenians, Tunisian Jews, Moroccans, Vietnamese and Chinese. This has created a vibrant cosmopolitan community peppered with, art studios, inventive restaurants and a laid-back vibe. A popular place with street arts, look out for their creations on your way to the top of the Parc de Belleville, where you can admire one of the nicest views of Paris.

Butte-aux-Cailles

This village on a slight hill (or butte in French) in southeastern Paris developed around a vineyard that the area’s namesake, a certain Pierre Caille, bought in 1543. Today this small town ambiance still exists around a grouping of cobbled streets lined with relaxed bars and restaurants. You can soak up the countryside feel meandering the charming streets, like rue des Cinq Diamants, passage Barrault and rue Moulin des Près. You’ll eventually come to the place Paul Verlaine, the old main square of the village (pictured above). It’s one of the centres for street art in Paris, so look out for this along your way. You can end your stroll with a drink on rue de la Butte-aux-Cailles, its bars popular with students from nearby campuses of the University of Paris.

Passy

Now part of the chic 16th district, found across the river from the Eiffel Tower, this plain used to be owned by the lords of Auteuil and Passy. Villages grew up around both and there are remains here and there in the area. Track down the Maison de Balzac, a cottage turned museum where Honoré de Balzac lived for a time (more on it and other literary residences in this article). Then around the corner you can find rue Berton (pictured above). One of the narrowest streets in Paris and protected by high stone walls, it used to marked the border between the sprawling estates of Auteuil and Passy (the 1731 boundary sign is still posted). Poet Guillaume Apollinaire wrote about the lane in his 1918 book Le Flâneur des Deux Rives, describing it as “one of the most scenic corners of Paris.”

Les Batignolles

Until the French Revolution, the northwest section of what is now the 17th district, was one of the hunting grounds for Parisian nobles. In the early 1800s a village began popping up here, around the Place du Dr Félix Lobligeois. It encircles the neo-classical Église Sainte-Marie des Batignolles, built in conjunction with the square, and is fringed on the northside by the beautiful Square des Batignolles. Previously also home to the local town hall, the square can be your starting point for exploring this up and coming area, abundant in small designer shops, buzzing cafés and restaurants.

Charonne

Found to the east of Belleville, the former village of Charonne is one of the most charming relics of pre Haussmann Paris. This can be observed on the old “main street” of the village, Rue Saint-Blaise, and its parish church, the Eglise Saint-Germain de Charonne. The church itself goes as far back as the 12th century, but was remodelled in the 15th and 18th centuries. It sits above the village and also still has its former parish cemetery, only one of two that still exist (the other is next to Saint Peter of Montmartre). A walk down Rue Saint-Blaise, lined with cafés and boutiques, truly gives you a sense of make visiting a small French village.

Interested in exploring other unique places in Paris? Get inspired by these other articles from our blog:

Creative Writing Lecturer Yelena Moskovich Interviewed by Los Angeles Review of Books

Author and lecturer in our creative writing programme Yelena Moskovich, was recently interviewed by Nathan Scott McNamara for the Los Angeles Review of Books.

The interview explores Yelena’s latest book, A Door Behind a Door in relation to her previous two books The Natashas and Virtuoso. They are discuss the unique structure and rhythm of A Door Behind a Door as well as Yelena’s relationship to space, geography and language. Read the full article at this link.

Enhance your craft by pursuing our Creative Writing MA programme at our Paris School of Arts and Culture, which is offered both part-time and full-time. Learn more about the programme here.

France’s Updated Covid Regulations & Getting your “Health Pass”

As of 9 August 2021, a pass sanitaire (health pass) is required in France to enter many public places. The French government has made this easier to obtain for foreigners coming to the country. Below are instructions on how you can get your pass either in advance or after you arrive as well as an update on current regulations.

Where the Health Pass is Required

The regulations have been rolled out in various phases. A health pass is required to enter Reid Hall. You will be asked to show your health pass at the following places (non-exhaustive list):

restaurants, cafes, bars, nightclubs
retirement homes, hospitals and medical providers (except in case of emergency)
long-distance forms of transportation (planes, trains, boats and buses
cultural events and sites (museums, monuments, cinemas, and theatres)
sporting facilities (gyms and swimming pools)
festivals, amusement parks, zoos
libraries (except specialty university libraries and the National Library (BnF)

A health pass is NOT required for:

grocery stores and other food shops
small shops under 20,000 m2
outdoor free access parks and gardens
not required for religious services, but is required for cultural events held at churches
to visit an internist or family doctor

Shopping centres larger than 20,000 m2 are regulated by the local prefect and may require passes.

Obtaining your Health Pass

If you have been vaccinated in the EU, you will already have the QR code proving your vaccination record. This acts as your “health pass” and you will not need to apply via the instructions included here. You can simply show the code in electronic (on your phone) or paper versions at the sites which require a health pass.

UK nationals who have been vaccinated in the UK under the normal vaccination scheme should request their digital “NHS Covid pass”, which is accepted in France in the same fashion as an EU Health Pass. This is available through the NHS app.

For non-EU citizens or non-vaccinated EU citizens. The French pass is issued to people who have proof of a negative covid test or those who have been fully vaccinated with a vaccine recognized by the European Medicines Agency or one of the equivalents to these vaccines.

Here are the conditions of being fully vaccinated:

4 weeks after a one-dose injection (Johnson&Johnson);
7 days after the second injection for two-dose vaccines (Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca);
7 days after the injection if you have recovered from COVID-19 (only one dose is necessary);

You can get a health pass from a health professional in France, including pharmacies and vaccine centres (for free). Some pharmacies are now charging a 5-10 euro fee to create a health pass for foreigners, here are some which have been known to create passes:

La pharmacie Monge, 2 Pl. de la Nation, 75012 Paris
Pharmacie Les Filles du Calvaire, 2 Bd des Filles du Calvaire, 75011 Paris
Pharmacy at 105 rue de Rennes, Paris 75006 (near the Paris School)

You can also apply for one via a new online system in advance. This is a relatively new scheme, and protocols are regularly changing. We will do our best to keep you informed of relevant updates and changes.

We recommend applying for your pass as soon as possible as there could be a delay in receiving your health pass and QR code.

Prepare the following documents, in electronic format (jpg/pdf):

Your vaccination certificate, stating the type of vaccine used
A scan/image of your passport
Your travel ticket (return ticket)
Your student visa
Your University of Kent status letter

Proceed to this link and follow the online instructions in english, you will need to create an account for France Connect and then you will be able to apply.

https://www.demarches-simplifiees.fr/commencer/passe-sanitaire-etudiants

Image from Le Parisien. Information sourced from www.diplomatie.gouv.fr

Offbeat Historic Sites to Seek Out in Paris

Paris isn’t only about its world-famous sites like Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower and the Champs Elysées. In fact, the city has dozens, in not hundreds, or curious places which date for different eras of the city and tell its story. From the Medieval towers to the remnants of the Bastille fortress, here are some fascinating sites to take you off the beaten path in Paris.

The Medici Column

Many people are currently flocking to visit the newly (re)opened Bourse de Commerce, now home to the Pinault collection of contemporary art (more on it here), however, rising behind its dome is a very curious site. The area used to house a palace, the Hôtel de Soissons, which was inhabited by Queen Catherine de Medici after her husband King Henri II’s death in 1559. The Queen was very interested in the occult and she even called Nostradamus to Paris to advise her on the future. She had this 28-meter-high column built in 1575 as a the lookout point for her astrologer Cosimo Ruggieri. While its 145 steps are closed to the public, you can admire it from the ground level. Be sure to look out for its decoration of the royal couple’s emblem of an intertwined H and C as well as cornucopia and broken mirrors.

Address: behind 2 Rue de Viarmes, 75001 Paris

Tour Jean-sans-Peur

Tucked amidst the buildings of the busy rue Etienne Marcel is an out-of-place ancient tower. A rare medieval building in Paris, the Tour Jean-sans-Peur dates back to the early 1400s and is all that remains of the palace of the Dukes of Burgundy which once stood here. The 21 metre-high tower is also the tallest medieval civic building in the city. It’s open to the public and displays temporary exhibits on medieval themes.

Address: 20 Rue Étienne Marcel, 75002 Paris

Remains of the Bastille

Lots of people who come to Paris exit the Bastille métro station and Bastille fortress is. The symbol of the outbreak of the Revolution, the Bastille was gradually torn down and the smaller artefacts were sold off as collector’s items like pieces of the Berlin Wall. Many of the larger blocks of the fortress were used to build the Concorde Bridge, which crosses the Seine from Place de la Concorde to l’Assemblée Nationale. In the métro on the platform of line 5, there are relics of where the fortress stood and then there is a regrouping of one of the Bastille’s towers hidden in the shrubs of this little park near the Seine, the Square Henri Galli. Called the “Liberté” tower, it was uncovered in 1899 at the start of rue Saint-Antoine during the construction of the métro line 1 and then moved here.

Address: 9 Bd Henri IV, 75004 Paris

Gnomon, Saint Sulpice. PHGCOM / CC

Gnomon of Saint Sulpice

When Dan Brown published his bestselling book The Da Vinci Code in 2003, this lesser known Left Bank church was thrown into the spotlight. People from around the globe came to see the unusual obelisk he described as marking the Paris Meridian or “Rose Line. Although Brown’s facts weren’t entirely accurate, the object is indeed fascinating and historic. Built in the early 1700s, the or obelisk, or gnomon, was an astronomical instrument used to determine the date of Easter thanks to a shadow cast on the obelisk. When you’re visiting the church, which also happens to be the second largest in Paris after Notre Dame, be sure to view the wonderful paintings by Delacroix found in the chapel on the right of the entrance.

Address: Place Saint-Sulpice, 75006 Paris

Expiatory Chapel

This lesser known site located near the Madeleine Church is one of the most hidden and mysterious sites in Paris. The land around this small square used to hold the Madeleine cemetery. It was here where Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were first buried after their guillotining in 1793 in nearby Place de la Concorde. After the final defeat of Napoleon and the restoration of the monarchy in 1815, their bodies were moved to the Cathedral of Saint Denis (which houses the tombs of most French royals). In 1826 the cemetery was replaced by the Expiatory Chapel, a homage to the tragic royal couple, funded by their daughter, Marie-Therèse and the next king, Louis XVIII. In the crypt there’s a black and white marble altar sitting on the spot where the King and Queen’s remains were found. The chapel can be visited on weekends.

Address: 29 Rue Pasquier, 75008 Paris

Château de la Reine Blanche. Photo: Siren-Com/ CC

Le Château de la Reine Blanche

Called the Castle of the White Queen, this residence was built in 1290 by the Queen Marguerite de Provence, although it was named after her daughter, Blanche de France, who inherited the manor house. It was constructed next to what was Paris’s second river, la Bièvre, which is still flows underground. The small castle is privately owned and but can often be visited on the Journées du Patrimoine (European Heritage Days) held the third weekend in September. If you can’t make it for that event, you can get a good look at the outside of it from the street.

Address: 6 Rue Gustave Geffroy, 75013 Paris

Saint Sergius Orthodox Church and Theological Institute

One of the most curious places of worship in Paris is hidden down a verdant lane near the Buttes-Chaumont Park. Originally commissioned as a German Lutheran church, it was abandoned after WWI and converted into a Russian Orthodox theological centre and church in 1925. The gate is open during the day and so you can pop in to have a look at the exterior, but if you come on Sunday mornings, you can take a peek at the interiors during service.

Address: 93 Rue de Crimée, 75019 Paris. Website

Au Roi de la Bière

To finish on a fun note, we’re taking you to look at the most unusually looking fast-food restaurant in Paris. Now a McDonald’s, this building across from the Saint-Lazare train station was built as an Alsatian brasserie in 1892. After Alsace and Lorraine were annexed to Germany at the defeat of the French in the 1870 Franco-Prussian War, many residents loyal to France moved to the Parisian capital. They brought their beer brewing traditions with you, which led to the opening of brasseries across the city and Au Roi de la Biére, or “The King of Beer” in English, was one of these. Designed to look like an Alsatian half-timbered house, and decked out in beer steins and a statue of Gambrinus (the legendary King of Beer), since it was classified as a national monument in 1997 McDonald’s could move it, but had to leave its facade untouched. So if you go here for a Big Mac, order a beer to go with it!

Address: 119 Rue Saint-Lazare, 75008 Paris

Looking to do other exploring in Paris? You may like to discover other interesting places to visit in these articles:

Where to Buy Cheap or Used Household Goods in Paris

If you’ve rented an unfurnished apartment in Paris, or are missing some of your favourite household goods, there are several ways in which you can equip your new flat without breaking the bank. Thankfully, there is a wide array of used goods shops and discount stores in Paris that stock everything from socks to strainers. Here are some options to help guide you.

La Ressourcerie rue Léopold Bellan. Photo: François Grunberg/Mairie de Paris

Ressourceries or Dépôts-Vente

There have always been shops selling second-hand (“d’occasion” in French) or refurbished items in Paris, however, over the last few years the City of Paris has made great efforts to encourage these circular economy initiatives. Called either a ressourcerie or dépôt-vente, you may have one near your new Parisian home, otherwise we can recommend these ones. If you’re looking for stores selling exclusively secondhand clothing and accessories, look for a “friperie”.

L’Alternative, 13, rue Léopold Bellan, 75002 Paris: A city hall initiative managed by Emmaüs Alternatives, this centrally located second hand shop also has a Repair café in which a handy local will try to repair broken appliances instead of throwing them out. They also hold workshops and and conferences on up-cycling topics.

Ma Ressourcerie, 126 avenue d’Italie, 75013 Paris: This large three-story shop in Chinatown is run by an association and has a vast variety of items.

La Resourcerie Creative

La Resourcerie Creative, 95 avenue du Général-Leclerc, 75014 Paris: This shop is located not too far from our Paris School. More than a simple shop, the vibrant venue has become a dynamic player in the daily life of the local community.

La Ressourcerie des Batignolles, 132 rue de Saussure, 75017 Paris: If you’ve found a flat in the up and coming northwestern neighborhood of Les Batignolles, then stock up your new place with items from this neighbourhood ressourcerie. A pioneer in the circular economy in Paris, it also has a “cantine solidaire”, which offers economical “anti-waste” meals.

Le Poulpe. Photo: Ville de Paris

Le Poulpe Ressourcerie, 4bis rue d’Oran, 75018 Paris: Another local circular economy association, this time at located not far from Montmartre, gives new life to donated used goods, offers useful workshops and has a café solidaire.

Emmaüs Défi à Riquet, 40 rue Riquet, 75019 Paris: The largest of the Emmaüs used good shops in Paris, this huge shop occupies 1200 m² complex in the 19th district near the Canal de l’Ourcq. It also has a large book and vintage clothing sections.

Emmaüs Défi au 104, 5 Rue Curial, 75019 Paris: This cool art space also in the 19th (more on it in this article), has a Emmaüs branch, allowing you to combine culture and household shopping!

Porcelaine M.P. Samie

Discount New Items

If you don’t find what you’re looking for at them, then there are also a number of discount shops selling household items. Every neighborhood will have a “bazar” a local household goods shopping at reasonable prices. Monoprix and some larger supermarkets also have a household items section. Alternatively, these shops have some good bargains.

Porcelaine M.P. Samie, 45 Av. du Général Leclerc, 75014 Paris: Situated not too far from our Paris School, since 1983 this company has been making good value tableware.

Gifi: With seven stores around the city, this discount shop has a large array of good value household items as well as toiletries, makeup and some clothing.

Our Guide to the Montparnasse Neighbourhood

For centuries the Montparnasse district of Paris has attracted writers, poets, artists, filmmakers and other creatives. Once just outside the southern edge of Paris, in the 16th century the area was a depository for rubble and stones extracted from neighbouring quarries. In the 18th century, students started gathered at this artificial hill, or “mont”, to recite poetry. They nicknamed the location “Montparnasse”, after Mount Parnassus, the home of poetry, music, and learning in ancient Greek mythology.

In the mid-1800s, open-air dancehalls began popping up on the fringes of the Paris and several appeared here, creating a laid-back and lively ambiance, which remained after the district was incorporated into Paris in 1860. In the early 20th century, as the Montparnasse train station serves western France, working class people from the region of Brittany settled in the area and brought the art of creperies with them, a tradition that carries on to this day. Cheap rents also began drawing artists, their numbers increasing when Pablo Picasso abandoned Montmartre for the Montparnasse in the 1910s. This creative surge peaked in the 1920s when Montparnasse and its buzzing cafés became the epicentre for Parisian nightlife and the city’s artistic and literary scene.

This inspirational location is the setting for our Paris School of Arts and Culture. You may like to get to know the area with the help of this guide to Montparnasse including sites of interest, art venues, cinemas, cafés and more.

Sites of Interest

Montparnasse Cemetery

Often over-shadowed by Père Lachaise cemetery, this beautiful final resting place, the second largest in Paris, is also worth a visit. It too has its equal share of notable tombs, including those of Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, Charles Baudelaire, Brancusi, Marguerite Duras and, perhaps the most visited, singer Serge Gainsbourg.

Tour Montparnasse

It’s impossible to miss this 210-metre (689 ft) skyscraper which juts out of the Parisian horizon. Although it’s not the most attractive of Paris’s landmarks, the tower dating back to 1973 does have an impressive view from the top, which you can take in from its paid viewing deck on the 56th floor.

Luxembourg Gardens

Bordering the Montparnasse district is one of Paris’s loveliest parks. It was once the private gardens of the 17th-century palace commissioned by Queen Marie de Medici on the north side of the park, now the French Senate. The park was much loved by early 20th century writers, including Ernest Hemingway. A great place for a study break or to catch up on your reading, be sure to seek out the gorgeous Medici Fountain, a renaissance “grotto” fountain located on the east side of the palace, and the maquette of the Statue of Liberty, found on the east side.

Rue de la Gaité

On the east side of the cemetery is this lively street lined with historic theatres. Theatres began popping up here in the 1870s, and some historic ones, like the Comédie Italienne and Théâtre Bobino still exist.

Marché Edgar Quinet

Visiting a Parisian open-air food market is a must during your time in the city and there’s an excellent one which is held on Boulevard Edgar Quinet every Wednesday and Saturday morning until 1:30/2pm.

Photo: Musée Bourdelle

Art Venues

Musée Zadkine

The former studio of Russian-born artist Ossip Zadkine is found a short walk from our Paris School, located on the edge of the Luxembourg Gardens. It’s now a City of Paris museum and has free admission. Learn more about it in our article on historic art studios.

Musée Bourdelle

Another former studio of the Montparnasse area, the sculptor Antoine Bourdelle worked in this beautiful series of buildings near the Montparnasse train station. More information is also available about it in our article on historic art studios.

Fondation Giacometti

As you can gather from its name, this foundation presents exhibitions revovling around Alberto Giacometti and is near where the Swiss artist lived and worked in the Montparnasse area.

Fondation Cartier

A few blocks from our Paris School, this sleek glass and steel building was designed by French architect Jean Nouvel and houses temporary exhibits by top contemporary artists. Read more about it and other cool contemporary art spaces in this article.

Chemin du Montparnasse

A walk down this pretty lane at 21 avenue du Maine will give you a good idea of what the art studios of Montparnasse neighborhood were like. The verdant cul-de-sac consists of a series of studios built from salvaged material from the 1900s World’s Fair.

Historic Cafés

The cafés of the Boulevard du Montparnasse were the heart of artistic and literary Paris from the 1920s to 50s. While it’s wonderful many of them have survived, the cost of a drink at most of them is rather steep, but admiring them from the outside is free! You can read more about some of the cafés below and other literary cafés of the Left Bank in this article.

La Closerie Des Lilas

Opened in the 1860s, this café was popular with avant-garde artists, poets and writers such as Paul Verlaine, Charles Baudelaire Samuel Beckett, Oscar Wilde, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway who is said to have read Fitzgerald’s manuscript of The Great Gatsby here, and worked on The Sun Also Rises.

Le Dôme

Opened in 1898 and once known as “the Anglo-American café,” it was the first meeting place in Montparnasse of the intellectuals. There is even a special term, “Dômiers” to designate the artists and writers who met at the café, which includes the likes of Foujita, Picasso, Man Ray, Soutine, Khalil Gibran and Kandinsky. Today it is restaurant specialised in seafood dishes.

La Rotonde

Situation around the corner from our Paris School, Hemingway talked about the café’s popularity in The Sun Also Rises. Fitzgerald, Gertrude Stein, Picasso, Modigliani and many others also regularly frequented it.

La Coupole

This legendary Art Deco brasserie, the largest of the area, was an important gathering point of artists, writers and intellectuals especially in the 1920s when it was the place to be. One a given night you might cross paths with the likes of Jean Cocteau, Alberto Giacometti or Josephine Baker.

Le Select

Opened in 1923, this local brasserie was a favourite of Fitzgerald, Hemingway and Picasso, who is name the small square in front of the café now bears.

Movie Theatres

As a hub of going out in Paris, the Montparnasse district has several movie theatres, some more main stream and one great art house cinema.

Lucernaire

Found a short distance from our Paris School, this unique venue is more than just an art house cinema. Opened in 1969, the multifaceted art centre has three theatres, three screening rooms, a bookshop, art gallery, restaurant and bar. Discover more art house cinemas in Paris in this article.

MK2 Parnasse

France’s more artsy chain of cinemas, MK2 general screens critically acclaimed movies, art house films and quality international features. This location is near our School.

UGC Rotonde

This branch of the large chain of UGC cinemas is also located a few minutes’ walk from the School.

UGC Montparnasse

Another UGC, this cinema is situated closer to Montparnasse métro and tower.

Gaumont Parnasse

Part of the historic Gaumont cinema group, this movie theatre plays main stream, independent and international films.

Dining

We’ve put together our top lunch options in the Montparnasse area for tasty cheap eats in this separate article.

Discover the places above easily via our Google Map of the area. Access it at this link.