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<\/p>\nFor 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.<\/p>\n
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 caf\u00e9s became the epicentre for Parisian nightlife and the city’s artistic and literary scene.<\/p>\n
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, caf\u00e9s and more.<\/p>\n
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Often over-shadowed by P\u00e8re 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.<\/p>\n
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\u00a0<\/span>1973<\/span> does have an impressive view from the top, which you can take in from its paid viewing deck<\/a> on the 56th floor.<\/p>\n 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 \u201cgrotto\u201d fountain located on the east side of the palace, and the maquette of the Statue of Liberty, found on the east side.<\/span><\/p>\n 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 Com\u00e9die Italienne and Th\u00e9\u00e2tre Bobino still exist.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Photo: Mus\u00e9e Bourdelle<\/p><\/div>\n 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<\/a>.<\/p>\n 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<\/a>.<\/p>\n Fondation Giacometti<\/strong> <\/a><\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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<\/a>.<\/p>\n 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.<\/span><\/p>\n The caf\u00e9s 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 caf\u00e9s below and other literary caf\u00e9s of the Left Bank in this article<\/a>.<\/p>\n Opened in the 1860s, this caf\u00e9 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\u2019s manuscript of The Great Gatsby\u00a0<\/em>here, and worked on The Sun Also Rises<\/em>.<\/em><\/p>\n Opened in 1898 and once known as “the Anglo-American caf\u00e9,” it was the first meeting place in Montparnasse of the intellectuals. There is even a special term, “D\u00f4miers” to designate the artists and writers who met at the caf\u00e9, which includes the likes of Foujita, Picasso, Man Ray, Soutine, Khalil Gibran and Kandinsky. Today it is restaurant specialised in seafood dishes.<\/p>\n Situation around the corner from our Paris School, Hemingway talked about the caf\u00e9’s popularity in The Sun Also Rises. <\/em>Fitzgerald, Gertrude Stein, Picasso, Modigliani and many others also regularly frequented it.<\/p>\n 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<\/em> place to be. One a given night you might cross paths with the likes of Jean Cocteau, Alberto Giacometti or Josephine Baker.<\/p>\n Opened in 1923, this local brasserie was a favourite of\u00a0Fitzgerald, Hemingway and\u00a0Picasso, who is name the small square in front of the caf\u00e9 now bears.<\/p>\n 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<\/a>.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n This branch of the large chain of UGC cinemas is also located a few minutes’ walk from the School.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Another UGC, this cinema is situated closer to Montparnasse m\u00e9tro and tower.<\/p>\n Part of the historic Gaumont cinema group, this movie theatre plays main stream, independent and international films.<\/p>\n For the best coffee within a short walk from the School, try this nice specialty coffee<\/span> shop on rue Vavin and close to the Luxembourg Gardens (hours Weds-Sun 10:30-6pm, Tues 2-6pm).<\/p>\n The local “caf\u00e9 du coin” or neighbourhood caf\u00e9 is doing takeaway<\/span>\u00a0coffee<\/span>, maybe not the best, but cheap and your chance to rub shoulders with the locals who hang around in front of it.<\/p>\n The Left Bank outpost of a well-known\u00a0coffee<\/span> shop in the 10th arrondissement is less than a 10-minute walk away, in between the School and the Bon March\u00e9 department store.<\/p>\n We’ve put together our top lunch options in the Montparnasse area for tasty cheap eats in this separate article<\/a>.<\/p>\nLuxembourg Gardens<\/h4>\n
Rue de la Gait\u00e9<\/h4>\n
March\u00e9 Edgar Quinet<\/h4>\n
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Art Venues<\/h3>\n
Mus\u00e9e Zadkine<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n
Mus\u00e9e Bourdelle<\/strong><\/a><\/h4>\n
Fondation Cartier<\/a><\/h4>\n
Chemin du Montparnasse<\/strong><\/b><\/h4>\n
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<\/p>\nHistoric Caf\u00e9s<\/h3>\n
La Closerie Des Lilas<\/a><\/h4>\n
Le D\u00f4me<\/a><\/h4>\n
La Rotonde<\/strong><\/a><\/h4>\n
La Coupole<\/a><\/h4>\n
Le Select<\/a><\/h4>\n
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<\/p>\nMovie Theatres<\/h3>\n
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.<\/div>\nLucernaire<\/a><\/h4>\n
MK2 Parnasse<\/a><\/h4>\n
\nUGC Rotonde<\/a><\/h4>\n
UGC Montparnasse<\/a><\/h4>\n
Gaumont Parnasse<\/a><\/h4>\n
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<\/p>\nCoffee Spots<\/h3>\n
Un Grain D\u00e9cal\u00e9<\/a><\/h4>\n
Funzy Caf\u00e9 <\/a><\/h4>\n
Ten Belles 6<\/a><\/h4>\n
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<\/p>\nDining<\/h3>\n
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