The thirteenth arrondissement of Paris is among the cities most neglected districts. It’s a bit out of the best way, and most guests by no means make it right here. However that’s precisely why it’s value exploring.
It’s a district of contrasts—road artwork, Chinatown, quiet villages, and trendy towers multi functional place. Ever-changing, filled with quirks, and nothing just like the Paris you see on postcards.
I do know the thirteenth effectively for a private motive—my husband grew up right here, close to Place d’Italie. Fact be informed, for the primary 5 years, I by no means set foot on this a part of Paris. However as soon as I met him, I began spending time right here and grew to like its mixture of outdated and new, its hidden corners, and the truth that most guests by no means suppose to come back.
In case you’re uninterested in seeing the identical Paris time and again, the thirteenth gives one thing totally different. Right here’s what makes it particular—and what to not miss.
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4 Neighborhoods, 4 Totally different Worlds
The thirteenth arrondissement isn’t only one neighborhood in Paris—it’s really 4! They usually couldn’t be extra totally different. A hidden village, towering skyscrapers, historic workshops, and Paris’s largest Chinatown—all packed into one district. That blend is what makes the thirteenth so fascinating.
Spend a day right here, and also you’ll see fully totally different sides of Paris. Some streets really feel traditional and quiet, others are working-class and uncooked, and a few are full of scholars and start-ups. The distinction is in all places.
Right here’s a have a look at every a part of the thirteenth arrondissement, plus some private tips about the place to eat and what’s value seeing.
Tip: Begin your exploration at Place d’Italie. It’s the district’s central hub, sitting proper in the course of all 4 neighborhoods.
#1 Butte-aux-Cailles: The thirteenth’s Hidden Village
Up on a hill like Montmartre, Butte-aux-Cailles seems like a village tucked inside town. It was as soon as full of windmills, factories, and staff’ properties, and whereas the trade is lengthy gone, the attraction stayed—quiet streets, little homes, and ivy-covered partitions.
Road artwork is in all places, not in big murals however in small, surprising locations. It offers the world a tough, inventive really feel, mixing into the outdated stone and slender alleys.
The principle road, Rue de la Butte-aux-Cailles, runs up the hill, however one of the best ways to discover is to wander. Search for:
- Petit Alsace, a row of outdated half-timbered homes.
- Sq. des Peupliers, a tiny maze of inexperienced, hidden streets (it’s residential—be respectful).
- Road artwork by the long-lasting Miss.Tic, whose poetic stencils are scattered throughout the neighborhood.
Butte-aux-Cailles isn’t about landmarks. It’s about getting misplaced, slowing down, and absorbing part of Paris most by no means see.
Tip: Get your self a deal with at Lorette – it’s the finest boulangerie within the space, I really like particularly their choux and custom au fromage.
#2 Paris’s Chinatown: The Coronary heart of the thirteenth
The thirteenth arrondissement is house to Paris’s largest Chinatown, although it’s extra of a mixture of Vietnamese, Chinese language, and Laotian cultures. In case you love Asian meals, bubble tea, or specialty groceries, that is the place to go.
The streets round Avenue de Choisy, Avenue d’Ivry, and Rue de Tolbiac are full of genuine eating places—from pho and dim sum to crispy duck and fluffy Japanese pancakes. You’ll additionally discover infinite bubble tea outlets, Asian bakeries, and no-frills noodle spots that locals swear by.
For cooking at house, Tang Frères, town’s largest Asian grocery store, is the go-to for recent herbs, sauces, and substances you received’t discover wherever else.
My Restaurant Suggestion:
#3 The thirteenth’s Fashionable Makeover
The thirteenth was as soon as an industrial zone, full of factories and warehouses. That modified within the late ’80s and early ’90s when most of it was torn right down to make approach for one thing new—a smooth, trendy district.
The centerpiece? The Bibliothèque Nationale de France (BNF). A large, glass-covered library constructed to switch the historic one in central Paris. It sits proper by the Seine, subsequent to broad quays that flip into among the finest spots for an out of doors apéro in summer season.
The realm is a mixture of college students, residents and start-ups. The close by Paris College campus retains it younger, whereas new workplace towers herald a enterprise crowd.
In case you love road artwork, this can be a place you shouldn’t miss. The largest murals in Paris are proper right here, turning the thirteenth into an open-air gallery.
It’s not the Paris of cobblestone streets and historic cafés. It’s daring, glassy, trendy—a complete distinction. However that’s precisely what makes the thirteenth so fascinating.
My Tip: Take a break at Felicità, an Italian meals courtroom contained in the Station F start-up hub. Every part right here is scrumptious—pizza, pasta, recent burrata—and the vibe is nice. There’s additionally a beer backyard and a fantastically designed inside, making it an ideal spot to loosen up.
#4 Gobelins: Tapestries & Native Life
The Gobelins space is centered across the Manufacture des Gobelins, a historic tapestry workshop relationship again to the early seventeenth century. It’s nonetheless working immediately, although it now produces tapestries primarily for official authorities buildings. There’s additionally a small museum the place you possibly can see a few of its work.
In any other case? It’s a quiet, residential a part of the thirteenth, with traditional Haussmann buildings, cafés, bakeries, and small outlets—extra day-after-day necessities than excessive vogue, although.
It’s not as vigorous as the middle, however it has a relaxed, native really feel. Until you’re visiting the tapestry museum, there’s not a lot to do right here—however it’s a pleasant spot to cross by way of.
My lunch suggestion: Tadam, an area bistro with an inexpensive lunch menu.
In case you stroll Avenue des Gobelins in poor health the tip, you arrive down Rue Mouffetard, among the finest meals streets in Paris.
Why the thirteenth is Value Exploring
The thirteenth arrondissement isn’t the Paris of postcards, however filled with hidden gems. There’s no Eiffel Tower view, no grand boulevards. As an alternative, it’s a mixture of hidden villages, towering murals, genuine meals, and trendy structure—a aspect of town most guests by no means see.
From the attraction of Butte-aux-Cailles to the bustling streets of Chinatown, from the smooth, glassy towers of the BNF to the quiet, historic really feel of Gobelins, the thirteenth is filled with contrasts. It’s a spot the place outdated and new exist aspect by aspect, the place road artwork meets traditional Haussmann buildings, and the place life feels native and unfiltered.
In case you’re in search of a distinct aspect of Paris—one which’s numerous, ever-changing, and filled with character—that is the place to start out.
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Flights & Transportation:
Accomodation:
- Inns in Europe I largely e book by way of Reserving.com (test critiques rigorously)
- Trip Leases by way of Airbnb or VRBO
Excursions & Points of interest:
- I e book excursions & actions by way of Get Your Information or Viator.
- Museum & Landmark tickets will be cheaper on the official web page, however they’re typically offered out.
- I really like the GoCity Journey Passes for simple planning
- I take advantage of Tiqets for Seine Cruises as a result of with my code SALUT5 we get 5% off
Should-Haves for Paris:
- eSim card to remain on-line whereas in Paris. I used GigSky for my travels.
- You doubtless want a journey adapter to plug your units.
- Journey Insurance coverage – should you don’t have one, VisitorsCoverage is an efficient choice.
- In case your flight is delayed and even canceled, use AirHelp to get compensation.
