Strolling round Paris and discovering a neighbourhood is at all times a pleasure, with nice structure to admire and gardens to discover, however there are nonetheless some hidden treasures you may not discover until you already know the place to look.
Within the space round Montparnasse, not removed from our accommodations, there’s much more to see than the 59-floor tower! Maybe you wish to uncover with us a beautiful artwork nouveau constructing, an underground swimming pool, some hidden ornate tiles from 1895, the backyard suspended above the Montparnasse practice station, a newly-planted city forest, a new-generation buying centre with DJs, or the cemetery the place you’ll discover Charles Baudelaire, Marguerite Duras and Serge Gainsbourg?
Observe us for a stroll stuffed with nice surprises…
We begin our stroll at 140 rue de Rennes, simply minutes away from the Resort & Spa la Belle Juliette. A Zara retailer now occupies the decrease a part of this artwork nouveau constructing (designed by architect Paul Auscher), which was made for the division retailer Félix Potin in 1904, and each the façade and roof of the constructing at the moment are listed historic monuments. They don’t make opuluent buildings like this any extra!
From right here we head in the direction of the (rightfully) much-maligned Tour Montparnasse, the hovering poster little one for ugly Nineteen Seventies structure. It’s mentioned that from its roof you may have essentially the most stunning view of Paris as a result of… you’ll be able to’t see the Tour Montparnasse! Due for renovation, the 2017 300M€ challenge nonetheless hasn’t began, and the dingy buying centre on the tower’s base is now a lugubrious place, partly as a result of the big Galeries Lafayette division retailer there closed in 2019.
However, there are some stunning issues to see round right here.
Push the door of 5 rue d’Odessa, advance in the direction of the courtyard, and also you’ll uncover a second, smaller constructing (previously public baths, now a male-only sauna) relationship from 1895, with some unbelievable sculpted tiles, wealthy in color. Virtually no person is aware of about this place…
Simply subsequent door, at 3 rue d’Odessa is the Pathé Parnasse cinema which was renovated and enlarged in 2022 (by combining it with one other cinema on the opposite aspect of the identical constructing). It’s now a ‘premium’ cinema with a lowered variety of massive, snug seating, though there are nonetheless 12 screens, with 800 seats in all.
Nevertheless, it’s removed from the one cinema in Montparnasse – the world has a protracted, wealthy historical past of cinemas, and whereas a number of have closed it stays a serious hub for moviegoers, with 33 screens and a complete of almost 4,000 seats!
Reverse, a staircase descends to the buying centre, however we’re not right here for the outlets – hidden beneath is a swimming pool (Piscine Armand-Massard), or slightly three swimming pools (12.5m, 25m and 33 metres lengthy) one in every of which is over 3 metres deep! Such large swimming pools are uncommon in Paris, and with entrance costing simply 3.50€, it’s an authorized cut price. You’ll discover the opening instances right here.
Now we’re off down a smaller avenue to see the Villa Marie Vassilieff. Whereas the experimental arts centre previously housed right here closed in 2020, it stays a typical Parisian cul-de-sac with cobblestones, numerous vegetation and a few artist workshops to look into.
And simply subsequent door, we have been shocked to occur upon a Parisian cabaret! Open since 2011, Oh! César affords dinner and a present (and nightclub after) for round 100€ per individual (in case you e-book on-line).
Our subsequent cease is the top of the road for a lot of, many trains day-after-day – Gare Montparnasse, a constructing so big that it’s tough to overlook. Reconstructed in 1969 and renovated a variety of instances since, the station (Paris’ fourth busiest) has 28 platforms divided into three zones, with over 80 million individuals (each travellers and non-travellers) passing by means of every year.
The latest renovation has introduced the variety of in-station shops to 100 (which maybe explains why the buying centre beneath the Tower is now nearly empty), allowed extra pure mild to enter, and allowed the restoration of two big work (32m x 6m) by the artist Victor Vasarely, relationship from 1971.
Lots of people don’t know that the station really has a hidden 3.5 hectare backyard above it created in 1994. Make your method by means of the crowds to platform one and also you’ll see a staircase discreetly marked ‘Jardin’.
Go up the steps and also you’ll end up within the Jardin Atlantique! Though the Museum of the Liberation of Paris was as soon as housed right here earlier than transferring to Denfert-Rochereau in 2019, you’ll nonetheless discover ping-pong tables, tennis courts and many hidden leafy corners with benches, the proper place to have a picnic or wait on your practice in case you’ve arrived early.
Lovers of brutalist Nineteen Seventies structure may even benefit from the big residence blocks on both aspect of the backyard (together with the Immeuble Mouchotte relationship from 1966, with 750 flats and 18 flooring). As for the backyard itself, it could be finest to attend for spring to reach and brighten up the gray of the concrete and stone.
Let’s shortly cross by the shocking city forest on what was a roundabout on place de Catalogne (that we instructed you about right here) and head in the direction of the close by rue de la Gaité to take a look at the brand new buying centre referred to as Les Ateliers Gaité. Just lately constructed to take the place of a fugly buying centre from the 2000s, you’ll now discover thirty shops right here, plus a video games centre within the basement and a big meals court docket with DJs, salsa classes, a comedy membership, live shows, occasions with childminders so the mother and father can actually let unfastened, karaoke, pinball and different occasions!
For the total line-up, click on right here.
Reverse, the rue de la Gaité is well-known to Parisians for its quite a few theatres – there are no less than seven right here (together with the well-known Bobino) or very close by! Maybe they will help you sweep up in your French language expertise? 😜
And simply a few minutes from right here, to finish our stroll, don’t miss Montparnasse cemetery, our little Left Financial institution Père-Lachaise and the ultimate resting place of Charles Baudelaire, Samuel Beckett, Marguerite Duras, Man de Maupassant, Eugène Ionesco, Simone de Beauvoir, Jean-Paul Sartre, Henri Poincaré, Paul Langevin, Paul Verlaine, Susan Sontag, Jean Seberg, Jacques Demy, Claude Sautet, Man Ray, Brassaï and the one and solely Serge Gainsbourg.
Rue Emile Richard used to separate the 2 sections of the cemetery, however has simply been pedestrianised and will make for a beautiful leafy stroll as soon as the vegetation develop in.
So there you may have it – some fascinating concepts for exploring the world round Montparnasse and discovering locations that many individuals miss. The map beneath reveals the place we went, and when you have any solutions of fascinating sports activities we might have missed, be at liberty so as to add them within the feedback!
