Favorite Sites

Destinations in the 14th: Montparnasse

• Cimitiere du Montparnasse

  (Sunday, 13 July 2008)
  In olden times, this area of Montparnasse was known for its flour mills and the exact location of the cemetery was actually acres of farmland that was bought for burying purposes in the 18th century. It is also one of the largest green spaces in Paris and has a number of beautiful tree species like limes, ash, maple, and conifers.

• Cite Internationale Universitaire de Paris

  (Tuesday, 15 July 2008)
  Shortened to CIUP, this university features its own private park and beautiful residences halls which are mostly organized by nationality. Dozens of countries are represented in this worldly university.

• Fondation Cartier Pour l’Art Contemporain

  (Tuesday, 15 July 2008)
  This amazing gallery helps to further the work of many international contemporary artists through exhibitions and displays all via donation.

• La Coupole

  (Saturday, 28 June 2008)

  Nothing says Montparnasse as much as La Coupole, the art deco brasserie made famous by Ernest Hemingway, Jean Cocteau and F. Scott Fitzgerald.

• La Maison Parisienne: one of Paris’s best kept secrets

  (Wednesday, 04 January 2012)

  (The Parisian House)

  The mission of Maison Parisienne is to provide a creative space for traditional craftsmen to work on and exhibit their skill. Today many specialist and traditional techniques such as silversmith, lace maker, straw marquetry and crafts like ceramics, glassware, and eggshell lacquer are in danger of disappearing because there are no new journeymen.

   

• Montparnasse district

  (Tuesday, 15 July 2008)
  Located on the Left Bank, this district is known for its artistic and intellectual flare. Today it is still known as such but offers many more tourist attractions like the Catacombs and Tour Montparnasse as well as excellent cafes and bars known for their crepes.

• Musee Jean Moulin

  (Tuesday, 15 July 2008)
  Jean Moulin was a major player during the French Resistance during World War II. He was killed by Nazi’s while fighting the good fight for his country. The museum commemorates Moulin as well as Marechal Phillipe Leclerc de Hauteclocque and the liberation at the end of the war.

• Musee Lenine

  (Tuesday, 15 July 2008)
  This museum is dedicated solely to Vladimir Lenin, a Russian communist politician who led the October Revolution and was later the head of the Russian Soviet Socialist Republic. He was named as one of the most influential people of the century by Time magazine. The building is a replica of the apartment Lenin, his wife and his mother lived in for a handful of years in the early 20th century.

• Parc Montsouris

  (Sunday, 13 July 2008)
  The Parc Montsouris is mysterious. It is the spot where the legendary giant Isoire roamed and a cemetery of sorts, where bones from overrun cemeteries were piled. It isn’t all frightening though; quite the opposite actually. The Paris Observatory that dates back to the Napoleonic era as well as a meteorological observatory are nestled among winding paths, small streams, and lush green spots.

• Place Denfert-Rouchereau

  (Tuesday, 15 July 2008)
  This lovely square, once called Place d’Enfer, is now named after French commander Pierre Philippe Denfert-Rochereau. There is a large statue of a lion called the Lion of Belfort in the square as well as the Catacombs museum. 
  

• The Catacombs

  (Sunday, 06 July 2008)

  You don't have to be Goth to enjoy this Parisian ossuary near the famous Place Denfert-Rochereau (check out the statue of the lion!). Of course, not everybody enjoys seeing skulls and other bones pilled up to the top of these tunnels under Paris—skulls and bones that were taken from the Cemetery of the Innocents at Les Halles, and then later, from other cemeteries  to make room for more burials. The areas in the Catacombes are labeled so that you can see from which cemetary area the bones had been removed. It might not be an attraction for everybody, but if you're looking for a little different tourist attraction, you might want to check out the Catacombes. If you feel safer with a flashlight on hand, you can bring one with you. There's enough light for you to see, but if you feel safer with your duracell powered light deep below the sunlight, feel free to shine your way through the path of these old French skeletons.

• Tour Montparnasse

  (Tuesday, 15 July 2008)
  Not only is Tour Montparnasse the tallest building in Paris at 56 stories, it also has Europe’s fastest elevator. It will whisk you away to the top in 38 seconds flat to scope out some of the best views Paris has to offer.