Paris by Arrondissement – 1er Arrondissement

Paris 1er Arrondissement:

Louvre Museum

Located on the right bank of the Seine, the 1èr arrondissement or 1st arrondissement is the geographical centre of Paris and this is where many of the Paris monuments and landmarks are located. The 1èr arrondissement is one of the smaller Paris districts by area, but in terms of tourist attractions, it is a haven for visitors.

1èr arrondissement

The 1st arrondissement is one of the oldest districts in Paris and is divided into the following four quarters:

• Quartier Saint-Germain-l’Auxerrois
• Quartier Les Halles
• Quartier Palais-Royale
• Quartier Place Vendôme

Attractions

There is not much residential area in the 1st arrondissement as much of the area is taken up by the Louvre Museum and the Tuileries Gardens. The list of attractions in the 1st arrondissement include:

• Musée du Louvre – the world’s greatest art Museum and home to the Mona Lisa


Palais Royal courtyard

• Palais Royale – A former royal palace and childhood home of Louis XIV, the Palais Royale was where much of France’s 18th and 19th century history was played out
• Jardin des Tuileries – This most formal Paris garden was designed by Le Nôtre, gardener to Louis XIV
• Place Vendôme – home to luxury hotels and many international luxury branded goods
  
• Forum des Halles – the largest shopping centre in Paris
• Le quartier Saint-Germain-l’Auxerrois
• Pont Neuf
• Pont des Arts
• Pont-Neuf aux Tuileries
• Banks of the River Seine

Shopping

Jardin des Tuileries

The streets around Rue St-Honore are upmarket shopping areas and designer shops like  Christian Louboutin, Jimmy Choo, the vintage haute couture at Didier Ludot and other upmarket boutiques can be found here. If you’re looking for jewelry, the finest jewellers in Paris can be found at Place Vendôme. There are also many shops along the arcades of Rue de Rivoli. But if you’re not aiming to deplete your entire savings on your Paris holidays, head for Forum des Halles, the largest shopping centre in Paris.

For food shopping, head for Rue Montorgueil.  The southern part of this food street sits in the 1st arrondissement.

Hotels in the 1ère arrondissement

For 5-star luxury, the Hotel de Vendome at 1 Place de Vendome puts you at the centre of Parisian luxury. The Hotel Du Louvre, a Hyatt Hotel, is another 5-star hotel which offers elegant guest rooms in a Hausmann-style building. For the complete list of 1st arrondissement hotels, see here.

Map of 1st Arrondissement:

Click here to get a free PDF of this post