Studying in Paris: A Guide to the 13th arrondissement

An open-sky museum

Crédits photo : Flickr | Tom Hilton

Didn’t we say that the 13th arrondissement was synonymous with creativity? The district is a vast playground for bold and innovative street artists. A total of 35 of the area’s buildings feature vibrant and colorful murals from some of the most renowned street artists in the world (including Conor Harrington, OBEY, Pantónio, C215 and D*Face).

Take a trip down metro line 6: most of the murals are located along Boulevard Vincent Auriol, between metro stations Quai de la Gare and Place d’Italie. And if this first overview of the district has sparked your curiosity, why not embark on a walking tour of the murals? You’ll find here a map of all the murals in the area.

If that still isn’t enough, you can always get your hands dirty and join a street art workshop during which street artists will teach you how to design your very own piece of street art.

Going back in time in the Butte-aux-Cailles

Crédits photo :  Flickr| Tom Hilton

Located east of the 13th arrondissement, The Butte-aux-Cailles (‘quail hill’ in English) is a picture-postcard village-like area right in the center of Paris. Uncanny!

With its picturesque streets lined up with quaint houses and buildings, the hilltop neighborhood is quite a unique sight in the French capital… and heaven on earth for Instagram-lovers.

Brimming with small bars and restaurants, the area has also become a trendy hotspot, loved by tourists and Parisians alike for its vibrant atmosphere and festive nightlife.

Bibliothèque François Mitterrand

Crédits photo : Flickr | Alain Stoll

Attention, all book-lovers! Built in the 1990’s, the Bibliothèque François Mitterrand is one of the biggest and most modern libraries in the world.

Awarded with the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture in 1996, it is home to the vast majority of the collections of the Bibliothèque nationale de France (the French National Library, aka the BnF), created in the 14th century. It gathers a total of roughly 14 million books, as well as countless printed and multimedia documents, maps, photographs, cartoons, drawings, theatre costumes and sets…

The Bibliothèque François Mitterrand is open to anyone with a need to use the collections… So, what are you waiting for? Little detail that you may miss, the four buildings of the Bibliothèque François Mitterand are shaped like books.

The 13th arrondissement counts quite a few restaurants that will no doubt satisfy even the most demanding foodies. Here are a few of the district’s top spots:

• Chez Gladines (30 Rue des cinq Diamants, 75013 Paris): specialties from the Southwest of France
• Le Verbalon (198 bis Rue de Tolbiac, 75013 Paris): authentic Parisian “bistrot”
• Sellae (18 Rue des Wallons, 75013 Paris): seasonal and gastronomic delights
• Pho 14 Restaurant Pho Banh Cuon (129 Avenue de Choisy, 75013 Paris): Vietnamese specialties
• Chez Lili et Marcel (1 Quai d’Austerlitz, 75013 Paris): generous and understated “brasserie”
• La Felicità (5 Parvis Alan Turing, 75013 Paris): Italian specialties and cosmopolitan atmosphere

At nightime, the 13th arrondissement turns into a trendy and festive hotspot for tourists and Parisians alike. Here are some of the top bars, concert venues and clubs in the area:

• Les Nuits Blanches (18 rue paul klee /, 1-2 place Augusta Holmes, 75013 Paris)
• Le Wanderlust (32 Quai d’Austerlitz, 75013 Paris)
• La Nuba (36 Quai d’Austerlitz, 75013 Paris)
• Le Bateau Phare (11 Quai François Mauriac, 75013 Paris)
• L’EP7 (133 Avenue de France, 75013 Paris)
• Le Prétexte (111 Rue de Tolbiac, 75013 Paris)
• La Marquise (86 Rue Nationale, 75013 Paris)

And if you want to experience Paris like a local, head for the Quais de Seine (Quai François Mauriac, 75013 Paris) as soon as the sun comes out: you’ll find plenty of Parisians chilling out and making the most of long summer nights in the capital.

Crédits photos : Flickr | Laurent PCB