Paris
Paris
+ Exploring Paris
Sights
* Pont Alexandre III
* Arc de Triomphe
* Art Moderne de La Ville de Paris, Musée d'
* Arts Asiatiques-guimet, Musée National des/Panthéon Bouddhique
* Arts Décoratifs, Musée des
* Arts et Métiers-techniques, Musée des National
* Assemblée Nationale Palais-Bourbon
* Baccarat, Musée
* Balzac, Maison de
* Bastille
* Bibliothèque Nationale De France
* Carnavalet, Musée
* Cernuschi, Musée
* Chaillot, Palais de
* Cité, Ile de la
* Cognacq-Jay, Musée
* La Conciergerie
* Concorde, Place de la
* Eugène Delacroix, Musée National
* Faubourg St-Germain
* Faubourg St-Honoré
* Galliéra, Musée
* Gobelins, Manufacture Nationale des
* Grand Palais
* Grands Boulevards
* Les Halles
* Hôtel De Ville
* Institut De France
* Institut du Monde Arabe
* Jacquemart-André, Musée
* Jeu de Paume
* Madeleine, Eglise de la
* Maillol, Musée
* Le Marais
* Marmottan-monet, Musée
* Monnaie de Paris, Musée de la
* Montmartre
* Montparnasse
* Moyen-Age, Musée National du
* Musique, Musée de la
* Nissim de Camondo, Musée
* Opéra Garnier
* Orangerie, Musée National de l'
* Palais-Royal
* Panthéon
* Parfum, Musée du
* Pavillon de l'Arsenal
* Père-Lachaise, Cimetière du
* Picasso, Musée
* Plantes, Jardin des
* Quartier Latin
* Rodin, Musée
* Sacré-Coeur, Basilique du
* St-Germain-des-Prés
* Saint-Louis, Ile
* St-Sulpice, Église
* Sainte-Chapelle
* Tuileries, Jardin des
* Vendôme, Place
* Vosges, Place des
Vicinity
+ Vicinity
Walk/Drive
Food&Drink
In The Know
Did You Know?
( Worth Seeing )
These busy arteries, stretching from the place de la République to the Madeleine and lined with cinemas, theatres, cafés and shops, have today fallen victim to their long tradition of popular entertainment, choked by traffic jams and disfigured by aggressive neon signs, cheap snack bars and general neglect.
The 'boulevards' were laid out as a tree-lined promenade in the 17th century, when some of the city's medieval fortifications were demolished; two ceremonial arches, the Porte St-Martin and the Porte St-Denis, replaced the town gates.
The popularity of the boulevards peaked during the 19th century, with popular attractions in the east (theatre, dancing, circus and busking) and a more refined choice of entertainment in the west, especially after the building of the opera house. Several shopping arcades were also opened, including the Passage des Panoramas in boulevard Montmartre, opposite Musée Grévin, the famous waxworks museum, and at the end of the century, one of the first cinemas was inaugurated in boulevard St-Denis by the Lumière brothers.
Today, the boulevards still attract crowds of cinema- and theatre-goers but their general shabby appearance also encourages a rowdy element, particularly between the Porte St-Martin and the rue de Richelieu. Fortunately, complete renovation is underway.
Grands Boulevards
Address: From east to west: boulevards St-Martin, St-Denis, de Bonne Nouvelle, Poissonnière, Montmartre, des Italiens, des Capucines and de la MadeleineMetro: République, Strasbourg-St-Denis, Bonne Nouvelle, Rue Montmartre, Richelieu-Drouot, Opéra, Madeleine
Musée Grévin
Address: 10 boulevard Montmartre, 75009 ParisPhone: 01 47 70 85 05
Hours: Mon-Fri 10-6.30; Sat-Sun 10-7
Restaurant: Near by along the boulevards (Inexpensive-Moderately priced)
Bus: 20, 48, 74, 85
Metro: Rue Montmartre
Accessible: None
Admission: Expensive
Practical: Shop
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