Paris in 20 Walks: A Walking Guide to the 11th Arrondissement of Paris

The vibrant, residential 11th arrondissement of Paris (XIe arrondissement) is referred to as onzième, or Popincourt, and is situated on the right bank of the River Seine. The arrondissement is one of the most densely populated urban districts of any European city.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, the 11th arrondissement was an industrial area of factories and homes of factory workers. There was never an intent to build monuments other than local churches (although three of Paris’s most famous squares, the Bastille, Nation and République, lie on its borders). As such, the 11th arrondissement does not have as many tourist attractions as in the central arrondissements of Paris.

This relative sparsity of major tourist attractions provides an opportunity to experience Paris as a local and to explore a place where Parisians themselves gather and relax. With its nightlife, galleries, fashionable cafés, and restaurants, in the popular districts of Faubourg Saint-Antoine and Oberkampf, the 11th arrondissement, has become a trendy place to go. At the same time, its many hidden open air passages and court yards can still reveal glimpses of the life of the artisans and furniture makers who once lived and worked in this former working class area.