1st arrondissement

1st arrondissement

The Louvre museum, home to the “Mona Lisa,” is the heart of this lively district that features Hausmann-era boulevards and parks such as the Tuileries and the 17th-century Palais Royal. Fashionistas troop to the designer boutiques and luxury jewelers along chic Rue Saint Honoré and Place Vendôme. Les Halles shopping district has international fashion chains along Rue de Rivoli and in a vast underground mall.

The center of contemporary Paris and the site of such landmarks as the Louvre and the Tuileries and Palais Royal, the 1st Arrondissement is full of attractions for all inclinations, including some of the finest parks, museums , shops, and bars in the city. The 1st occupies the Right Bank of the River Seine and extends to the western section of the Island of the City in the midst of the river. For occupying such a compact space, however the first one is remarkably different from one end to the other. The almost incredibly upscale western end of the borough gives way to the hustle and bustle of the big city east of the Royal Palace.