The 14th is best explored on foot, one quarter at a time, starting from place Denfert-Rochereau. These are the places we put in the welcome books of the homes we look after, with facts checked against official sources. For opening times and tickets, always check the venue’s own website before you go.
Beneath place Denfert-Rochereau: the Catacombs
The municipal ossuary was created at the end of the 18th century in old underground quarries. The remains of around six million people were moved there from the cemeteries of Paris, up until 1861. The section open to visitors runs for about 1.7 km, some twenty metres below street level. Above the ossuary door is the line “Arrête ! C’est ici l’empire de la mort” (“Stop! This is the empire of death”).
- Way in: 1 avenue du Colonel-Henri-Rol-Tanguy, place Denfert-Rochereau
- Way out: 21 bis avenue René-Coty
- Tickets, time slots and opening hours: on the official website, catacombes.paris.fr
The Liberation of Paris museum
On the same square, the Musée de la Libération de Paris, Musée du Général-Leclerc, Musée Jean-Moulin opened on 25 August 2019 in restored pavilions by Claude-Nicolas Ledoux. Under the west pavilion, Colonel Rol-Tanguy’s wartime command post lies some twenty metres underground, according to the City of Paris.
Parc Montsouris, Square de Montsouris and Villa Seurat
At the end of avenue René-Coty, avenue Reille runs along Parc Montsouris, which the engineer Alphand designed and which opened in 1869. Its lake fills a former open-cast quarry, and its bandstand, built for the 1881 International Electricity Exhibition, was rebuilt here in 1884. The RER B line runs right through the park.
Close by, Square de Montsouris, a sloping cobbled lane, still has, at no. 52, the studio Le Corbusier drew for Amédée Ozenfant. Off rue de la Tombe-Issoire, the Villa Seurat cul-de-sac was built as an artists’ colony: Henry Miller, Chaïm Soutine and Chana Orloff all lived there. People live on these lanes, so walk them quietly. Our Denfert-Rochereau and Montsouris page covers the area.
The Cité Internationale Universitaire
Across boulevard Jourdan, at no. 17, the Cité Internationale Universitaire arranges its student houses around the Maison Internationale. The Cité states that more than 1,000 events a year there are open to the public, and it runs guided tours: the programme is on ciup.fr. RER B station and T3a tram stop: Cité Universitaire.
Montparnasse on the 14th side: theatres, market, cemetery
On rue de la Gaîté the venues follow one another: Théâtre Montparnasse, Gaîté-Montparnasse, Petit Montparnasse, Bobino, Théâtre Rive Gauche, Comédie Italienne. On boulevard Edgar-Quinet, food stalls fill the central strip two mornings a week (see the FAQ below), and makers and artists take over every Sunday. At no. 3 is the gate of Montparnasse cemetery, where Baudelaire, Simone de Beauvoir, Jean-Paul Sartre, Marguerite Duras and Serge Gainsbourg are buried.
In between, partly pedestrianised rue Daguerre is the local shopping street, filmed by Agnès Varda in *Daguerréotypes* in 1975.
Plaisance: Notre-Dame-du-Travail
To the west, at 59 rue Vercingétorix, Notre-Dame-du-Travail church was built from 1897 to 1902 for local workers. Its exposed iron frame reuses parts of the Palais de l’Industrie from the 1855 World’s Fair. Rue Pernety and its line 13 station are in the same quarter. See also our Plaisance and Pernety page.
Planning your stay
For routes from the airports and stations, read our post getting to the 14th. If you own a flat here, these addresses can go into your digital welcome book, alongside the codes and house rules.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the entrance to the Catacombs?
At 1 avenue du Colonel-Henri-Rol-Tanguy, on place Denfert-Rochereau. The exit is at 21 bis avenue René-Coty.
Do I need to book the Catacombs in advance?
Tickets, time slots and opening hours are published on the official website, catacombes.paris.fr. Check it before you go.
When is the Edgar-Quinet market on?
On Wednesdays from 7am to 1.30pm and Saturdays from 7am to 2.30pm, according to the City of Paris. On Sundays the boulevard hosts the Marché de la Création.
Is Parc Montsouris far from the Catacombs?
No. Avenue René-Coty runs from place Denfert-Rochereau to avenue Reille, which borders the park to the north.
Photo: Shadowgate from Novara, ITALY, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
