Neighborhood

Aside from its intellectual past, the Saint-Germain district with its narrow streets, its numerous art galleries, its designer boutiques and terraces conjures up the unique atmosphere of the Left Bank. Located near the Hôtel Le Bellechasse it is a paradise for the idle stroller and for the art and food lover.

With the Palais du Luxembourg and its gardens just to the South, the district boasts several small museums, little known to the public at large but well worth a visit, such as the Eugene Delacroix museum, la Chapelle des Petits-Augustins, the Electra Association or the Royal Mint.

During your stay at the Hôtel Le Bellechasse, which offers a prime location to explore this unique Paris district, our friendly staff will be delighted to share their best addresses with you. Saint-Germain is home to mythical and world famous cafés and restaurants including Les Deux-Magots, the Café de Flore or the Brasserie Lipp.

However, other less known places are well-worth visiting. Discover the Petit-Zinc in Rue Saint-Benoit, a jewel of the Art Nouveau style or the Procope, one of the oldest café-restaurants in Paris. This prestigious venue was funded in the 17th century and became over the years a popular meeting place among intellectuals and politicians. Its walls still bear the portraits of some of its famous visitors including Voltaire, the French revolutionary Danton or the poet Musset.

Various staircases lead to this part of the embankment, including from the splendid Alexander III Bridge, a masterpiece of late 18th century architecture. This part of the quay which features a 2 km long pedestrian path is equipped for visitors of all ages. It comprises numerous areas where visitors can relax on deckchairs, giant cushions or tepees. There are children’s play areas, a climbing wall, bars and restaurants with terraces and many more surprises that you can discover during your pleasant stroll along the river.

If you wish to walk further along the quays of the Seine past Orsay, follow the river upstream and discover the mythical Pont des Arts, then the Pont Neuf - Paris’s oldest bridge - and you will reach the Ile de la Cité and Notre-Dame Cathedral.

It also houses the army museum, as well as the museum of bas-reliefs offering miniature views of the major fortresses throughout France designed by Vauban. This engineer, a true military genius who served Louis XIV, was commissioned by the latter during the course of the 17th century to build fortifications in various strategic places to protect France.

Thematic guided tours in French, and in foreign languages upon request, are organised; these will give you access to parts of the museum otherwise closed to the public and allow you to discover the many treasures, and numerous legends and stories surrounding this historical institution.

Le Nôtre, commissioned by Louis XIV, is best known for having landscaped the grounds of Versailles Palace. He gave Paris a royal garden which became a meeting-place for the aristocracy and upper classes.

In the 17th century it was often the scene of lavish revelry, and remains today one of the favourite places for Parisians to walk. Located within 5 minutes walk from the Hôtel le Bellechasse via the Solferino foot bridge, the Tuileries offer a typical insight of the unique atmosphere of Paris.

The gardens have witnessed many troubled times of the French history and contain many statues, fountains and remarkable trees. On either side of the main entrance gates you will find two charming museums: the Orangery, in which two entire rooms are devoted to the famous Water Lilies by Monet, and the Jeu de Paume, where photographic exhibitions take place regularly showcasing famous artists such as Diane Arbus, Martin Parr or Garry Winogrand.

The obelisk offered by the viceroy of Egypt to France in 1830, is Paris’s oldest monument. It was brought all the way from Luxor and now stands proudly in the centre of the square. The square, which boasts two grand fountains and superb Caryatids - statues of women that replace columns or pillars in an edifice, is a photographer’s paradise. Located just a stone’s throw from the Elysées palace, home of the French President, the Place de la Concorde is just under 10 minutes walk from the Hôtel Le Bellechasse. It offers a marvellous starting point to explore the Right Bank of Paris.

The imposing column of pink granite, which stood guard at the entrance of the temple of Luxor, was erected under the reign of Ramses II. It is 22 metres tall, weighs 200 tons and is over 3,000 years old. This obelisk was transported from Egypt to Paris during the course of an epic journey which lasted over 2 years. A boat was especially built for its transport and the engineers had to show plenty of ingenuity to find solutions to the numerous problems that arose from moving this impressive monument. The story of this fantastic adventure and of how the obelisk was erected is engraved on its base; discover it just steps from the Hôtel Le Bellechasse.

It was first built for the duration of the fair and was to be dismantled afterwards. However Gustave Eiffel had other plans for his masterpiece. And in 1903 he arranged for an antenna to be set up on top of the tower to support the progress of the emerging wireless telegraphic system. The operation was so successful that it ended up being a strategic asset during World War I.

From the onset the Eiffel Tower has attracted crowds. It is in constant evolution to seduce more and more visitors; it offers lifts, a fine dining restaurant on the second floor and a new impressive glass floor on the first floor.

Its towers are 69 metres high and offer the visitor brave enough to climb to the top an impressive panoramic view of Paris. The richly decorated façade is well worth taking the time to admire all the details.

The best way to admire the splendid structure of Notre-Dame is to take a boat trip on the Seine. The hotel sells tickets and season passes which will enable you to discover Paris at all times of year. Whether you take a day or a night cruise, these peaceful outings along the Seine offer a unique vantage point on Paris. These audio guided tours, which are available in several languages, will enable you to identify Paris’s most famous landmarks and you will learn their history and little anecdotes that refer to them.

However the Ile de la Cité offers more that this jewel. The former city centre of Paris is also home to the Conciergerie, the remains of Paris’s very first royal palace built between 308 and 336. It was there that Marie-Antoinette was imprisoned after the French revolution. In the grounds of the former palace you can also admire the superb Chapelle Royale built by Saint-Louis.

When you walk up Boulevard du Palais to reach the Conciergerie, notice on your left a square tower called the Tour de l’Horloge. The tower bears on its base Paris’s oldest public clock. It was installed in 1370 and entirely restored to its former beauty in 2012. This clock is topped by a pretty bell-turret and a weathervane. It bears the initials of three kings of France and is sumptuously decorated with hues of reds and blues, and incrusted with fine gold.

Take the time to stroll around these historic landmarks wonderfully situated between the two branches of the Seine.

Paris is a flagship destination which fully deserves the enthusiasm it inspires. The city boasts a rich historical, cultural and gastronomic heritage. It is home to the most visited monuments and museums in the world including the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre and Orsay museums, the Arc de Triomphe or the mythical Champs-Élysées. Leading perfume and fashion designers started their businesses here and its delicious cuisine is world famous.

The Hôtel Le Bellechasse Saint-Germain lies a stone’s throw from the magnificent Orsay museum which is situated opposite the Louvre museum. It offers visitors a prime central location to visit the most emblematic sites of Paris such as the Saint-Germain district, the Louvre, the Ile de la Cité, Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Eiffel Tower, the Tuileries Gardens, Place de la Concorde or the Champs-Élysées.