14th Arrondissement Paris:
Catacombs & Montparnasse
14th Arrondissement Paris: Catacombs & Montparnasse
Rue Daguerre market street in the 14th Arrondissement – Mark Craft
The Paris Catacombs bring many travelers to the 14th Arrondissement, but they are only one part of a district that stretches from Boulevard Montparnasse to the southern edge of Paris. Nearly 140,000 people live here among neighborhood shopping streets, cafés, parks, schools, and apartment buildings.
Spend time beyond the Catacombs and you'll find Montparnasse Cemetery, Rue Daguerre market street, and Parc Montsouris. This guide covers the places to see, where to stay, and where to eat in the 14th Arrondissement.
Things To Do In The 14th Arrondissement
Tree-lined avenues at Montparnasse Cemetery - Mark Craft
The Catacombs are only one reason to spend time in the 14th Arrondissement. Above ground (and across the street) you'll find a museum devoted to the Liberation of Paris in 1944, one of the city's great cemeteries, the cafés and brasseries of Boulevard Montparnasse, and one of the largest parks in Paris.
Visit The Paris Catacombs
The Catacombs are unlike any other attraction in Paris. Descend 20 metres beneath the streets to walk through former limestone quarries where the remains of more than six million Parisians were transferred during the late 18th and 19th centuries. The self-guided route covers about 1.5 kilometres before returning to street level near Place Denfert-Rochereau.
A guided tour adds the history behind the ossuary, the underground quarry network, and the transfer of the remains. Timed entry is included, and you'll avoid the uncertainty of trying to secure tickets after you arrive in Paris.
Book a guided Catacombs tour →
Walk Through Montparnasse Cemetery
Montparnasse Cemetery has been the resting place of writers, artists, philosophers, politicians, and musicians since 1824. Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir lie side by side here, near Samuel Beckett, Charles Baudelaire, Serge Gainsbourg, and dozens of other notable figures. Wide tree-lined avenues and elaborate family monuments make it one of the most rewarding cemeteries to explore in Paris.
Visit the famous graves of Montparnasse Cemetery →
Visit The Musée De La Libération De Paris
Directly across from the Catacombs, the Musée de la Libération de Paris tells the story of occupied Paris, the French Resistance, and the liberation of the city in August 1944. The museum occupies the former headquarters of Colonel Henri Rol-Tanguy, and visits include the underground command post where Resistance leaders coordinated the uprising before Allied troops entered Paris.
Stroll Boulevard Montparnasse
Boulevard Montparnasse has been associated with Paris café life for more than a century. Historic addresses including La Coupole, Le Dôme, La Rotonde, and Le Select continue to serve beneath the same Art Deco dining rooms and sidewalk terraces that attracted artists, writers, and intellectuals during the early 20th century. Today the boulevard remains a good place for lunch, dinner, or an afternoon café stop.
Relax In Parc Montsouris
Parc Montsouris covers 15 hectares at the southern edge of the arrondissement. Walking paths circle a lake, broad lawns spread beneath mature trees, and the park includes sculptures, a bandstand, playgrounds, and one of the city's oldest meteorological stations. It is a pleasant place to slow down after sightseeing elsewhere in Paris.
Find Your Paris Hotel: Choosing The Right Area
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Where To Stay In The 14th Arrondissement
CAPTION
We recommend these three hotels in the 14th Arrondissement. All have strong guest reviews, comfortable rooms, and locations that work well for exploring the neighborhood and the rest of Paris.
Hôtel Aiglon
Just across from Place Denfert-Rochereau, the four-star Hôtel Aiglon puts the Catacombs, the Musée de la Libération de Paris, and Metro Line 4 within a few minutes' walk. Guest rooms combine Art Deco details with contemporary furnishings, and the neighborhood around the hotel has cafés, bakeries, and local restaurants rather than tourist crowds.
Check availability at Hôtel Aiglon →
Drawing House
Drawing House is one of the newer hotels in the 14th Arrondissement, close to Gare Montparnasse. Contemporary rooms, an indoor swimming pool, and an art collection created by French illustrators give the hotel a distinctive character. It's a good choice if you're arriving by train or plan to explore Montparnasse and the southern Left Bank.
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Hotel Raspail Montparnasse
A short walk from Boulevard Montparnasse, Hôtel Raspail Montparnasse occupies a 1930s Art Deco building with updated rooms and many original design details. The location is within walking distance of cafés, brasseries, Metro stations, and Montparnasse Cemetery, while the hotel itself is set back on a quiet side street.
Check availability at Hotel Raspail Montparnasse →
Paris Airport Transfers To Your Hotel
A driver meets you at the terminal and takes you directly to your hotel. A private airport transfer begins your visit with door-to-door service from the airport to your accommodation. Book your airport transfer before you travel.
More To See In The 14th Arrondissement
CAPTION
The Catacombs and Montparnasse are only part of the story. The 14th Arrondissement also has hidden streets, unusual architecture, and reminders of the area's long history. These are a few places worth seeking out while you're exploring the neighborhood.
Boulevard Montparnasse. Stretching from Place Léon-Paul-Fargue to Port-Royal, Boulevard Montparnasse has been associated with Paris café life since the early 20th century. Historic addresses including La Coupole, Le Dôme, La Rotonde, and Le Select continue to serve beneath the same Art Deco dining rooms and sidewalk terraces that welcomed artists, writers, and intellectuals for generations.
Villa Seurat. Hidden behind Porte d'Orléans, Villa Seurat is a short residential street lined with Modernist houses designed during the 1920s. Architect André Lurçat planned much of the street, while artists including Jean Lurçat and sculptor Chana Orloff lived and worked here. It remains one of the most distinctive architectural corners of the arrondissement.
Notre-Dame-du-Travail. Built between 1898 and 1902, this parish church surprises almost everyone who steps inside. Instead of stone vaults, the nave is supported by exposed iron columns and roof trusses inspired by the engineering of the great railway stations and exhibition halls of the late 19th century.
Aqueduc Médicis. The small stone building beside 8 Avenue René Coty is known as Regard 25, one of the few visible reminders of the Aqueduc Médicis. Commissioned by Marie de Medici in the early 17th century, the aqueduct carried fresh spring water into Paris through an underground channel that is still in use today. The regard provided access for inspection and maintenance, although it is no longer open to the public.
Markets, Cafés & Restaurants
Les Jardins de Losserand on Rue Raymond Losserand – Mark Craft
Rue Daguerre & Rue Raymond Losserand
Market streets such as Rue Daguerre and nearby Rue Raymond Losserand are lined with boulangeries, fromageries, boucheries, poissonniers, produce shops, wine merchants, cafés, and specialty food stores. Residents stop in for bread, cheese, fruit, flowers, or dinner ingredients while café terraces stay busy from morning into the evening.
Shops stand beside one another for several blocks. Bakery windows fill with fresh pastries, produce is stacked outside greengrocers, and fishmongers display the day's catch on ice. Coffee, pastries, cheese, charcuterie, wine, and dinner ingredients are all found within a few minutes' walk.
Edgar-Quinet Market
Edgar-Quinet Market fills that boulevard on Wednesday and Saturday mornings. Produce growers, fromagers, bouchers, poissonniers, fleuristes, and prepared-food vendors set up along Edgar-Quinet Boulevard between Rue du Départ and Rue de la Gaîté. Residents arrive with shopping bags while cafés nearby serve coffee and breakfast.
Brancusi Organic Market
Place Constantin Brancusi hosts one of Paris's organic markets on Sunday mornings. Certified organic producers bring fruit and vegetables, bread, cheese, meat, poultry, eggs, honey, and other seasonal products from farms around the region. The market is smaller than Edgar-Quinet, with a quiet, neighborhood atmosphere.
Lunch at La Closerie des Lilas
La Closerie des Lilas has served lunch and dinner on Boulevard du Montparnasse since 1847. The brasserie, restaurant, piano bar, and terrace have long been part of the neighborhood's dining scene. Classic French dishes, seafood, seasonal specialties, and an extensive wine list continue to draw both Parisians and visitors. Brass plaques mark tables associated with former patrons, including Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Samuel Beckett
Dine At MoSuke
Chef Mory Sacko's MoSuke brings together French, Japanese, and West African influences in seasonal tasting menus. Awarded one Michelin star, the restaurant has become one of the distinctive dining destinations in the 14th Arrondissement. Reservations are recommended well in advance.
A Classic Seine Dinner Cruise
A dinner cruise is one of the classic evenings in Paris. This 2.5-hour cruise serves classic French cuisine aboard an all-glass boat as the landmarks of central Paris come into view: the Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame, and the Louvre.
FAQs About The 14th
Baguettes at the Edgar Quinet market - Paul Asman & Jill Lenoble
IS THE 14TH ARRONDISSEMENT A GOOD PLACE TO STAY?
Yes. The 14th Arrondissement has a good selection of hotels, neighborhood cafes, local markets, and convenient transport. Gare Montparnasse provides direct rail service to western France, while the RER B offers direct connections to Charles de Gaulle Airport.
HOW DO I GET TO THE PARIS CATACOMBS?
The Catacombs are opposite the Denfert-Rochereau Metro station, served by Lines 4 and 6 and RER B. Advance tickets are strongly recommended, especially from spring through autumn.
WHEN ARE THE NEIGHBORHOOD MARKETS OPEN?
Edgar-Quinet Market operates on Wednesday and Saturday mornings. The Brancusi Organic Market takes place on Sunday mornings. Both feature seasonal produce and regional food producers.
WHAT IS THE BEST-KNOWN MARKET STREET IN THE 14TH ARRONDISSEMENT?
Rue Daguerre is the arrondissement's best-known market street, lined with boulangeries, fromageries, boucheries, poissonneries, cafés, wine merchants, and specialty food shops. Nearby Rue Raymond Losserand offers a similar neighborhood atmosphere.
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