General Information

The 12th arrondissement is located on the right bank of the Seine and is the second-largest district of the city: it accounts for 15% of Paris’s territory. It is divided into quarters: Quartier du Bel-Air, Quartier de Picpus, Quartier de Bercy and Quartier des Quinze-Vingts.

Street Spirit

The spacious 12th arrondissement is a nice place to spend a relaxing day as it comprises a large park: Bois de Vincennes. This huge area has many beauties and interesting things to see. The 12th is also known for its sizable Chinese community centred around the Gare de Lyon. The Chinese settled there after World War I.

History: Highlights

The 12th arrondissement is where traces of the oldest human occupation in the Paris region were found. During some construction work, the remains of a Palaeolithic village were unearthed. Wooden objects, pottery, bows and arrows, bone and stone tools dating back to the Chasséen period (4500-3800 BC) were then relocated to the Musée Carnavalet.

Quartier du Bel-Air

The forty-fifth quarter was incorporated into Paris in the mid-19th century, when the city gained new fortifications.

Quartier de Picpus

The forty-sixth quarter was named after a street that had been located there back in the 16th century.

Quartier de Bercy

The name of the forty-seventh quarter commemorates the once-independent town of Bercy, which was incorporated into Paris in mid 19th century. Until the 20th century this area was a major shipping point where goods arrived on the Seine and were later transported to other destinations. In the recent years, the quarter has undergone major renovations.

Quartier des Quinze-Vingts

The forty-eighth quarter owes its name to the hôpital des Quinze-Vingts, an ophtalmogy centre and hospital located in this area.