The 8th arrondissement is situated on the Right Bank. It is one of Paris’s main business districts and a crucial place of employment, as well as the location of numerous embassies. Many tourist attractions are situated there, most notable of which are the Champs-Élysées, the Arc de Triomphe and the Place de la Concorde.
As an important business district and the residential area of upper middle class, the 8th arrondissement is filled with impressive and well maintained buildings, which makes a walk in this neighbourhood both interesting and pleasant. While visiting Paris, you will probably want to take a stroll down the Champs-Élysées to reach the Arc de Triomphe.
Dwellings in this area go back to the Gallic times. In the Middle Ages, the fertile soil of the current 8th arrondissement supplied Paris with produce. In the 19th century the area experienced an unprecedented boost in real estate prices, marking it as the prestigious and expensive location it still is today.
The twenty-ninth quarter is situated along what has been dubbed ‘the most beautiful avenue in the world’ – the Champs-Élysées. Think of the golden oldie by Joe Dassin, ‘Les Champs-Élysées’.
The thirtieth quarter, named after a 13th-century village that was situated there, used to contain the care centre and dwellings for the lepers. These were demolished in the 18th century, preceding the real estate boom in the area.
The thirty-first quarter has been commemorated in the famous anthology film “Paris, je t’aime” (2006). The 14th novella (by Canadian writer-director Vincenzo Natali) features Elijah Woods falling in love with a beautiful female vampire. This tongue-in-cheek plot is set in the picturesque Quartier de la Madeleine.
The thirty-second quarter celebrates Europe, its unity and diversity: the streets are named after great European cities.