Louvre, situates on the Rive Droite, is the first out of 20 arrondissements the centre of Paris is subdivided into. It’s the most central zone of the city, the busiest with tourists and the starting point of the arrondissement spiral.

The area, the least populated and wide among the 20 arrondissements, is divided into 4 boroughs:

• St-Germain-l'Auxerrois
• Les Halles
• Palais Royal
• Place Vendôme

Inside this arrondissement there are some of the most interesting attractions of Paris. First of all the Louvre Museum, with its immense collection of artworks coming from all over the world. Also, the Arc de Triomphe du Carousel, erected by order of Napoleon, and the Palais Royal, ancient residence of the Cardinal Richelieu.

Don’t miss a stroll along the beautiful Rue de Rivoli, with plenty of shops, at the end of which you can see the gothic Tower of Saint-Jacques, which is part of the fourth arrondissement, though.

In the Louvre zone there’s also the beautiful gothic chapel of Sainte-Chapelle, erected by order of Louis IX and full of splendid glass windows. Other important churches are the Temple protestant de l'Oratoire du Louvre, the gothic church of Saint-Eustache and the Église Saint-Germain-l'Auxerrois.

Moreover, don’t miss the Tuileries gardens, the headquarters of the Banque de France, the Musée de la Mode e du Textile, the Vendôme Column and the Conciergerie, the ancient prison where queen Marie Antoinette and Robespierre were put away.

Worthy mentioning are the big shopping mall of Les Halles, particularly suggestive because of its fountains, sculptures, mosaics and museums, and the Samaritaine, an area busy with young people and foreigners.

UNDERGROUND: Line 1, Line 4, Line 7, Line 14.

CENTRAL STATION: Châtelet/Les Halles.