Luxembourg Gardens to Montparnasse, a Self-Guided Paris Walk
2h. 1.7 miles. From Jardin du Luxembourg to Tour Montparnasse.
From the most beloved garden in Paris into the old artists' quarter of Montparnasse, where Hemingway, Picasso and Modigliani drank and painted. Green lawns, a hidden fountain, the legendary cafes of the Lost Generation, and the best rooftop view in the city to finish.
The local move
Skip the Eiffel Tower's queues and go up the Tour Montparnasse instead. Locals will tell you it has the better view, because it's the only Paris skyline that actually includes the Eiffel Tower. Sunset from the top terrace is unbeatable.
Best time to go
Afternoon into evening, ending on the Montparnasse rooftop for sunset.
The stops
Jardin du Luxembourg
The Senate's garden and the city's favorite: the palace, the fountain, the toy sailboats on the pond.
Tip: Pull a green metal chair up to the central basin and sit a while. Find the hidden Medici Fountain in the leafy northeast corner.
Fontaine des Médicis
A romantic, moss-dark Baroque fountain tucked in a shaded alley of the garden, easy to miss.
Tip: One of the most romantic corners in Paris and half the visitors walk right past it. Sit on the edge under the plane trees.
Closerie des Lilas
The historic brasserie where Hemingway wrote and the Lost Generation gathered, with brass plaques marking their seats.
Tip: Peek at the bar where the writers' names are engraved. A coffee here is a seat in literary history.
Carrefour Vavin
The heart of 1920s Montparnasse, ringed by the great artists' cafes: La Rotonde, Le Dome, La Coupole, Le Select.
Tip: These four cafes fueled the modern-art revolution. La Coupole's Art Deco hall is worth stepping into.
Cimetière du Montparnasse
A leafy, calm cemetery holding Sartre and de Beauvoir, Baudelaire, Beckett and Serge Gainsbourg.
Tip: A quiet detour; grab a map at the gate. Gainsbourg's grave is always covered in metro tickets and cigarettes.
Tour Montparnasse
The lone skyscraper, whose 56th-floor terrace gives the widest view in Paris, Eiffel Tower included.
Tip: Go up for sunset. Unlike the Eiffel, this view HAS the Eiffel in it. The open-air roof terrace is the payoff.
Ways to change it up
With kids
The Luxembourg sailboats, playground and puppet theater, then the tower's high-up view.
If it rains
The cafes and the Montparnasse tower interior keep you dry; save the cemetery for a clear day.
Short on time
The Luxembourg garden and straight up the Montparnasse tower for the view.
About these walks
This is one of the free self-guided Paris walks written by the Chic Trip team, locals who plan and book full Paris trips for American travelers. Get our free insider Paris guide at chic-trip.com/free-paris-guide, or have us plan your whole trip at chic-trip.com/paris-travel-planner.
