Discover Montparnasse: history, culture and must-sees

Since the Roaring Twenties, Montparnasse has been the cultural district of Paris’s Left Bank, the meeting place for artists. In the mid-20ᵉ century, Montparnasse, supplanting Montmartre, established itself as the artistic and theater-going district in the heart of the 6th and 14ᵉ arrondissement.

Today, it’s a lively, bustling business district around the Montparnasse train station. From theater to museum, from mythical Parisian café to gourmet restaurant, a visit to the district takes you on a journey through the history of the Paris of the arts and entertainment, an unusual tour between history and culture, a journey between modernity and nostalgia. Follow the guide… 

History and transformation of Montparnasse 

Mont Parnasse was the name given by Paris students to the hill of rubble and embankment, their favorite place for declamation, in reference to the residence of the Greek Muses: “Montparnasse” would become “Montparno” in Parisian slang.

Levelled in the 18ᵉ century to trace the boulevard du Montparnasse, this area at the gateway to the city was the rendezvous of night owls, where people came to dine in restaurants before going to the theater. A neighborhood on the bangs of the city, it attracts artists in search of studios and low-cost accommodation. 

Crossed by rue de Rennes, avenue du Maine and boulevard Montparnasse, the arrondissement is bounded by boulevard Raspail. In 1852, the construction of the Montparnasse train station gave new impetus to the district. In the 1960s, the decision was taken to redesign a district of the city that was considered unhealthy and run-down. The Montparnasse station was relocated and rebuilt, and the Montparnasse Tower became the tallest intra-muros tower in Paris and France for a few years: a new history was written for the district. 

With its tower and train station, Montparnasse became a business and transit district for travelers, with a wide range of hotels, cafés and restaurants, while remaining a place for parties and theater. It became a commercial area without renouncing its past.

Montparnasse: a beacon of artistic life 

Close to Saint-Germain-des-Prés, the Montparnasse of the Roaring Twenties succeeded the Montmartre of the Belle Époque and became the beating heart of the art world, a place of permanent celebration. The district resounds with the names of artists from all over the world. Foujita, Giacometti, Man Ray, Brancusi, Braque, Picasso, Modigliani and Soutine haunt the streets and studios of Montparnasse. Fauvism, Cubism, Surrealism, Dadaism, Expressionism… The currents that influenced the history of art in the 20ᵉ century passed through Montparnasse and formed the École de Paris.

Rue de la Gaîté, Paris is a party with its theaters and cafés: théâtre de Montparnasse, théâtre de la Gaîté Montparnasse, Comédie italienne, théâtre Edgar, Bobino… attract night owls and lovers of art and culture. 

Painters, sculptors, writers, poets, patrons of the arts, journalists and intellectuals from all over France and the world exchanged opinions, partied and debated in the cafés of Montparnasse, where penniless artists sometimes paid the restaurant bill for a poem or a painting. Carrefour Vavin, le Dôme, la Coupole, le Select or la Closerie des Lilas are “the navel of the world” according to Henry Miller.

Cultural and historical highlights 

The hotel’s location in the Montparnasse district is ideal for a stroll of discovery, a journey through culture, history and beautiful gardens:

• More than a museum, the Fondation Cartier pour l’Art Contemporain exhibits the work of world-renowned contemporary artists and up-and-coming talents. A lively experience combining visual art, architecture, design, science, cinema… 
• Take time to discover Montparnasse’s artistic past, just a few minutes’ walk from the hotel, at the Bourdelle Museum, Rodin’s pupil, the magnificent garden and its 1000 sculptures, or the Giacometti Institute… 
• On a stroll, discover the Paris Observatory in its wooded garden, an architectural and historical treasure, the living heart of astronomy in France since 1667.
• On the 56ᵉ floor of the Montparnasse tower, a boundless view opens out over the City of Light.
• On Place Denfert-Rochereau, the twin buildings of the barrière d’Enfer and the majestic Lion de Belfort, witnesses to French history, guard the gates to the Catacombs.
• An unusual experience at Montparnasse Cemetery (maps available on site). In this garden of remembrance lie Baudelaire, Maupassant, Sartre and Beauvoir, Samuel Beckett, Jane Birkin… You can count pens on the grave of Marguerite Duras, or place a metro ticket on that of Serge Gainsbourg, humming La Javanaise with Juliette Gréco. Also hidden here is the discreet tomb of the creators of Le Bon Marché, the Boucicaut family, who revolutionized commerce with a sign that has become emblematic of the Left Bank.  

Montparnasse today, between nostalgia and modernity 

Over the years, the Montparnasse district has been renewing itself. The Montparnasse Tower, currently under renovation, is dreaming of a taller, greener building, with a nature area at the top visible from all over Paris.

Montparnasse station is the hub linking the city of Paris to the west of France. With the TGV Atlantique high-speed train and the LGV Paris Bordeaux high-speed train, traffic has grown considerably: 64 million passengers by 2023. A vast, luminous space, Vasarely’s magnificent frescoes for an artistic touch, a tribute to the history of the area, and prestigious boutiques welcome passengers. The Jardin Atlantique, a hanging garden overlooking the station, offers an open-air nature break.

A visit to Montparnasse is an experience to be savored, a joyful, gourmet journey that includes a few not-to-be-missed highlights: 

• Enjoy a Breton crêpe with your family on Rue du Montparnasse, at Le Petit Josselin for example. 
• Enjoy a romantic dinner at La Closerie des Lilas or chez la cheffe Hélène Darroz, the district has no shortage of gourmet restaurants…
• Share your thoughts after a show in a theater on rue de la Gaîté!
• Stroll the aisles of the Marché de la Création, a living museum and open-air artists’ gallery on boulevard Edgar Quinet, on Sundays,
• Lunch to the sound of the piano at the legendary Closerie des Lilas,
• Have a coffee at the emblematic Rotonde!

The Montparnasse district, the lively heart of the 6ᵉ and 14ᵉ arrondissements, is a typically Parisian place to go out, visit and learn about history. Between rue de Vaugirard, rue de Rennes and avenue du Maine, Hôtel le Littré is an excellent pied-à-terre from which to explore Montparnasse. Since 1924, it has embodied the charm and spirit of Montparnasse’s welcoming family atmosphere. With its elegance and embodiment of the French art of living, it offers a haven of peace, the perfect counterpoint to the hustle and bustle of the district.