What to do in Paris’s 13th arrondissement this summer: a neighborhood guide
Far from the queues at the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre, the 13th arrondissement offers a different kind of Parisian summer: a hilltop village, shady parks, giant open-air murals and the city’s largest Asian quarter. Here is how to fill your days without leaving the arrondissement, and where to cool off when the heat rises.
Key takeaways. This summer in the 13th: the historic Butte-aux-Cailles swimming pool, Parc Montsouris, the Boulevard Paris 13 street art trail and Chinatown for a cool meal. The ideal base: a hotel with an indoor pool and spa.
Butte-aux-Cailles, the village that tourist season forgot
A short walk from Place d’Italie, the Butte-aux-Cailles feels like a village set down in the middle of Paris: cobbled streets, low houses, café terraces and street art on every corner. It’s a place to wander with no plan, between Rue de la Butte-aux-Cailles and Rue des Cinq Diamants.
When it’s hot, the neighbourhood has a rare asset: its swimming pool. Opened in 1924 and fed by a warm-water spring, the Butte-aux-Cailles pool has a large Art Deco indoor pool and two outdoor pools, perfect for a refreshing break in the heart of the 13th.
Parks and greenery for hot days
To escape the city streets, the 13th has its green spaces. Parc Montsouris, one of the largest parks in Paris, spreads out its lawns, lake and tall trees a few hundred metres from the hotel: ideal for a picnic or a nap in the shade. More secluded, the Cité Florale is a cluster of little lanes lined with flower-filled houses, an almost provincial setting that few visitors know about.
Open-air street art and culture
The 13th has become Paris’s open-air street art museum. Along Boulevard Vincent-Auriol and the surrounding streets, the “Boulevard Paris 13” trail features monumental murals by international artists, free to view, an initiative of the Itinerrance gallery. It’s a free walk, best enjoyed late in the day as the sun goes down. Right nearby, the Bibliothèque nationale de France and its esplanade offer exhibitions and wide steps overlooking the Seine.
Chinatown, for a cool meal
When the heat dulls your appetite, head to Chinatown, between Avenue de Choisy and Avenue d’Ivry. Steamed dumplings, iced bubble tea, fragrant soups and air-conditioned restaurants: it’s one of the best places in Paris for an affordable meal that takes you somewhere else, with no booking and no fuss.
B55, your cool retreat in the 13th
After a day outdoors, you need somewhere to recharge. A wine-themed hotel, B55 has an indoor pool and spa to cool off away from the heat, quiet air-conditioned rooms and a wine bar to round off the evening. All in the 13th, a few minutes from the parks and public transport.
Keep cool this summer in the 13th
Indoor pool, spa, air-conditioned rooms and a wine bar, just minutes from the parks and street art of the 13th.Book my summer stay
In summer, the 13th runs at the pace of the neighbourhood: a swim, a street art walk, an Asian dinner and a nap in the shade. Check in at B55 and enjoy it like a local: book your stay now.
