escalader tour montparnasse

Paris : l’homme-araignée escalade la tour Montparnasse, 209 mètres de haut, à mains nues !

Leo Urban, un grimpeur de 27 ans, a escaladé samedi l’édifice parisien de 209 mètres de haut. Les policiers l’attendaient au sommet.

58 étages, 209 mètres à grimper mains nues sous le regard tétanisé des passants en bas, sans filet, sans aucune protection, malmené par la température négative au sommet et les bourrasques de 50 km/h…

Dans dix jours, le 18 décembre, Leo Urban présentera sur sa chaîne YouTube son aventure, l'effrayant exploit sportif qu'il a réalisé : escalader la tour Montparnasse, à Paris (15e). Sur les réseaux sociaux, un certain Leo Tix qui était en bas, au-delà du périmètre de sécurité établi par les policiers, tweetait : « Voilà, j'espère que tout va bien aller pour lui »…

Samedi dernier, à 13 heures, ce grimpeur, yamakasi à ses heures, « un peu comme Tarzan », 27 ans, né à Paris (14e), aux biceps bien affûtés, a escaladé sans gants, avec une petite caméra sur la tête — et surtout « avec une concentration absolue, il n'y a pas de place à l'erreur » — le plus haut gratte-ciel de la capitale, « bâtiment symbolique de Paris, autant détesté qu'aimé », souligne-t-il.

Des selfies avec la police

Arrivé en haut, le « Spider-Man » était attendu par « un pompier bienveillant », le personnel de sécurité de la tour et… la police. Les agents, qui suivaient aussi de l'intérieur du bâtiment sa progression, avaient tenté au niveau du 33e étage, en ouvrant une fenêtre, de dissuader l'homme-araignée de continuer. Mais comme le notait le fonctionnaire de police dans son rapport que nous avons pu consulter, « l'individu nous répond par la négative et poursuit sa course ». Les policiers ont alors décidé de ne plus lui adresser la parole entre le 33e étage et le 58e « afin de ne pas le perturber dans sa manœuvre dangereuse pour lui-même et autrui »…

Arrivé au sommet, Leo Urban a été interpellé — les orteils gelés et quelques égratignures aux mains — pour « ascension non autorisée d'un monument », ramené « dare-dare » au commissariat du 15e, gyrophare et sirène hurlante. Mais ressorti libre deux heures plus tard. « Les flics étaient cools, on s'est fait des selfies. » L'un d'eux lui a demandé : « Vous faites ça depuis longtemps ? » Un autre : « Ça nous change de nos interpellations habituelles ! » Au parquet de Paris, le magistrat de permanence, sur la même longueur d'ondes, a estimé que « les faits n'étaient pas caractérisés » et a classé l'affaire sans suite.

Ce mardi, Leo Urban, qui est « une bête de training », a confessé avoir bien préparé son coup… « Je suis venu plusieurs fois en amont en bas de la tour, de nuit, le plus discrètement possible. Je me suis entraîné à chaque fois une heure et demi à grimper plusieurs étages. »

«On a bravé la mort»

Le jour même, une équipe de soutien au sol l'épaulait, un drone survolait. « Ma copine était en bas. » Si le « Spider-Man » a un seul regret — « ça m'embête à chaque fois de mobiliser, contre mon gré, le personnel de sécurité et la police » —, il n'en est cependant pas à son coup d'essai! Tour Eiffel, Notre-Dame, building de 144 mètres à Barcelone font partie de ses cibles… Son avant-dernier challenge remonte au 11 octobre, à la Défense (Hauts-de-Seine). Le sportif avait grimpé un gratte-ciel de 152 mètres. Cette fois-ci, police et magistrats avaient été moins cléments… Leo Urban avait été menotté et fait 18 heures de garde à vue.

Samedi, celui qui s'est inspiré d' Alain Robert, l'un des pionniers de l'escalade de gratte-ciel, a savouré son sommet, « plein d'émotion. La fierté de l'accomplissement. On a bravé la mort. On se sent terriblement vivant! »

VIDÉO. Il escalade un gratte-ciel de 152 mètres de haut sans protection à La Défense

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À 21 ans, il escalade la tour Montparnasse à mains nues en 49 minutes

Alexis Landot a réussi à escalader la tour Montparnasse. Un exploit qui a nécessité des mois de préparation, confie-t-il à France 3 Paris Île-de-France.

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D u courage, de la détermination, zéro matériel et quarante-neuf minutes d'efforts. C'est tout ce qu'il a fallu à Alexis Landot, un Parisien de 21 ans amateur de sensations fortes, pour escalader à mains nues la tour Montparnasse fin mars. Une ascension de 210 mètres pour laquelle il s'est préparé pendant de longs mois. « Pour la tour Montparnasse, c'était un peu particulier, je ne devais pas trop forcer sur mes articulations en m'entraînant pour éviter des blessures aux doigts », explique-t-il à France 3 Paris Île-de-France . «  C'est intense et répétitif, les jours de repos étaient importants. »

S'il a déjà fait d'autres ascensions urbaines et a pu compter sur ses années d'escalade pour ce projet, Alexis Landot a dû tout calculer au millimètre près pour arriver au sommet de la tour Montparnasse. De la structure même du bâtiment aux conditions météo, absolument rien n'a été laissé au hasard. « Il y avait plusieurs paramètres à prendre en compte… Il y a d'abord la chaleur de la structure avec le soleil, ça me brûlait les doigts. Il y a aussi la hauteur de l'immeuble. »

La police l'attendait au sommet de la tour

Le plus difficile pour Alexis Landot a été de franchir les deux bandes noires de la tour Montparnasse, où il n'avait aucune prise pour se reposer et détendre ses articulations. À ces deux endroits-là, impossible de s'arrêter, donc. « Il faut tout faire d'une traite. » Mais, en quarante-neuf minutes, le jeune athlète n'a finalement pas pris beaucoup de pauses, juste quelques secondes pour relâcher ses mains. Et l'une après l'autre, bien sûr.

Arrivé au sommet, Alexis Landot a pu reprendre son souffle et boire un verre d'eau, avant d'être raccompagné en bas par les pompiers et la police. Les ascensions de ce type sont interdites. Il comparaîtra d'ailleurs fin avril pour mise en danger de la vie d'autrui.

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Et ayant pratiqué l'alpinisme, je comprends que l'on puisse ne pas comprendre cet "exploit", si éloigné de français surprotégés.

Bravo à ce jeune homme doué d'un sacré courage ! Comme disait Mark twain, " il ne savait pas que c'était impossible... Alors il l'a fait ! "

Coups de pied "quelque part "qui se perdent avec ce genre d'égotiste frénétique. Il coûte à la société, n'intéresse que lui, et peut devenir une inspiration pour quelques bas de plafond body buildés.

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Deux grimpeurs escaladent la tour Montparnasse en soutien à l'Ukraine

• le 07/03/2022 à 20:00
• Modifié le 07/03/2022 à 20:00

Lecture en 1 min.

Deux grimpeurs escaladent la tour Montparnasse en soutien à l'Ukraine

Deux jeunes grimpeurs, Léo Urban et Alexis Landot, escaladent la tour Montparnasse, à mains nues et sans sécurité, en signe de solidarité avec l'Ukraine, le 7 février 2022 à Paris

Un spectateur observe deux jeunes grimpeurs en train d'escalader la Tour Montparnasse en signe de solidarité avec l'Ukraine, le 7 février 2022 à Paris

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Deux jeunes grimpeurs ont escaladé lundi à Paris la tour Montparnasse, à mains nues et sans sécurité, en signe de solidarité avec l'Ukraine et pour rendre hommage au "courage" de sa population face à l'invasion du pays par la Russie.

Les deux fondus d'escalade ont débuté leur ascension à la mi-journée et ont atteint le sommet du bâtiment parisien en 52 minutes, a constaté sur place une journaliste de l'AFP. Ils ont accroché un drapeau ukrainien sur la façade.

Grimper "la tour Montparnasse, ça représente peut-être 1% du courage que les Ukrainiens sont en train de montrer à l'heure actuelle", a expliqué Léo Urban avant de s'attaquer aux 209 mètres de verre et d'acier de la tour, par un vent glacial.

"Le message c'est tout simplement non à la guerre", a ajouté ce Youtubeur de 28 ans, connu pour ses exploits de grimpe urbaine.

La violence de l'intervention russe en Ukraine depuis le 24 février a également ému son partenaire d'escalade, Alexis Landot.

"En tant que Français, (...) on a un peu peur de ce qu'il se passe et on veut rendre hommage au courage des ukrainiens", a insisté cet étudiant de 21 ans.

Au moins treize personnes ont été tuées lundi en Ukraine dans un bombardement sur Makariv, ville située sur l'un des grands axes menant à la capitale, Kiev.

Le duo a en revanche laissé ses émotions de côté pour grimper.

"C'est vraiment un effort de gestion de son corps sur une heure, c'est pas un sprint c'est un marathon, beaucoup de concentration, il faut y aller avec l'esprit froid et le corps chaud", a détaillé Alexis Landot.

Les deux hommes n'en sont pas à leur coup d'essai. Alexis Landot a déjà conquis la tour Montparnasse deux fois en 2021, tandis que Léo Urban a grimpé la Tour Eiffel à mains nues en septembre.

Un spectateur observe deux jeunes grimpeurs en train d'escalader la Tour Montparnasse en signe de solidarité avec l'Ukraine, le 7 février 2022 à Paris / AFP

Ensemble, ils ont également escaladé en septembre la tour Total Energies, dans le quartier d'affaires de la Défense, en compagnie de leur idole, Alain Robert, le "Spider-Man français" pionnier de cette pratique à hauts risques.

A chaque ascension de ce type, ces sportifs risquent jusqu'à un an d'emprisonnement et 15.000 euros d'amende pour "mise en danger de la vie d'autrui".

En Ukraine, l'armée russe poursuit son avancée vers la capitale, Kiev, qui s'attend à une attaque "dans les jours qui viennent", selon le ministère ukrainien de l'Intérieur.

Plusieurs villes du pays sont également assiégées et les vivres commencent à y manquer.

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Paris : Alexis Landot a escaladé la Tour Montparnasse

Après avoir escaladé la tour Engie à La Défense le mois dernier, ce jeune grimpeur s'est attaqué lundi dernier à la Tour Montparnasse , 210 mètres pour 46 étages. Equipé une caméra embarquée et suivi de près par des pompiers, le jeune homme s'est lancé sans corde ni baudrier, pour une ascension dangereuse et  extrême de parkour , comme il le qualifie. Pendant 49 minutes, sa vie ne tient qu'à la force de ses bras et de ses mains. Des complices le filment de loin, afin d'avoir plusieurs angles de vue pour immortaliser l'expérience et la partager sur les réseaux sociaux.

A la caméra de TF1 , venue le suivre dans son aventure,  Alexis Landot explique s'entrainer chaque semaine pendant plus de 20 heures. Un hobby que son père qualifie " d'extrêmement dangereux ". Le plus dur selon lui ? Les pauses, qu'il doit réaliser sur des barres en métal d'à peine 2cm d'épaisseur, sur une ou deux jambes. Elles sont difficiles à tenir, mais la quête de frissons ne l'arrêtera pas. Des pompiers le suivaient de près derrière les vitres du bâtiment des années 1970, et à son arrivée, les policiers l'attendaient pour lui signaler le délit. Ce n'est pas la première fois que la Tour Montparnasse devient le terrain de jeu d' amateurs de sensations fortes .

• À lire aussi
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En septembre 2020, un homme d'une trentaine d'années avait  été arrêté après avoir entamé une ascension de la tour vers 19h30 pour se terminer au sommet une demi-heure plus tard.

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A Full Guide to the Montparnasse Neighborhood in Paris

Last Updated on January 25, 2024

Bold modernity & artistic history galore

One of the most interesting and vibrant of Paris’ diverse neighborhoods , Montparnasse is also soaked in literary and artistic history. Dominated by the boldly modern Montparnasse Tower– the capital’s only real skyscraper– the area’s bustling boulevards are populated by cafés and brasseries where famous Parisian artists, writers, poets, musicians and performers gathered and exchanged ideas, particularly prior to World War II.

Today, it’s a little sleepier than during its heyday, but still has plenty to offer culturally curious visitors, from art and architecture to theatre, markets, pedestrian streets that reveal their village roots, parks and restaurants. Keep reading to learn what to do on your next visit in the area, and for a bit of history.

Explore This Article

Orientation and Transport

Montparnasse is situated on the left bank of the Seine in the 14th arrondissement of Paris . It is located due south from Saint-Germain-des-Prés and the Jardin du Luxembourg, and just southwest from the Latin Quarter. The Denfert-Rochereau area, often considered a separate micro-district, stretches across the southwestern edge of greater Montparnasse.

{ Quiz: Are You More Right-Bank or Left-Bank Paris?  }

Main streets :  These include Boulevard de Montparnasse, Rue de Montparnasse, Rue de Rennes, Rue de l’Arrivée, Rue de la Gaîté, Boulevard Raspail, Place Denfert-Rochereau and Rue Daguerre.

Getting There:  The district can be reached from the Metro stations Montparnasse, Vavin, Edgar Quinet, Gaîté-Josephine Baker or Denfert-Rochereau. It’s also a major national rail hub, with the enormous Gare Montparnasse station shuttling trains to and from regions and major cities including Brittany, Rennes, Bordeaux and Toulouse.

A Bit of Neighborhood History

As mentioned above, Montparnasse is best-known for being an artistic hotbed in the late 19th and 20th century– but its status as a place where writers, artists and various performers assembled and created their works goes back even further.

While Montparnasse was incorporated into Paris rather early– sometime in the 18th century, by most accounts– its borders have always been curiously ill-defined, as the historian Eric Hazan notes in his brilliant book The Invention of Paris . It was only in the 1830s that it began to be truly urbanized in places, notably along the Rue de Montparnasse and the Rue Notre-Dame des Champs.

But as Hazan notes, much of the quarter retained a rural character for decades thereafter, with muddy, unpaved roads, and fields, windmills and “guingettes “(musical cafés and restaurants) scattered around its raggedy borders.

It might, in this sense, be compared to Montmartre, which shares a considerable legacy as a place of intense creation (and also of rural activity prior to being incorporated into Paris).

The neighborhood, which was once hilly and dubbed “Mount Parnassus” after the mountain in Greek mythology, was transformed considerably in the 18th century when the famous Boulevard de Montparnasse was constructed. Dance halls, cabarets and theatres sprung up in the area from the Revolutionary period.

The district is perhaps most noteworthy for the artistic heavyweights– from painters to novelists, sculptors to performers– it attracted in various waves over the years. During the 19th century, French writer Victor Hugo lived in the area with his wife, Adèle.

In the early 20th century, cheap rents and inexpensive restaurants attracted painters, poets, and other artists to the area, many of whom lived in dilapidated residences such as “La Ruche”.

Italian-born painter Amedeo Modigliani, poets Guillaume Apollinaire and Blaise Cendrars, Marc Chagall, sculptor Constantin Brancusi and Belarusian expressionist painter Chaïm Soutine were among the many noteworthy artists and writers to live at the residence, which remains open and stages a number of exhibitions each year.

During the post World War I period and the “Roaring ’20s”, Montparnasse became even more sought-after by the creative class, with artists from Pablo Picasso, Henri Rousseau, Nina Hamnett, Salvador Dalí and Diego Rivera, writers such as Ernest Hemingway, James Joyce and Samuel Beckett, and performers including Josephine Baker gathering in the district to share ideas, dance and (often) heavily drink.

{Related: Walking in the Footsteps of Josephine Baker in Paris}

The famed Boulevard Montparnasse cafés clustered around the Vavin metro stop, La Coupole, la Rotonde, Le Dôme, Le Select and La Closerie des Lilas, were popular with these and less well-known artists and writers for their inexpensive fare and grandiose interiors. They remain an important part of the neighborhood’s fabric, though they’ve obviously become rather “touristy” in recent decades.

During this period, Montparnasse was also the site of a large and thriving American community of “expatriates” and artists. One publishing house established in the area by Harry Crosby and his wife Caresse, the Black Sun Press, published novels and other works from soon-to-be-famous authors including Hemingway, John Dos Passos, Dorothy Parker, D.H. Lawrence, James Joyce and many others.

Literary magazines and other small presses also thrived in the area. Photographer Man Ray set up his first studio in the area at 15, Rue Delambre; now-iconic figures such as Gertrude Stein and Jean Cocteau posed for portraits there.

Meanwhile, the nearby Rue de la Gäité was a thriving center for the performing arts, where Parisian cabarets, music halls, and theatre populaire (working-class theatre) drew crowds late into the evening.

The Bobino hosted a legendary final performance from Jospephine Baker in 1975. Its doors remain open to this day, under the name Bobin’o (20 Rue de la Gäité).

What to See & Do in Montparnasse: Museums & Other Key Attractions

The sprawling district doesn’t have as many “big-ticket” tourist attractions as neighboring Saint-Germain and the Latin Quarter, but you’re guaranteed a culturally enriching experience if you concentrate your time on some of the following sights, from modern art and sculpture museums to quiet places that reveal the neighborhood’s history as an artistic and cultural powerhouse.

La Tour Montparnasse

Built in 1973 (and maligned by most Parisians ever since as an eyesore), La Tour Montparnasse is the only true skyscraper within the city limits, rising 210 metres high and comprising 59 floors, plus six more situated underground.

Unless you’re a big fan of 1970s corporate architecture, the real attraction isn’t the looming tower itself, but its panoramic viewpoints on the 56th and 59th floors.

Take one of the tower’s 25 elevators (you heard me correctly!) to zip upwards at heart-fluttering speeds to the 56th-floor panoramic viewing deck. Unfortunately for visitors with limited mobility, you can only take stairs from here to the top floor and its second deck.

From the heights of the tower you can take in huge swathes of the capital, including the Eiffel Tower, Sacré Coeur, Notre-Dame Cathedral, Seine River, Latin Quarter and more.

You can buy tickets for Montparnasse Tower here (via Tiqets.com).

Montparnasse Cemetery

One of the loveliest places in the area to stroll and ponder life’s fleeting beauty is Montparnasse Cemetery, one of the city’s largest and most-visited. Famous denizens who now call the leafy, flower-lined cemetery their permanent place of rest include Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir (who share adjoining graves), the playwright Samuel Beckett (whose last home was just south of the cemetery), French writer Guy de Maupaussant and American critic and essayist Susan Sontag.

Especially in the spring and summer, the cemetery is a surprisingly joyful place for an after-lunch amble– and it can be amusing to try to find the graves of various heroes hidden somewhere in the tree-lined lanes.

The Paris Catacombs

Heading down to the Denfert-Rochereau Metro stop, the entrance to the Paris Catacombs is just outside the metro exit. This fascinating underground kingdom of human skulls, femurs and other bones– counting in the millions– was built starting in the 18th centuries, when overflowing cemeteries in central Paris were exhumed for hygienic reasons; the remains were neatly stacked in miles of underground limestone quarries.

The effect is fascinating and chilling. Visiting the Catacombs is less horrific than you might imagine– the trip through the narrow, low-ceilinged passageways stretch for about a mile and are only genuinely scary (in my opinion, at least)if you’re claustrophobic.

But the encounter with millions of anonymous, deceased Parisians is certainly a memorable one, not least because the remains are in many places accompanied by poems and notable quotations about death and mortality.

Buy skip-the-line tickets and audioguide for the Catacombs here (via Tiqets.com). You can also book a combined ticket that gives you access to both the Catacombs and Montparnasse Tower (via Tiqets).

Museums of Note in the Area

There are several interesting museums in Montparnasse, chief of which is the Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain (pictured above). With its striking glass facade from architect Jean Nouvel, the Fondation is one of the best places in the city to see exhibitions on contemporary art, genres and artists. It also boasts a lush garden with enormous trees and a green wall.

At the western end of Montparnasse, the Musée Bourdelle is a small, charming museum and studio dedicated to the work of French sculptor Antoine Bourdelle. It’s also entirely free– one of several city-run museums in the capital that charge nothing for entry.

Last but not least, the Musée Zadkine is another small (and free) museum dedicated to a prominent 20th-century sculptor, the Russian-born cubist master Ossip Zadkine. It was here that Zadkine and his wife lived and worked for over 40 years, and the “studio-museum” offers a fascinating glimpse into the artist’s life and work.

It’s situated at the northeastern border of Montparnasse (technically in the 6th arrondissement), but the recently-renovated museum is well worth a visit, especially if you’re interested in modern sculpture.

Academie de la Grande Chaumière

One of the more interesting places in Montparnasse that carries on the legacy of the area’s vibrant artistic history is the Academie de la Grande Chaumière , comprising an academy and studio spaces in service of aspiring and contemporary artists.

Nestled on an unassuming side street adjacent to Boulevard de Montparnasse (and right next to a branch of the famed Sennelier Frères art supply stores, the Academie was opened in 1870 by a Swiss patron of the arts named Martha Stettler.

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, artists including Amedeo Modigliani, the aforementioned Ossip Zadkine, and Tamara de Lempicka occupied studios and/or taught here.

Today, the existence of the historic Academie is under constant threat, but the neighborhood is fighting to preserve the precious space. It can only be visited upon appointment or by those who have booked classes or studio time here; see more in my full guide.

Shopping, Wandering & Entertainment in Montparnasse

There’s no shortage of places to wander, shop and entertain oneself in halfway-cozy, halfway urban and bustling Montparnasse. Here are just a few ideas for the flâneur or flâneuse (cool urban stroller) in you…

Boulevard de Montparnasse

Boulevard de Montparnasse is the place to stroll and linger for legendary cafés, brasseries , cinemas and traditional shops. The Boulevard houses several of the neighborhood’s most iconic cafés (see more on some of them below under “Eating and Drinking”), including Le Select (#99 Boulevard de Montparnasse), La Coupole (#102, just across the street), La Rotonde (#105) Le Dôme (#108), and La Closerie des Lilas further up towards the edge of the Latin Quarter, at #171).

As detailed above in the neighborhood history section, these cafés have been the stuff of literary and artistic legend for over a century. Make sure to take some time to at least sip a coffee or nurse a drink at one of them– people-watching out on the terrace not de rigueur, but recommended.

The wide Boulevard, which stretches all the way from Metro Montparnasse-Bienvenue to Vavin and the Port-Royal RER station to the southeast, is also home to cinemas including the beloved indie moviehouses Les 7 Parnassiens (#98) and Le Bretagne (#73).

Finally, you’ll find global stores and French fashion boutiques such as Lacoste, C&A and more at the Montparnasse Rive Gauche Shopping Mall (10 Rue du Départ, at the angle of Boulevard Montparnasse).

Rue de la Gaité

The lively Rue de la Gaité (Metro: Gaite-Josephine Baker) is a narrow street and micro-district that’s long been the site of popular theatres and dance halls in the area, as well as restaurants and cafes.

Venues such as the Théâtre Montparnasse (31 rue de la Gaité) and Théâtre de la Gaité-Montparnasse ( #26) have been operating for decades here, and the old-world vibe is still appreciable. Take a stroll down Rue de la Gaité to browse its shops, loaf in its cafés and take in a spirit that feels close to timeless.

Finally, pop into Bobin’o (#20), a historic musical theatre where countless legendary performers have taken to the stage– from Edith Piaf to Jacques Brel and Amy Winehouse.

Rue Daguerre

Just off the bustling Place Denfert Rochereau, crowned by its handsome lion statue from famed sculptor Frédéric Bartholdi, Rue Daguerre suddenly plunges you into a village-like atmosphere. Its sidewalk cafe terraces, artisan shops, and neighborhood shopkeepers who’ve been in the area for decades reveal a different side of “greater Montparnasse”: one that’s a bit more intimate and quiet.

Browse the shops and stalls from the permanent market vendors, and have lunch or a coffee at one of the many cafés that line the street, which was recently reserved for pedestrians.

While the area has gentrified significantly in recent years, it’s the heart of a traditional working-class and immigrant community that was venerated by filmmaker (and former resident) Agnès Varda in the documentaries “ Daguerréotypes ” and “ The Beaches of Agnès ” (both highly recommended).

Where to Eat & Drink in Montparnasse

The area is teeming with restaurants, cafes, brasseries and casual dining options, so you’ll have no lack of choice if you want to duck in spontaneously for lunch or dinner, or book in advance (recommended for some of the more popular places). I’ve made just a few suggestions for good places to eat in Montparnasse below, but you can find many more at sites like The Fork and Time Out .

Classic Montparnasse Brasseries

For traditional French brasserie dishes such as gigantic fresh shellfish platters, steak-frites, roasted duck, sole meunière, escargots, chocolate mousse and other typical fare, head to the aforementioned classic brasseries clustered mostly on Boulevard de Montparnasse– each with their own particular histories and charm.

At La Coupole (see my full review) , sit in the period dining room with its distinctive painted pillars, perhaps sitting at one of the tables where luminaries such as Josephine Baker and Albert Camus once gathered, dined and discussed. Or head across the street to Le Select, enjoying a casual lunch outside on the iconic terrace with its green and gold signage. The fixed-price menu is quite reasonable at this brasserie frequented by the likes of Picasso, Chagall, and Hemingway. Whisky fans can choose from a selection of 50 different varieties.

See above for more details on the area’s beloved and history-drenched brasseries– all of which are worth dining at for their legacies, even if the food is rarely extraordinary.

Bréton-style Crepes and Galettes

As I note in my complete guide to the best creperies in Paris , many of the places to beeline to in the capital for Bréton-style savory galettes (pancakes) and sweet crepes are in Montparnasse. Perhaps owing in part to the fact that trains regularly depart for and arrive from Brittany at the rail station here, many good creperies have cropped up in the area.

Two of my favorites are Creperie Ti Jos (see my full review) and Creperie Plougastel (47 Rue de Montparnasse) , both of which offer inexpensive but delicious fare, including a good selection of Brittany ciders– as well as some truly tempting dessert crepes.

For a special occasion like an anniversary dinner or birthday, gourmets should aim to book a table at Montée , a creative table helmed by Japanese chef Takayuki Nameura. The menu blends Japanese and French culinary traditions to superb effect, and you should consider the lunch and dinner tasting menus for the full experience. Prices are (at the time this went to press) quite reasonable for a Parisian restaurant of this caliber, too.

Interestingly, one of the other superb fine-dining tables in the Montparnasse area (this time closer to Denfert-Rochereau) is also headed by a talented and innovative Japanese chef, Michihiro Kigawa. At his eponymous restaurant, fresh, locally sourced market ingredients are put to beautiful use in dishes that re-imagine classic French gastronomy for more contemporary palates.

The fixed-price lunch menu offers excellent value and includes two starters, a main course and a dessert. The five-course lunch tasting menu is also very reasonably priced, and the six-course Chef’s dinner tasting menu is one to try if you’re hoping to sample the full range of Kigawa’s talents.

You can see more on the seasonal menus, dishes and info on booking a table here, at the official website.

Where to Stay in Montparnasse?

Finding the right hotel or other accommodations is a highly personal matter, so we don’t typically recommend a generic list of hotels. See our guide to finding the right hotel or apartment rental in Paris , and browse available places to stay by exploring the clickable map below (via Stay22).

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Editor’s note: This article contains a few affiliate links. While they have not influenced the objectivity of the advice offered here, booking hotels or tours through these comes at no additional cost to you– but does help to fund more free, in-depth features like this one at Paris Unlocked. Thank you.

Courtney Traub is the Founder and Editor of Paris Unlocked. She’s a longtime Paris resident who now divides her time (as well as she can manage) between the French capital and Norwich, UK. Co-author of the 2012 Michelin Green Guide to Northern France & the Paris Region, she has been interviewed as an expert on Paris and France by the BBC, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Le Figaro, Matador Network and other publications. Courtney has also written and reported stories for media outlets including Radio France Internationale, The Christian Science Monitor, Women’s Wear Daily and The Associated Press. In addition to going down various rabbit holes of curiosity when it comes to French culture, history, food and art, Courtney is a scholar of literature and cultural history whose essays and reviews have appeared in various forums.

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Guide to the Tour Montparnasse in Paris: For Gorgeous Panoramic Scenes

Why Paris' Only True Skyscraper Is Worth a Visit

Many tourists overlook the Tour Montparnasse, a rather stark glass and steel skyscraper jutting out on the horizon from the eponymous Montparnasse district in the capital's south-central 15th arrondissement/district.

Yet for those seeking fantastic panoramic views of Paris , few other vantages beat this humble tower's-- they even surpass the Eiffel Tower's . Don't make the mistake of missing out on it yourself: head to the 59th floor for dazzling 360-degree views of the whole city. 

Visiting the Tower: Key Facts and Highlights

The 689-foot tower, considered Paris' only real skyscraper, was built in 1970 as part of efforts by then-French President Georges Pompidou to modernize the city and its infrastructures. It was, as so many other now-famous monuments in the city (including the Eiffel Tower) decried as an eyesore on the city, and no other skyscrapers of its stature were subsequently built within the traditional city limits. 

Read Related: 4 Towers Worth Visiting in Paris That Aren't the Eiffel

Comprising a total of 59 floors in addition to 6 underground levels, the tower boasts an astounding 25 elevators , each serving different floors and parts of the tower. Many are extremely fast: the speediest one allows passengers to zip from the ground floor to the 56th floor in a heart-racing 38 seconds (about 19 feet per second). If you have vertigo or a fear of elevators, you might get a bit of a fright from this!

To get to the top floor and the terrace, access is by stairs only from the 56th floor . This unfortunately makes Montparnasse Tower somewhat poorly accessible to visitors with limited mobility. However, they can still enjoy the panoramic views from the 56th floor. 

Panoramic Views From The Top Deck

The 56th floor level offers 360-degree views of the entire city, so don't forget your camera! This floor also has a cafe offering light meals, as well as a gift shop.

For even more dramatic panoramic vantages over the capital, the rooftop terrace (again, sadly accessible by stairs only) is more exposed and dramatic, and is touted as the tallest spot in Paris (at 200 meters) to enjoy such sweeping perspectives. For those with a fear of heights, not to worry: the entire terrace is sheltered under a curved glass rooftop structure. 

Onsite Restaurants 

The tower houses the aforementioned cafe on the 56th floor as well as a gastronomic restaurant for formal lunch and dinner, Le Ciel de Paris. Visitors must reserve ahead for the formal restaurant: see this page for more information . 

Location and Contact Information:

The tower is easily accessible from the Montparnasse-Bienvenue  metro  station. Although it seems quite far away from central Paris, in reality it's only about a 30-minute walk (assuming you know where you're going, hopefully  with the aid of a good Paris city street map  or travel app.)

• Address:  33, avenue du Maine, 15th arrondissement (main entrance and access to cashiers is at foot of Tower, on Rue de l'arrivee)
• Tel:  +33 (0)1 45 38 52 56
• Metro:  Montparnasse-Bienvenue or Raspail (Lines 4, 6, 12, or 14)
• Visit the official website (in English)  for current ticket prices, booking online, panoramic webcam, and more. 

Opening Times and Tickets:

In high season  (April 1st through September 30th), the tower and its "Panoramic Visitors' Center" is open daily from 9:30 am to 11:30pm.  In low season  (October 1st to March 31st), the center is open Sunday to Thursday from 9:30 am to 10:30 pm; and Friday to Saturday and the evening before public holidays from 9:30 am to 11:30 pm. Please note that cashiers close 30 minutes before, so be sure to arrive in plenty of time to ensure entry. 

For current ticket prices and to book online ,  visit this page at the official website . 

Sights and Attractions Nearby 

Visit the tower before or after exploring the charming, decidedly un-touristy neighborhood of Montparnasse and the surrounding areas. During the 1920s and 1930s this was an intellectual and artistic hotbed that saw a foment of creativity among writers, artists, and painters including Henry Miller and Tamara de Lempicka, as well as many others. Today, it is prized for its quiet parks and cemeteries, cobbled market streets, and old-world charm. It's also home to  many excellent creperies in Paris . Main sights and attractions in close reach of the tower include:

• Paris Catacombs Museum
• Fondation Cartier for Contemporary Arts
• Rue Daguerre (a charming market street)
• Musee Bourdelle (dedicated to the French sculptor)
• Ti Jos Creperie and Breton Pub

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Moscow Metro Tour

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Moscow metro private tours.

• 2-hour tour $87:  10 Must-See Moscow Metro stations with hotel pick-up and drop-off
• 3-hour tour $137:  20 Must-See Moscow Metro stations with Russian lunch in beautifully-decorated Metro Diner + hotel pick-up and drop off. 
• Metro pass is included in the price of both tours.

Highlight of Metro Tour

• Visit 10 must-see stations of Moscow metro on 2-hr tour and 20 Metro stations on 3-hr tour, including grand Komsomolskaya station with its distinctive Baroque décor, aristocratic Mayakovskaya station with Soviet mosaics, legendary Revolution Square station with 72 bronze sculptures and more!
• Explore Museum of Moscow Metro and learn a ton of technical and historical facts;
• Listen to the secrets about the Metro-2, a secret line supposedly used by the government and KGB;
• Experience a selection of most striking features of Moscow Metro hidden from most tourists and even locals;
• Discover the underground treasure of Russian Soviet past – from mosaics to bronzes, paintings, marble arches, stained glass and even paleontological elements;
• Learn fun stories and myths about Coffee Ring, Zodiac signs of Moscow Metro and more;
• Admire Soviet-era architecture of pre- and post- World War II perious;
• Enjoy panoramic views of Sparrow Hills from Luzhniki Metro Bridge – MetroMost, the only station of Moscow Metro located over water and the highest station above ground level;
• If lucky, catch a unique «Aquarelle Train» – a wheeled picture gallery, brightly painted with images of peony, chrysanthemums, daisies, sunflowers and each car unit is unique;
• Become an expert at navigating the legendary Moscow Metro system;
• Have fun time with a very friendly local;
• + Atmospheric Metro lunch in Moscow’s the only Metro Diner (included in a 3-hr tour)

Hotel Pick-up

Metro stations:.

Komsomolskaya

Novoslobodskaya

Prospekt Mira

Belorusskaya

Mayakovskaya

Novokuznetskaya

Revolution Square

Sparrow Hills

+ for 3-hour tour

Victory Park

Slavic Boulevard

Vystavochnaya

Dostoevskaya

Elektrozavodskaya

Partizanskaya

Museum of Moscow Metro

• Drop-off  at your hotel, Novodevichy Convent, Sparrow Hills or any place you wish
• + Russian lunch  in Metro Diner with artistic metro-style interior for 3-hour tour

Fun facts from our Moscow Metro Tours:

From the very first days of its existence, the Moscow Metro was the object of civil defense, used as a bomb shelter, and designed as a defense for a possible attack on the Soviet Union.

At a depth of 50 to 120 meters lies the second, the coded system of Metro-2 of Moscow subway, which is equipped with everything you need, from food storage to the nuclear button.

According to some sources, the total length of Metro-2 reaches over 150 kilometers.

The Museum was opened on Sportivnaya metro station on November 6, 1967. It features the most interesting models of trains and stations.

Coffee Ring

The first scheme of Moscow Metro looked like a bunch of separate lines. Listen to a myth about Joseph Stalin and the main brown line of Moscow Metro.

Zodiac Metro

According to some astrologers, each of the 12 stops of the Moscow Ring Line corresponds to a particular sign of the zodiac and divides the city into astrological sector.

Astrologers believe that being in a particular zadiac sector of Moscow for a long time, you attract certain energy and events into your life.

Paleontological finds 

Red marble walls of some of the Metro stations hide in themselves petrified inhabitants of ancient seas. Try and find some!

• Every day each car in  Moscow metro passes  more than 600 km, which is the distance from Moscow to St. Petersburg.
• Moscow subway system is the  5th in the intensity  of use (after the subways of Beijing, Tokyo, Seoul and Shanghai).
• The interval in the movement of trains in rush hour is  90 seconds .

What you get:

• + A friend in Moscow.
• + Private & customized Moscow tour.
• + An exciting pastime, not just boring history lessons.
• + An authentic experience of local life.
• + Flexibility during the walking tour: changes can be made at any time to suit individual preferences.
• + Amazing deals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the very best cafes & restaurants. Discounts on weekdays (Mon-Fri).
• + A photo session amongst spectacular Moscow scenery that can be treasured for a lifetime.
• + Good value for souvenirs, taxis, and hotels.
• + Expert advice on what to do, where to go, and how to make the most of your time in Moscow.

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Moscow Metro 2019

Will it be easy to find my way in the Moscow Metro? It is a question many visitors ask themselves before hitting the streets of the Russian capital. As metro is the main means of transport in Moscow – fast, reliable and safe – having some skills in using it will help make your visit more successful and smooth. On top of this, it is the most beautiful metro in the world !

. There are over 220 stations and 15 lines in the Moscow Metro. It is open from 6 am to 1 am. Trains come very frequently: during the rush hour you won't wait for more than 90 seconds! Distances between stations are quite long – 1,5 to 2 or even 3 kilometers. Metro runs inside the city borders only. To get to the airport you will need to take an onground train - Aeroexpress.

RATES AND TICKETS

Paper ticket A fee is fixed and does not depend on how far you go. There are tickets for a number of trips: 1, 2 or 60 trips; or for a number of days: 1, 3 days or a month. Your trips are recorded on a paper ticket. Ifyou buy a ticket for several trips you can share it with your traveling partner passing it from one to the other at the turnstile.

On every station there is cashier and machines (you can switch it to English). Cards and cash are accepted. 1 trip - 55 RUB 2 trips - 110 RUB

Tickets for 60 trips and day passes are available only at the cashier's.

60 rides - 1900 RUB

1 day - 230 RUB 3 days - 438 RUB 30 days - 2170 RUB.

The cheapest way to travel is buying Troyka card . It is a plastic card you can top up for any amount at the machine or at the ticket office. With it every trip costs 38 RUB in the metro and 21 RUB in a bus. You can get the card in any ticket office. Be prepared to leave a deposit of 50 RUB. You can get it back returning the card to the cashier.

SamsungPay, ApplePay and PayPass cards.

One turnstile at every station accept PayPass and payments with phones. It has a sticker with the logos and located next to the security's cabin.

GETTING ORIENTED

At the platfrom you will see one of these signs.

It indicates the line you are at now (line 6), shows the direction train run and the final stations. Numbers below there are of those lines you can change from this line.

In trains, stations are announced in Russian and English. In newer trains there are also visual indication of there you are on the line.

To change lines look for these signs. This one shows the way to line 2.

There are also signs on the platfrom. They will help you to havigate yourself. (To the lines 3 and 5 in this case).