Named after the home of the nine muses in Greek mythology, Montparnasse is centered on the intersection of the Boulevard de Montparnasse and the Boulevard Raspail, on the left bank of the Seine.
Lovers of art will rejoice at the history of this fabled district, which along with the Montmartre has perhaps the richest artistic history worldwide. Today the area is still known for beauty and largely bohemian aspect, with numerous restaurants and cafes – not to mention peaceful areas for shady walks and pensive reflection.
Montparnasse is actually a nickname for "Mount Parnassus” – in Greek mythology, home to the nine Muses. The moniker was given to the hilly neighborhood in the 17th century by students who came here to recite poetry.
Today, the area is still known as a vibrant center of culture and artistry, as well as numerous cafes and bars, such as the Breton restaurants located a few blocks from the Gare Montparnasse, which specialize in crêpes. After settling into one of our apartments in Paris, take a walk and warm yourself with a true Parisian crepe.
The original hill of the Montparnasse was leveled in the 1700s to construct the Boulevard Montparnasse. Many dance halls and cabarets opened their doors here during the French Revolution. Like its Right Bank counterpart Montmartre, Montparnasse became famous at the beginning of the 20th century, referred to as the Années Folles (the Crazy Years).
Like the Montmartre, Montparnasse was the heart of intellectual and artistic life in Paris, a landing point for many expatriates. Between 1921 and 1924, the number of Americans in Paris grew from 6,000 to 30,000. Whereas previously the Montmartre district had been the intellectual breeding ground for the previous generation of artists, beginning in 1910 to the start of World War II, Paris' artistic circles migrated to Montparnasse, as an alternative on the Left Bank. The Paris of Degas, Fauré, Zola, and Manet, was unified on the basis of status affinity than actual artistic tastes. Overall, these artists were at the opposite end of the economic, political and social spectrum from the gritty, emigrant artists that peopled Montmartre.
However, the Montparnasse was not merely an artistic enclave for the well-to-do. Penniless sculptors, painters, composers, writers and poets came from across the globe to thrive in the creative atmosphere and avail themselves of the cheap rent. Artist communes such as La Ruche sprang up to absorb these individuals. Often these communes are more romantic today through the lens of history than they were in real life. (Of course, that may be a matter of perspective.) Often they lived without running water, in damp, unheated "studios". Rats often shared their quarters, and many sold their works for a few francs for food. (Today works by some of these artists sell for millions of euros.) Jean Cocteau once said that poverty was a luxury in Montparnasse.
Just a few of the artists who gathered in Montparnasse were Pablo Picasso, Guillaume Apollinaire, Ossip Zadkine, Moise Kisling, Jean Cocteau, Erik Satie, Marios Varvoglis, Marc Chagall, Andre Breton, Salvador Dalí, Henry Miller, Samuel Beckett, Joan Miró and, in his declining years, Edgar Degas. When you live in one of our Paris vacation apartments you may find yourself feeling a little closer to these giants of history. Some cafés rented tables to poor artists on an hourly basis. Several, including La Closerie des Lilas, remain in business today. Other famous cafes frequented by artists that remain in business today are the Carrefour Vavin, now renamed Place Pablo-Picasso, Le Dôme, La Closerie des Lilas, La Rotonde, Le Select, and La Coupole. These were the places where starving artists could occupy a table all evening for a few centimes.
Not far from your Paris apartment rental Montparnasse, you may visit areas where the great artists congregated, such as Le Dôme at no. 10 rue Delambre. This is where Canadian writer Morley Callaghan came with his friend Ernest Hemingway, both still unpublished, and met the already-established F. Scott Fitzgerald. Man Ray's first studio was set up at l'Hôtel des Ecoles at no. 15 rue Delambre. It’s where James Joyce, Gertrude Stein, Jean Cocteau and the others posed in black and white.
The poet Max Jacob eloquently described the Montparnasse as a place he came to "sin disgracefully". However, perhaps Marc Chagall said it best, when he explained why he had gone to Montparnasse: "The sun of Art then shone only on Paris." Be sure to see some of their works at the Musée du Montparnasse at 21 Avenue du Maine.
The Montparnasse cemetery is one of Paris’ most famous cemeteries, the eternal home of many of France's intellectual and artistic elite. Because of the many notable people buried there, it is a very popular tourist attraction.
Just a walk from the Montparnasse Bienvenue Metro station is the second tallest office block in Europe, the Montparnasse Tower. You may even see it from one of the available paris apartments. For a few Euros you can ride one of the speedy elevators to the top (56th) floor of the Tower. You can dine in the restaurant at the top (great views of course!), and a few more steps will take you up and out on to the open roof which serves as a huge viewing area. The 360 degree panoramic view is simply breathtaking. At 209 meters high, this 56 story tower gains the most commanding view of all of Paris.
Some of Paris’ best sights on the Left Bank are also within walking distance. You may go for a walk and find yourself at Luxembourg Gardens, or somewhere completely unexpected and serene. You’re in central Paris, so remember the best sights in Paris are always just a stone’s throw away.
