In short
- What’s there: the Canal Saint-Martin, Place de la République, the Choco-Story chocolate museum, the Gare du Nord area and the Passage Brady.
- Location: the Right Bank, between the 9th and the 11th arrondissements.
- Tickets: most of what the arrondissement has is free to enter, and only the chocolate museum needs a ticket.
- Who it suits: anyone looking for a lively neighborhood rather than monuments.
- Food markets: three, and two of them are covered markets open six days a week and into the evening.
- Restaurants: three recommendations, plus a whole article on the bakeries and pâtisseries of the République area.
- Walking itineraries: two take place mostly in the arrondissement, and two more pass through it.
The 10th arrondissement is the arrondissement most visitors only see from the inside, through a train window, and to me that’s a missed opportunity. The two big train stations of Paris are here, and between them lies an arrondissement of a canal and of two covered markets from the 19th century.
Over the last ten years the arrondissement has become one of the most interesting in Paris for food, mainly around Place de la République and along the canal. It isn’t an arrondissement of monuments, and if that’s what you’re after, you’re better off elsewhere. If you’re looking for a lively neighborhood, you’ve come to the right place.
So before we set off, here is what you’ll find on this page: first the hotels and apartments I recommend in the arrondissement, then the attractions one by one, the restaurants I send people to, the three food markets with their days and hours, and finally the walking itineraries.
Recommended Hotels in the 10th Arrondissement of Paris
The 10th is the place for anyone who wants the center at the price of the outskirts, and if you arrive on the Eurostar, your bed is within walking distance. If you’re not sure what suits you, answer three questions and I’ll pick from my recommendations:
My personal pick
Which hotel in the 10th arrondissement suits you?
One short question, and I will pick out of the places I already checked and wrote about on the site the ones that fit the trip you are planning.
One moment, I am going over my recommendations to find what fits you…
Prefer to go through all my recommendations yourself, with photos and details on every hotel? Here is my page of recommended hotels in the 10th arrondissement.
Recommended Apartments in the 10th Arrondissement of Paris
With two covered markets open six days a week, an apartment with a kitchen is a particularly good idea in this arrondissement. Here too, you can let me choose:
My personal pick
Which apartment in the 10th arrondissement suits you?
One question about the area, and I will filter the apartments I checked and wrote about on the site. The apartments I recommend directly get booked very fast, so I added excellent Booking.com apartments that I hand-picked for my readers.
One moment, I am going over my recommendations to find what fits you…
Want to go through all the apartments I recommend, with photos and details? Here is my page of recommended apartments in the 10th arrondissement.
Attractions in the 10th Arrondissement of Paris
These are the sites I recommend in the 10th, and three of them are free to enter because they are simply part of the city.
-
Free entry
The Canal Saint-Martin
The canal Napoleon ordered, and today the place where Parisians sit on the quay in the evening.
The canal was dug in the 19th century to bring clean water to Paris, and it combines locks with iron footbridges and swing bridges. If you want to see it properly, come on a Friday or Saturday afternoon, when the quays are full. On Sundays and public holidays some of the streets beside it are closed to traffic.
-
Great with kids
The Chocolate Museum (Choco-Story)
A whole museum about the history of chocolate, with demonstrations and a tasting at the end.
The museum tells the story from the Maya and the Aztecs to French chocolate, and the most interesting part for me is the link between chocolate and the French royal court. At the end they walk you through a shop and a chocolatier’s demonstration, and anyone who comes with kids will leave very happy.
-
Free entry
Place de la République
The big square of the arrondissement, and the place where every demonstration in Paris starts.
The square sits exactly where three arrondissements meet, the 3rd, the 10th and the 11th, so people who live next to it don’t really know which arrondissement they’re in. The statue in the center is of Marianne, the symbol of the Republic, and it was unveiled in 1883. Around its base sit three figures, Liberty, Equality and Fraternity, and to this day people lay flowers at their feet after every tragedy.
-
Free entry
The Gare du Nord Area and the Église Saint-Vincent-de-Paul
What most visitors miss on the way from the train to the taxi.
The Gare du Nord is the busiest train station in Europe, and its facade is decorated with twenty-three statues representing cities served by its trains. Three minutes’ walk away stands the Église Saint-Vincent-de-Paul, with two towers and an interior so lavish it comes as a surprise. I wrote a whole walking itinerary about this area.
More Attractions in the 10th Arrondissement Worth Knowing
These are places I haven’t written a separate article about yet, but if you’re wandering around the arrondissement, it’s worth knowing they’re there:
| The place | Address | Why stop there |
|---|---|---|
| The Passage Brady | 46 rue du Faubourg Saint-Denis | A 19th-century covered passage that became the Little India of Paris |
| The Porte Saint-Denis and the Porte Saint-Martin | boulevard Saint-Denis | Triumphal arches of Louis XIV, built some 150 years before the Arc de Triomphe |
| The Hôpital Saint-Louis | 1 avenue Claude Vellefaux | An architectural courtyard from 1607 founded by Henri IV (reigned 1589-1610), and entry is free |
| The Église Saint-Laurent | 68 boulevard de Magenta | One of the oldest churches in Paris, right next to the Gare de l’Est |
| Point Éphémère | 200 quai de Valmy | A cultural center on the bank of the canal, with a bar, live shows and a completely local feel |
| The Rotonde de la Villette | Place de la Bataille de Stalingrad | An 18th-century customs pavilion that survived, on the edge of the 19th arrondissement |
Tours and Activities in the 10th Arrondissement You Might Enjoy
Show me more activities in Paris
And if you’re looking for attractions in the city’s other arrondissements, my Paris attractions page brings them all together in one place.
My Recommended Restaurants in the 10th Arrondissement of Paris
The 10th is one of the most interesting arrondissements in Paris for food, and my list still has only three places. On top of them, my article about the Place de la République area brings together bakeries, pâtisseries and chocolate shops in exactly this area, and I recommend opening it before you head out.
| The restaurant | Type | Address | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Les Résistants | French classic | 16 Rue du Château d’Eau | Works directly with small farms, and the menu changes with whatever arrived that morning |
| La Bécane à Gaston | On my radar | 24 Rue Lucien Sampaix | A small place on a side street near the canal, the kind that makes it onto my radar |
| La Marine | A reader’s pick | 55bis Quai de Valmy | A recommendation I got from my reader Asher Shaham. Right on the canal |
Looking for restaurants in other arrondissements? My page of recommended restaurants is organized by type of cuisine and by arrondissement.
The Food Markets of the 10th Arrondissement of Paris
This is the arrondissement where two 19th-century covered markets have survived, and unlike the morning markets of the other arrondissements, they are open six days a week and into the evening. On top of them, one street market runs on Sundays.
| The market | Address | Days and hours | Metro |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marché couvert Saint-Quentin | 85 bis boulevard de Magenta | Tuesday to Saturday 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Sunday 8:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Closed on Mondays | Gare de l’Est |
| Marché couvert Saint-Martin | 31/33 rue du Château d’Eau | Tuesday to Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Sunday 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Closed on Mondays | Château d’Eau |
| Marché Alibert | rue Alibert | Sunday only, 7:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. | Goncourt |
On my markets page you’ll find the recommended markets in the city’s other arrondissements.
Walking Itineraries in the 10th Arrondissement of Paris
The 10th is the main setting of two of my itineraries, and two more pass through it. The newest is a ten-stop walk that starts at Place de la République, goes up to the Église Saint-Laurent and the Hôpital Saint-Louis, and comes down to the canal.
Another Itinerary That Takes Place in the 10th Arrondissement
Itineraries That Pass Through the 10th and Other Arrondissements
Want all the itineraries I’ve written, by arrondissement and by theme? My Paris walking itineraries page brings them all together.
The Next Step in Your Trip
The 10th sits right between the center and the east of the city, so it’s easy to combine with its neighbors. To the south lies the northern Marais and the 3rd arrondissement, and to the west the 9th arrondissement and the Opéra.
And if you want to be ready in advance for every scenario, my complete Paris guide brings together everything I’ve learned over the years. Have a wonderful trip, and don’t forget to sit on the quay of the canal (do it for me).
