Summary
Adjacent to the 17th Arrondissement of Paris, Levallois-Perret is an upscale residential neighborhood situated in the northwestern part of the city. This area is positioned directly on the Seine River, in a locale where the Eiffel Company constructed both the Eiffel Tower and the Statue of Liberty during the 19th century.
The Paris Métro Line 3 and the Transilien suburban rail network connect at Levallois-Perret en route to central Paris. Approaching the city from this perspective grants access to various museums that you may not have otherwise considered visiting. This article will detail several engaging activities available just moments away from Levallois-Perret.
Let’s examine the top attractions in Levallois-Perret:
1. Parc de la Planchette
One of the charming aspects of Levallois-Perret is its significant green spaces; nearly one-fifth of the suburb’s total area consists of parkland.
At Parc de la Planchette, one quickly realizes they are in a serene, residential section of Paris, characterized by young families enjoying playgrounds, office professionals undertaking morning jogs, and couples enjoying leisurely walks.
The park features a pond, gentle lawns, and a delightful rose garden.
Prior to visiting Levallois-Perret, consider checking the park’s website for information on ongoing summertime outdoor events.
2. Île de la Jatte
This island on the Seine offers a quaint residential atmosphere that rose to prominence in the late 19th century when Impressionist artists began painting by its waters.
Monet, van Gogh, and Sisley all captured scenes from Île de la Jatte; however, the most notable work created here is Georges Seurat’s “Un Dimanche Après-Midi à l’Île de la Grande Jatte,” completed in 1886. Additionally, visitors can explore the 18th-century Temple de l’Amour, a folly from a now-vanished estate.
Before urban development in the 19th century, Levallois-Perret and the neighboring Neuilly-sur-Seine once comprised the lush grounds of the now-demolished Château de Neuilly.
This Palladian folly serves as one of the few remnants from that era.
3. Maison de la Pêche et de la Nature
At the northern end of Île de la Jatte, this small museum showcases the aquatic life found in the Seine.
The museum hosts various tanks filled with freshwater fish, including pikes, sculpins, and catfish.
There is also a touch pool designed for children to feel certain fish species, though pikes are displayed in a 600-liter aquarium due to their numerous teeth. Additionally, there is an educational nursery featuring descriptions of the river’s micro-fauna.
4. Parc Monceau
This elegant English garden, designed in the 1770s, retains several notable features from its early days.
Visitors will find a classical colonnade near the pond, alongside an eccentric icehouse styled as an Egyptian pyramid.
In the late 18th century, this park was the site of groundbreaking achievements by inventor André-Jacques Garnerin, who made the first descent with a silk parachute in 1797. He also facilitated a balloon trip for Citoyenne Henri in 1798, marking her as the first woman to experience a hot air balloon flight.
In more recent times, sculptures have been commissioned to honor cultural figures like Guy de Maupassant and Frédéric Chopin, while Monet captured the park’s beauty in five paintings between 1876 and 1878.
5. Musée Jacquemart-André
Nélie Jacquemart and Édouard André were affluent art aficionados in 19th-century Paris, who took annual trips to Italy to cultivate an impressive collection of Renaissance Italian paintings.
The couple resided in an exquisite Neo-Renaissance mansion, partially designed by Jacquemart. Upon their deaths, they bequeathed the estate and its substantial art collection to the public as a museum.
The museum houses an exceptional assortment of Flemish, Dutch, French, and Italian artwork by renowned masters like Botticelli, Canaletto, Donatello, Rembrandt, and van Dyck.
The magnificent building itself is a draw, showcasing exquisite furniture and tapestries, while the apartments and ceremonial rooms have been preserved to reflect their condition over a century ago.
6. Grand Palais
Located between the right bank of the Seine and the Champs-Élysées, the Grand Palais is a remarkable Beaux-Arts structure built for the Universal Exposition in 1900. It features a stone base topped with a soaring glass canopy supported by a framework of iron and steel.
The building underwent extensive renovation until 2007, after which it reopened as a venue for events and temporary exhibitions.
The Grand Palais serves as the backdrop for the Chanel shows during Paris Fashion Week, held twice yearly. Notably, the 2017 exhibitions featured work by Pissarro, Rodin, alongside displays of jewelry formerly owned by Indian mughals and maharajas.
7. Petit Palais
Directly across from the Grand Palais on Avenue Winston Churchill, the smaller Petit Palais was also constructed in the Beaux-Arts style for the Universal Exposition.
Inside, one discovers an art museum that rivals the finest in Paris.
The collection spans the history of art from classical antiquity to contemporary works.
It encompasses 1,300 pieces, featuring exquisite tapestries, sculptures, paintings, icons, and decorative arts.
The 1800s are particularly well represented, showcasing paintings by Delacroix, Cézanne, Courbet, Ingres, and Pissarro, as well as sculptures by Rodin and Maillol. Additionally, the museum contains Rococo, Baroque, and Renaissance art from renowned artists such as Poussin, Fragonard, Rubens, and Rembrandt.
8. Marché Poncelet
Located in the affluent 17th Arrondissement near Levallois-Perret, this fine market is nestled between majestic Haussmannian residential buildings.
Unlike chaotic bazaars, Marché Poncelet features a well-organized series of permanent stalls run by fishmongers, butchers, wine sellers, and purveyors of artisan and gourmet food.
Due to its prime location, this market attracts a wealthy clientele and is a destination for serious food enthusiasts seeking high-quality groceries.
For fresh seafood from the Atlantic, the highly regarded fishmonger Daguerre Marée is a must-visit. Meanwhile, butchers, cheesemongers, bakers, and delicatessens offer a diverse array of culinary delights, including goose foie gras, port-soaked Stilton, caramel cream puffs, and aged jamón ibérico.
9. Folie Saint-James
Constructed in the 1770s at significant cost by Claude Baudard de Saint James, the treasurer of the French Navy, this house and its surrounding garden reflect opulence.
Saint James instructed his architect François-Joseph Bélanger to “create as extravagantly as possible”; the result was a garden that drew criticism for prioritizing extravagance over design and has recently undergone restoration for public enjoyment.
A striking feature of the park is a miniature mountain adorned with a Doric temple.
All the stone utilized in the mountain’s construction was imported at substantial expense from the Fontainebleau forest.
10. Musée Cernuschi
The esteemed Musée Cernuschi was established in 1898 in the residence of its namesake, Henri Cernuschi, adjacent to Parc Monceau.
Cernuschi, a banker and avid Asian art collector, amassed approximately 5,000 pieces, including the impressive bronze Buddha of Meguro, cast in Japan during the 1700s.
Since its inception, the museum’s collection has more than doubled, featuring a plethora of invaluable artifacts dating back 3,500 years.
Among the highlights are bronze funerary masks from the Chinese Liao Dynasty and remarkable Tang Dynasty statues over a millennium old.
11. Jardin d’Acclimatation
Spanning 20 hectares at the northern edge of the Bois de Boulogne, this delightful theme park caters to children.
The Jardin d’Acclimatation, established in 1860, has preserved its charming atmosphere with pony rides, puppet shows, a miniature train, and fairground-style carousels and rollercoasters.
The park lies alongside the Fondation Louis Vuitton, a contemporary art museum designed by Frank Gehry.
Additionally, visitors can access the vast lawns and woodlands of the Bois de Boulogne, the second-largest park in Paris, which was created during the reign of Napoleon III in the 1850s.
During the summer, guests may rent boats at the Lac Inferieur or stroll through the gardens of the Château de Bagatelle, once the residence of Comte d’Artois, the brother of Louis XVI.
12. Arc de Triomphe
Alongside the Eiffel Tower and Notre-Dame, the Arc de Triomphe stands as an unmistakable Parisian landmark.
It is conveniently situated close to Levallois-Perret, making it possible to walk there; however, public transport is an efficient alternative that shortens the journey time.
Marking the western terminus of the Champs-Élysées, this monumental triumphal arch honors the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars.
Visitors are encouraged to approach it closely to observe the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and examine the reliefs depicting heroic battle scenes.
Afterward, visitors can ascend to the roof for expansive views down the radiating avenues, including the Axe Historique towards the Grande Arche de la Défense in the west.
13. Montmartre
From Levallois-Perret, it is a short journey to reach the renowned neighborhood of Montmartre, located within the 18th Arrondissement.
Positioned atop the Butte, the highest hill in Paris, Montmartre retains a village-like feel, characterized by its low-rise structures, cobblestone streets, and local shops.
This area gained popularity in the 19th century as a haven for artists such as Renoir, Monet, Pissarro, and van Gogh.
Today, galleries and studios intermingle with contemporary media companies throughout the streets.
For a quintessential tourist experience, visitors can sit for portraits in Place de Tertre, and there’s a museum on the square dedicated to Salvador Dalí’s drawings.
Ascend through Square Louise-Michel to access the Sacré-Cœur for unparalleled views of the city.
14. Pigalle
At the base of Montmartre lies the Pigalle district, renowned for its historical allure of vice and indulgence.
This area inspired artists like Renoir and Toulouse-Lautrec, who documented fin de siècle brothels and cabarets such as the Divan du Monde and Grand Guignol.
The famed Moulin Rouge continues to operate here, and while there are still some dubious establishments along Boulevard de Clichy, since the 1990s, Pigalle has transformed into a nightlife destination for both locals and tourists.
Numerous bars, nightclubs, and live music venues have opened, making it a vibrant hub for entertainment.
Musicians may appreciate Rue de Douai, where numerous stores cater to the sale of musical instruments and accessories.
15. Cimetiere de Montmartre
The third largest cemetery in Paris, the Cemetery of Montmartre features a blend of tranquility, remarkable sculptures, and notable gravesites.
Numerous luminaries of French culture are interred here, including Truffaut, Zola, Degas, Stendhal, Offenbach, and the 20th-century singer Dalida.
A map detailing the grave locations is available at the entrance, or you may elect to download one onto your smartphone.
Even with navigational aids, it may require effort to locate specific graves; however, the serene and verdant environment, with winding paths through maple, lime, and chestnut trees, makes the quest enjoyable.
