Is this where the artists used to roam? The Quartier de Plaisance, tucked away in the 14th arrondissement, might surprise you. Its charm lies in its distinct character. It’s unlike the grand boulevards and Haussmannian architecture found elsewhere in Paris. Quartier de Plaisance holds onto the remnants of its past, a past where it wasn’t a unified neighborhood but a patchwork of small villages like “Playsance” and “Thermopyles.” Imagine a landscape dotted with farms and windmills, quarries carving into the earth. This was the Quartier de Plaisance before the arrival of the railroad in the 19th century. With the railroad came a wave of development, not of grand buildings, but modest homes for artisans and workers. These “villages within the city” lend the Quartier de Plaisance its unique charm today, with quiet, cobblestone streets, ivy-draped houses, and glimpses of hidden gardens. It’s a peaceful escape from the Parisian bustle, a place to wander and imagine the ghosts of artists and revolutionaries who once called this place home.
Église Notre-Dame de l’Air
Beneath what appears to be a simple stone and wood structure lies a history interwoven with faith aviation and community.