Butte-aux-Cailles, street art and newer quarters
13th district: Gobelins
The 13th district brings together Butte-aux-Cailles, the François-Mitterrand Library area and broad contemporary avenues. Architecture and Seine-side walks let you compare different periods of Paris.
The four administrative quarters
- Salpêtrière
- Gare
- Maison-Blanche
- Croulebarbe
These administrative names do not always match the informal areas used in everyday conversation.
Administrative area: approximately 7.15 km². This is an area measurement, not a walking distance. Official district dataset, source record dated 2026-10-06.
Compare two different urban scales
Butte-aux-Cailles invites a walk through narrow streets, while Paris Rive Gauche is read through large blocks around the BnF. Comparing them is rewarding, but allow a half-day for each rather than automatically joining them.
Prepare library access separately
A walk around the BnF buildings does not imply access to all reading spaces or exhibitions. Check the library service or activity you actually want to use.
Local services in the guide’s dataset
198 records carry this district explicitly in their source. This is a count of our dataset, not of every service in the district.
Find drinking water and toilets in this district (French) · Search local resources (French)
- Mairie du 13e arrondissement — 1 place d'Italie, Paris 13e
- Bibliothèque de l'Ecole Estienne — 18 boulevard Auguste-Blanqui, Paris 13e
- Bibliothèque Glacière - Marina Tsvetaïeva — 132 rue de la Glacière, Paris 13e
- Bibliothèque Italie — 211 Boulevard Vincent Auriol, Paris 13e
- Bibliothèque Marguerite Durand (BMD) — 79 rue Nationale, Paris 13e
- Médiathèque Jean-Pierre Melville — 79 rue Nationale, Paris 13e
Official service and street names retain their French names. Check details on the linked provider websites.
Choose the visits you want to include
Walking options connected to these places
- Contemporary Paris — A day exploring recent urban transformations, from the Left Bank to newer northwestern areas.
These links share places explicitly recorded in our data. They do not establish proximity or a fully accessible route.
English translation prepared on from the French source record dated 2026-10-06. Translation does not constitute a fresh factual verification. French version.