The most famous tourist guides have spent big words to describe the 10th arrondissement of Paris; thanks to this lack of attention the neighbourhood still retains the flavour of the authentic and popular Paris.
Let’s begin our journey through history, starting from a Bed and Breakfast in Paris located in Place Republique, the strategic point of Paris, from which in the past centuries propagated the various outbreaks of civil insurrection. Still is the starting point for the many events that cross the French capital. We're going to explore this area by entering into the narrow Rue du Château-d'Eau, meeting point of Little Africa, with dozens of small shops specializing in ethnic hairstyles. Looking carefully around we will discover, at number 39 of this same road, the smallest house ever built in Paris, a facade of 5m in height, , all on one floor. The house was built at the 900 to become a cobbler.
Going to the boulevard Saint-Martin with its strange high-level platform, we will be one of the oldest streets in Paris, historically known as the Theatres District. Book a B&B Canal Saint-martin , right near the Theatre of the "Renaissance", where in 1897 where it was staged for the first time "Cyrano de Bergerac" by Rostand.
We continue along this road and meet two large decorated arches, the Gate of Saint-Martin and Porte Saint-Denis, constructed in honour of the victories of Louis XIV. Entering in the side streets branching off from the two ports we can discover many secret passages, the quiet streets that start below the tall buildings and connects the area's most popular neighbourhood. One of the best known is the passage Brady, the Little India of Paris; a narrow corridor is completely covered with Indian restaurants and surrounded by scented oriental spices.
At this point we can only move towards the Canal Saint-Martin, known as the channel of “the Departed" an area that in the 1900s has inspired writers and poets and is now overrun with bars and restaurants open until late at night.
If you have seen the movie "The Wonderful World of Amelie" will have no difficulty to recognize the bridge from which she enjoyed throwing pebbles into the water. With the channel end on our journey around the tenth arrondissement, but if you still want to walk you can continue by following the watercourse. With long walk of about an hour you can reach the 19th arrondissement then rest on the wide lawn of the park la Villette.
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