The 2nd Arrondissement is the smallest of them all, but is packed with gems. Its location in the heart of Paris allows you to conveniently spend a morning sipping a café at Le Vaudeville while watching the world wake up across the street at the Bourse (the Paris Stock Exchange). Or, you could take a mid-day stroll down Rue Montorgueil, one of Paris's most famous market streets (a stop at world-renowned patissier Stohrer is mandatory). The Rue Etienne-Marcel, Rue Montmartre, and Rue du Louvre will lead you to a bevy of shops, cafés, and restaurants. History buffs take note as one of Paris' last remaining vestiges of the Middle Ages, La Tour Jean Sans Peur is tucked away behind a square on the Rue Etienne-Marcel. Additionally, if you find yourself looking for shelter during one of Paris's frequent rainshowers, the 2nd is home to some of the most stunning galeries the city has to offer.
