Staying in and exploring the 12th arrondissement in Paris: Le Bercy Square Hotel

Paris had fascinated me for long, and I had been hoping to go explore the city from the time I moved to Europe, about 4 years ago. My parents had taken me to the ‘City of Lights’ when I was about 4 or 5 years old, but the only memories I retained were: going up the elevator of the Eiffel, feeding pigeons in a park somewhere, taking a ride on the carousel and my parents tell me I insisted on buying a teddy bear, which was as big as me!

So, this year, when my plans to Paris finally got into place, I was beyond excited ofcourse! I did not only want to stick to the touristic attractions in the city but walk around other areas too. As mentioned in another post, I got to spend two days in Montmartre, which I really loved. And additionally, I was glad to be invited for spending two days at the Le Bercy Square Hotel,as a part of the #weekendsaresocial campaign. As this hotel is located in the 12th arrondissement of Paris (towards the south-east part of the city), I was interested in spending time there and seeing how life in such a residential area might be like.

First of all, I’d like to say that being located near the Gare de Lyon (railway station) was a great advantage. It was easy to take a bus and walk for a few minutes to reach the hotel. This area is probably less visited and so, less touristy. There are numerous restaurants,supermarkets,stores all around and seeing people stopping to greet and talk to each other had a warm,welcoming effect on me.

The 12th district,also known as Bercy,is known for quite a few things by the way: the Bois de Vincennes (one of the large ‘green lungs’ of Paris), the Opera de la Bastille (the second largest Opera house in the city), the Parc de Bercy, Promenade Plantée,the charming Bercy Village, the Palais Omnisports and some vibrant local markets too. I had read somewhere that a lot of people consider this area to be the new trendy place, like the next Saint-Germain or so. This is also where the Bastille was located, a fortress that was used like a prison until it was stormed by the locals during the French Revolution.

 

As I was staying near the Dugommier metro station, there were a lot of connections to the city, with a 20 minute direct ride to Trocadero (for visiting the Eiffel) and a shorter one to the Catacombs. No wonder this was how I had planned to spend the day after a hearty breakfast:

All set for the day after a great breakfast!Today:Catacombs,Louvre,Eiffel! @lequartierbercy #weekendsaresocial #Paris pic.twitter.com/RstcK2POml

— Europe Diaries (@EuropeDiaries) August 21, 2015

 

However, seeing the massive queue outside the Catacombs, I decided against waiting for two hours under the scorching heat, and went to Notre Dame instead, followed by Louvre and then the Eiffel. There was a long queue to go up the Notre Dame towers too, to see the gargoyles, but ultimately waited anyway.

Gargoyles high up on the towers of Notre Dame, Paris! Had to queue up for long and then climb up so so many stairs, but really wanted to see all these gargoyles and chimeras! Inspiration for Victor Hugo, Harry Potter, Woody Allen and more.. #paris #france #visitEurope @my_webspot

A post shared by Menorca@EuropeDiaries (@menorca_c) on Aug 22, 2015 at 5:03am PDT

I did visit the Catacombs another day, but this time in the evening. It was an eerie experience for sure! And incase you are wondering, I did have to queue up for an hour, but atleast it wasn’t in the heat.

I quite liked living at Le Bercy Square. The rooms were nice,wifi great,breakfast was good and they had a stylish reception and bar.

Fancy a game of chess? This setup in the reception is adorable:) @lequartierbercy #weekendsaresocial #Paris pic.twitter.com/lAUNzU4Jbg

— Europe Diaries (@EuropeDiaries) August 21, 2015

I like the feel of living in the 12th. arr! Nice people,lots of food! @lequartierbercy #weekendsaresocial #paris pic.twitter.com/3295BkENP3

— Europe Diaries (@EuropeDiaries) August 21, 2015

 

They also have this tradition of placing green apples on the pillows to welcome you!

 

 

Something that I found very helpful was the Kiosk or store right next to the hotel. Since it got quite late while getting back, and all the restaurants were shut, the Kiosk was handy in picking up some fruits and snacks! Also, as I mentioned earlier, I really liked walking through that area, past the numerous restaurants and houses,and seeing people appear warm and friendly. I was talking to a lady working at a hair saloon, and everytime an elderly couple or another resident passed by, they would exchange greetings and have a quick chat!

This wasn’t at all like the Parisian stereotype you often hear about. Infact, during this trip, I met a lot of interesting people and was glad I got to know a part of their story.

Much love and strength to the people of Paris.

 

P.S:Incase you’d like to check out this place, you can do so on their website.

Booking.com

Merken

Merken

Merken

Merken

Merken

Merken

Merken

Merken