16th: Trocadéro, Bois de Boulogne

Paris – 16th Arrondissement If arrondissements were women, the 16th would be the exquisite Catherine Deneuve, oh-so-cool with that certain je ne sais quoi, wearing Chanel and pearls while sipping Veuve Clicquot Champagne. Being a tony residential district, the 16th is ignored by most tourists, and for the most part, that’s understandable. But there are a bevy of exquisite museums here– like the Guimet, the Marine museum, the Palais de Tokyo, and Cité de l’architecture et du patrimoine– which makes the 16th ripe to explore for travelers who’ve already been to Paris. The best place in Paris to view the Eiffel Tower is the Trocadéro, decorated with a gorgeous horse sculptures fountain. And the Arc de Triomphe, Napoleon’s iconic landmark, is a not-to-miss Paris experience. Climb to the top to ogle the big boulevards like the Avenue Foch and Avenue Kléber, home to the magnificent Peninsula Hotel, newly opened in August 2014.  Lesser known museums in this area include Maison de Balzac, Musée de l’Homme, Musée du Vin, Musée Marmottan-Monet (lovely Impressionist works), and the Galerie-Musée Baccarat. In the Bois de Boulogne, you can go horseback riding, play tennis, even camp. And the new Fondation Louis Vuitton, a gorgeous contemporary art museum designed by starchitect Frank Gehry, is turning heads next to the Jardin d’acclimatation, a charming amusement park created by Napoleon III.