Basically a vast, swanky dormitory for the bourgeoisie, the 16th is also (not surprisingly) filled with foreign embassies and upscale museums like the Palais de Tokyo, La Maison de Balzac, Le Corbusier’s villa La Roche and the Musée Guimet for Asian art. Highlights include the Passy quarter, Chaillot / Trocadéro for your Eiffel Tower selfies, and, further west, the Bois de Boulogne area and the many treats it contains.
Passy / La Muette
This quarter is where many of Paris’ 1%-ers live. Remember The Spice Girls? Well, here it’s all Posh, but no Spice. The spiciest thing you’ll find in Passy are some pseudo-trendy restaurants where they make you wait 40 minutes for a sidewalk table for no apparent reason or more well-groomed dogs (sporting Hermès leashes) per square yard than at an international dog show. Passy does have some (vanilla) energy, a welcome contrast to the zombie-quiet, bored-bourgeois vibe found elsewhere in the Seizième.
Bois de Boulogne
This area’s vibe is driven by the vast Bois de Boulogne, Paris’ western forest. Here, besides hookers and miles of bike paths, you can find the Jardin d’Acclimatation, an adorable, smurf-sized amusement park, and the adjacent Fondation Louis Vuitton with its well-curated art expos housed in a Frank Gehry-designed structure resembling a giant sailing vessel. Insider tip: the entrance to the museum is free with your Jardin d’Acclimatation ticket. Nearby, the Jardin de Bagatelle is also eye-candy, with its dreamy gazebos, flowering paths, and mascot peacocks gallivanting around. Near the Roland Garros tennis complex, don’t forget to stop by the Hotel Molitor, a former public pool turned exclusive art-deco hotel where the once run-down olympic basin has been masterfully transformed into a dreamy swimming experience surrounded by technicolor guest rooms and, of course, a pool bar.
Chaillot / Trocadéro
This chic area is the ultimate nirvana for your full-on Eiffel Tower creative selfies and for some endless, fancy museum experiences. Aside from that, we’d say skip it. Unless you enjoy the top-secret (in your wildest dreams) diplomatic mission of strolling past most of Paris’ embassies and consulates.
