If you’re planning a trip to the City of Light and would like to make sure you visit some of the most beautiful streets in Paris, I can help you out.
I’ve visited Paris well over a dozen times and I’ve explored every arrondissement, pounding the pavements and cobblestones to find the cutest, most photogenic and prettiest streets in Paris.
This list is compiled from entirely my own research and photographs – and I feel confident that you’ll find some streets you’ll love to wander along during your next Paris visit.
Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. These are links to products or experiences I recommend and if you were to buy something after clicking on them, I might earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Any earnings go towards the upkeep of this blog, which I appreciate.
Table of Contents
26 Most Beautiful Streets in Paris
Here’s my personal selection of the most beautiful streets in Paris. It’s not in order of which are the prettiest, but instead is divided up into categories that make sense to me: residential streets, cute streets, photogenic streets, avenues & boulevards and pedestrian streets.
Pretty Streets In Paris – Residential
This first category is the most beautiful streets in Paris where people actually live.
1. Rue Villebois Mareuil, Vincennes
Just outside the Boulevard Periphique is a calm, attractive suburb of Paris, Vincennes. Here you’ll find a lovely street that becomes truly spectacular in spring, thanks to the arches of cherry blossom trees that form a tunnel along the street.
It is special to wander down this tunnel of pink flowers, which bloom between late March and April (peak bloom can vary from year to year). When I visited Rue Villebois Mareuil, I proclaimed to my Twitter followers that I had found my new future address in Paris!
Catch the Metro line 1 to Vincennes and walk to Rue Villebois Mareuil. Some other nearby streets also have pretty cherry blossoms, including Rue Louis Besquel and Rue Renault.
2. Avenue Mozart & Villa Flore
My discovery of Avenue Mozart caused me to re-think my attachment to Rue Villebois Mareuil – and it gave me a new dream address in Paris!
I only discovered this pretty street in Paris recently when out hunting for Art Nouveau architecture in Paris. I found lots of great architecture in the west of Paris that day, but this was a highlight.
Avenue Mozart is a smart street in the wealthy, tranquil 16th arrondissement and I went there specifically to see Hôtel Guimard, the building at number 122, designed by Hector Guimard for himself. I loved the graceful design features of this elegant house. I was also taken by the view down Villa Flore, which is a cul de sac off Avenue Mozart choc-a-clock with fancy-looking buildings.
The two streets together create a very pretty corner!
3. Square Rapp & Avenue Rapp
Another good pair of streets in Paris are Square Rapp and Avenue Rapp, both in the 7th arrondissement, not far from the Eiffel Tower.
Square Rapp is arguably the prettiest of the two: it’s a short cul de sac, at the end of which is a small private garden. What makes it pretty is both the garden, the elaborate mansion on the left-hand side (if looking at the garden) and, as you walk out of the street, the view of the Eiffel Tower.
I like Avenue Rapp primarily for the façade to number 29: it’s another Art Nouveau masterpiece, designed by Jules Lavirotte, who had an apartment in the building he designed around the corner at 3 Rapp Square. I think the doorway is simply magnificent!
4. Allée Vivaldi
Another great street to visit if you’re in Paris in springtime, Allée Vivaldi has an impressive cherry blossom tree formation. During the bloom season, the trees form a series of pink archways along the centre of the street.
There’s a pedestrian walkway in the centre of the street here – and some benches along it, so you can sit and enjoy the ambience. At one end of the street, there’s also an old-fashioned carousel, which is cute.
I came here when walking the Promenade plantée, which is a long pedestrian garden path running east-west from the eastern border of Paris into the Bastille. Allee Vivaldi forms one rather gorgeous section of the route and is one of the best places in Paris to see cherry blossoms.
5. Villa Leandre
Tucked away in a quiet corner of Montmartre (yes, they still exist!), you’ll find a quiet residential street that feels somewhat different to the rest of Paris. Villa Leandre felt oddly familiar to me because the architectural style of the houses has a distinctly British flavour.
The houses have triangular gables and other features that remind me of interwar British housing. However, look a bit closer, and you’ll see some French touches, too: like painted window shutters.
It’s a small residential street, but worth a detour if you’re in the neighbourhood. If you visit Villa Leandre, do have a bite or a drink at the café on the corner: I enjoyed the Eggs Benedict at Marcel.
To explore Montmartre on foot, seeing the main sights and several pretty streets, follow my self-guided walking tour of Montmartre.
Most Photogenic Streets In Paris
All the streets in this article are pretty, but the next five are famously photogenic and instagrammable. As such, if you visit them, you probably won’t be alone – they’re popular with tourists, photographers and influencers.
6. Rue De L’Abreuvoir
Rue De L’Abreuvoir is possibly the poster child for streets in Paris. It’s a classic cobbled Parisian street, one of the most iconic spots in Montmartre and arguably the most beautiful street in Paris.
It’s short, but it has prettiness all along it: at the top end, you have quant village-style houses, including the picture-perfect La Maison Rose café.
Then, if you walk downhill along Rue De L’Abreuvoir, you’ll come to a bend in the road and a small paved area with a bronze bust of Dalida, a popular singer in France. This is Place Dalida.
Stop here and look back up the street you’ve just walked down and you’ll see the domes of Sacré-Coeur in the background, and you can appreciate the gentle swoosh of the road as it comes down the hill and curves past you.
It’s just wonderful – and a stroll here is amongst the most romantic things to do in Paris.
7. Rue Crémieux
I feel very confident saying that Rue Crémieux is the most colourful street in Paris. It’s got two rows of terrace cottages painted in all shades of pastels from pink to yellow, green, blue and lilac.
The street was built in the 19th century to provide housing for workers, which probably explains why they’re narrow and only three stories high, which is small compared to the massive mansions built by wealthy Parisians elsewhere in the city. However, they hardly feel lowly to most of us these days! The pretty rows of houses and cobbled street are incredibly cute, and the owners have maintained it beautifully, with lots of outdoor plants and the odd cat wandering around.
The street is so photogenic that it has attracted a lot of photographers and influencers over the years – and some of them haven’t always been respectful to the people living there. In fact, there’s an Instagram account set up to show the worst photo shoot-related behaviour in the street (Club Cremieux) – so maybe check that out before you visit!
8. Rue de l’Université
A street with a view of the Eiffel Tower is always going to be one of the most photogenic streets in Paris. Rue de l’Université has a stunning view of the tower, framed right between two handsome mansion blocks.
It’s a popular spot for photos, as you’d expect, and you’ll often find people having amateur photo shoots here – lots of those pretend walking poses here!
If you come early, you might get it when it’s quiet – and I think the morning light on the tower can be magical.
9. Pont Alexandre III
OK, this is a bridge, but there is a street running over it! And this is certainly one of the most beautiful streets in Paris.
Pont Alexandre III is the most ornate bridge over the Seine. It was built to honour Tsar Alexander III of Russia, who helped form the Franco-Russian alliance in 1892. It has Beaux-Arts style reliefs and statues in black and gold leaf – and rows of fancy streetlamps all along it
It’s a stunning sight, especially from the north side, from where you can look over the bridge to the gold dome of Invalides. It’s another one that is rather special early in the morning, with the warm light of the rising sun in the sky.
It’s also a good location from which to catch the Paris Batobus, which is a great way to explore the Seine.
10. Avenue De Camoens
Talking of early starts, I knew Avenue De Camoens was a popular location for photos, so I tried to go early to beat the crowds. The appeal of this street is the view of the Eiffel Tower from the top of the steps at the south end of the street.
However, even at 7 am, I was surprised by the sizeable number of people that were there before me.
So while I can confirm it’s a photogenic spot, I don’t have great photos of it myself! I just didn’t want to wait as long as I think I would have had to get to the front of the steps. But maybe you’ll be luckier than me!
Cute Streets In Paris
This next selection are amongst the most beautiful streets in Paris because they are are especially cute. Often this is because there’s something really pretty or quaint on them – such a sweet cafe, shops or beautiful trees.
11. Rue Saint-Julien le Pauvre & Rue Galande
Rue Saint-Julien le Pauvre is a quaint cobbled street in the old part of Paris, the Latin Quarter
It has two big draws, in my opinion. One, the impossibly cute café, Odette, which serves dainty little choux buns and coffee (this is technically on Rue Galande, but it’s at the end of Rue Saint-Julien le Pauvre). Choose from one of the many varieties of choux bun on sale and grab one of the seats outside.
And then you can enjoy the other big draw: a view back down Rue Saint-Julien le Pauvre towards Notre Dame Cathedral. Coffee, cake and a view of one of Paris’s iconic landmarks: it doesn’t get much better than this!
There’s also a much smaller church on the street, Église Saint-Julien le Pauvre, and an attractive park, Square René Viviani, which hosts one of the Paris Christmas Markets each year.
12. Rue De La Bucherie
Just around the corner from Rue Saint-Julien le Pauvre is another of the prettiest streets in Paris. Rue De La Bucherie is a tiny street and it’s very close to a main road, but it manages to offer an enclosure of cuteness despite its proximity to traffic.
On one side, it’s lined by a row of old cafes and shops, including the popular anglophone bookshop. Shakespeare & Company. There’s also one of Paris’s delightful Wallace Fountains here. On the other side, there are groves of trees, including blossom trees which bloom in spring.
You can also see the towers of Notre Dame from here.
13. Rue Chanoinesse & Rue De La Colombe
There’s a street in the middle of Île de la Cité, not far from Notre Dame, that isn’t 100% beautiful itself, but it has enough attractive things on it that I think it belongs on this list.
Along with a couple of classic brasseries, Rue Chanoinesse is home to one of the prettiest cafes in Paris: Au Vieux Paris d’Arcole. This café front is swathed in what I think is wisteria. Throughout the seasons, it varies from purple blooms to vibrant green leaves. And in Winter, not to be outdone, the café puts up a sparking light display.
They have colourful chairs out on the street in good weather: it’s a nice place to stop for a drink (although I found the service pretty slow when I went there).
Just off Rue Chanoinesse is Rue De La Colombe, which is a very old and narrow cobbled street on which you’ll find Les Deux Colombes (The Two Doves). This bistrot is named for the 13th-century legend of a house collapsing here and only one of two doves who lived there escaped. He would bring food back to the rubble for his mate until the local people moved the stones and freed the dove.
If you walk along Rue De La Colombe to the end, you’ll be rewarded with a view across the Seine to Hôtel de Ville.
14. Rue Cler
There are several famous market streets in Paris and I think Rue Cler is the prettiest of them all.
The bottom end of the streets comes alive with produce, flowers and café terraces. It’s a great place to wander, shop and people-watch. Grab a spot at one of the terraces and enjoy the view.
I think Rue Cler is a good spot for lunch if you’ve been to the Eiffel Tower in the morning. It’s a 15-20 minute walk from the tower to here and you could stop at Avenue Rapp & Rapp Square along the way, making it a nice scenic walk. I’ve suggested this in my Paris 2-day itinerary.
15. Rue De La Bonne
I like Rue de la Bonne because it has a view of Sacré-Cœur but without the crowds. The view is of the back of the basilica, rather than the front, so it’s also a different view, featuring the bell tower prominently.
There often are tourists back here, exploring Montmartre, but never as many as are on the front steps, so it’s definitely a more chill spot.
There’s also a nice little park next to the street: Square de la Turlure. You also get good views of the basilica from the park, including over the vine-draped archways. It’s a nice spot to rest if you’ve been exploring for a while.
I included this street in my self-guided walking tour of Montmartre.
16. Rue Caulaincourt
Another cute street in Montmartre is Rue Caulaincourt, which curves around the north and west of the butte of Montmartre. It’s not a teeny cobbled street like so many in Montmartre: it’s wider and lined by Haussmann-style buildings. But it’s so beautiful to me.
It’s lined by tall, mature trees. On a sunny day, the street is shaded, but the light catches the leaves up high. It’s lovely.
I like Le Cépage Montmartrois. I came here to grab a drink and rest my legs after exploring Montmartre once – it was so nice sitting out on the café terrace, looking at people going up and down the steps up to the village.
17. Quai De La Corse
Quai De La Corse runs along the north bank of Île de la Cité between Pont d’Arcole and Pont au Change. I include it this list of the most beautiful streets in Paris because of the combination of what’s on it and what you can see from it.
One of the things I like on the street is the flower market, Marché aux Fleurs Reine Elizabeth II, named after the Queen of England visited in 2014.
From the street, you can see various landmarks on the right bank: Hôtel de Ville, Tour Saint-Jacques and the medieval towers of La Conciergerie, once a prison that held Marie Antoinette.
At the western end of Quai De La Corse, on the corner of Boulevard du Palais, you’ll find the oldest clock in Paris, on the wall of Palais de la Cité. The elaborate blue and gold clock dates back to 1371.
Most Beautiful Streets In Paris – Boulevards & Avenues
I’m a fan of the Haussmann project of the late 1800s – that huge-scale redesign of the city that introduced handsome multi-story buildings, bold landmarks, landscaped parks and brand-new layouts of streets. In my opinion, some of the most beautiful streets in Paris are the grand boulevards and avenues of the Haussmann period. Here are just a few that I especially like.
18. Avenue De L’Opera
Surely one of the most iconic streets in Paris is the wide avenue that leads up to Paris’s ostentatious opera house. If you head north along Avenue De L’Opera, you get this stunning view of the south façade of the Palais Garnier.
This photo is from a couple of years ago, snapped from a taxi as I was heading out of the city. I went back recently and was disappointed to see this part of the opera house was shrouded in scaffolding for renovations, so unfortunately, you may not get this view right now. But at some point, the scaffolding will come down and this glorious scene will be revealed once more.
19. Boulevard Haussmann
Named for the mastermind himself, Georges-Eugène Haussmann, Boulevard Haussmann is one of the most impressive streets in Paris.
It has some great Haussmann-style mansions, but it also features some impressive landmarks. Palais Garnier faces into Place Diaghilev, just off Boulevard Haussmann, and two of the five grand magasins of Paris (the fancy department stores) are here: Galeries Lafayette and Printemps.
I think the best way to experience Boulevard Haussmann is from above and you have a couple of options for viewpoints. Galeries Layette has a free rooftop viewing terrace – it’s a great place from which to look over Paris towards the Eiffel Tower, directly at Palais Gainer, and also down along Boulevard Haussmann below.
Another viewpoint option is Printemps, which has some terrace restaurants in the menswear building: one on the rooftop itself and a couple on the floor below. If you don’t want to dine, you can also get a glimpse from the top floor from a narrow spot next to the restaurant.
NB. They do sometimes close the open-air terraces in bad weather.
20. Avenue Carnot & Etoile
There are 12 avenues that all converge on the Arc de Triomphe at Etoile. All of them are grand and impressive, but I’ve picked Avenue Carnot because its view of the Arc de Triomphe is at a pleasing angle and it catches the sun in the afternoon.
It’s also very nice to walk along Avenue Hoche from Parc Monceau to the arch.
And of course, there’s the famous shopping street in Paris, Avenue des Champs-Élysées. It does have a classic symmetrical view of the arch, which looks amazing if you’re in Paris in winter, because of the lights that line the avenue. But it’s also much busier – and isn’t my favourite street in Paris.
If you’re after truly high-end shops in Paris, you’ll find more on Avenue Montaigne and Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré.
21. Boulevard des Batignolles
I wouldn’t suggest a special trip out to this Boulevard – but do check it out if you’re in the area.
It might not seem that impressive at first glance – it’s a busy street with metro stations, shops and lots of traffic, like so many others in Paris. However, if you walk on the north side of Boulevard des Batignolles, heading eastwards, you get a view of the domes of Sacré-Coeur lined up with the road.
You get this view between Villiers metro station and Rome, and probably all the way up to Place de Clichy. It’s pretty cool!
Ps. I loved exploring the Batignolles areas on a recent solo trip to Paris – I highly recommend it.
Pretty Streets In Paris – Pedestrian Walkways
The last section has streets that were either designed to be for pedestrians only or have since been pedestrianised. Even though they’re not for cars, they’re still a kind of street in my mind – and among the most beautiful streets in Paris.
22. Rue Édouard VII & Place Édouard VII
There’s this little pedestrianised street just off Boulevard des Capucines that is very attractive. What I like about this street is the cool square it leads to. Well, what’s cool about it is it isn’t actually a square: it’s octagonal.
Rue Place Édouard VII leads to a dead-end courtyard, ringed by a building with seven sides (the eighth side of the square is the road in. It’s hard to do justice to the shape of it with a camera – but it’s quite a unique place in Paris.
It is named after a British king who was said to be fond of Paris and there’s a statue of him in the middle. There are also several restaurants and a theatre here.
23. Pont de Bir-Hakeim
The Bir Hakeim bridge was immortalised on film in the movie Inception (2012). It’s the one with rows of grey pillars in one of the dream sequences. It’s a rail, road and pedestrian bridge, with the pedestrian & cycle lanes running down the middle, in between two lanes of car traffic, underneath the railway line.
I include it in this list of the most beautiful streets in Paris for two reasons. One, the rows of iron pillars that stretch out in a straight line are very attractive and photogenic. Two, there’s a great view of the Eiffel Tower from the bridge.
A particularly good spot to appreciate the view of the tower is from the part where the bridge meets L’île aux Cygnes, a long thin artificial island in the Seine. Here, there’s a terrace and a statue of Joan of Arc.
24. The Stairs Of Montmartre
Montmartre sits atop a hill, overlooking the rest of Paris. Several steep streets will take you up and down the hill, but it’s also got lots of pedestrian steps. And to me, they’re rather lovely. Not that much fun if you’re going up – but a joy if you’re going down, haha!
There are quite a lot of them, but I’ll call out a couple that I think are particularly charming:
- Escaliers du Calvaire are the steps which connect Place du Terte with Rue Gabrielle. The steps are lovely in spring, when the trees are full of green leaves.
- Escalier du Mont-Cenis is a long set of steps that nips in between two handsome buildings and has a very smart feel. They connect Rue du Mont-Cenis with Rue Saint-Vincent.
- Escaliers de la Rue Girardon connects Place Dalida to Rue Giradon and Square Joel Le Tac. They look great from below.
25. Avenue Albert 1er De Monaco & Avenue Gustave V de Suède
The view from the terrace of Trocadero is amazing – but don’t stop there. Do wander down the steps and along either Avenue Albert 1er De Monaco (on the right-hand side) or Avenue Gustave V de Suède (on the left). They’re not avenues like other avenues: they’re only for pedestrians. But they’re still rather grand.
My slight preference is for Avenue Albert 1er De Monaco due to the lovely cherry blossoms you see here in spring and the clear view of the Eiffel Tower.
26. Old Paris Passages
Whilst the Haussmann project levelled much of the narrow streets of old Paris, there are some cute old passageways that remain dotted around the city.
There are covered passages, which were purposely built to be shopping streets in the 19th century. I’ve written about all of them, in my post on the best covered passages in Paris, so I’ll just briefly say that my favourites include Passage du Panoramas and Passage Choiseul.
There are also various other passages, that are not covered, or only briefly covered at the entrances. A couple that I have liked include:
- Passage L’homme – this pretty cobbled passage in the 11th arrondissement has some attractive old-school shops and studios, and is prettified by some nice creeping plants
- Passage Geffroy-Didelot – over in the 17th arrondissement, this passage of colourful-fronted shops, studios and restaurants is lined with flags because there was once a flag-maker here.
Map: Most Beautiful Streets In Paris
To help you find these pretty streets in Paris, here’s a map marking the location of all that I have recommended in this article:
How To Use This Map: Click the tab in the top left-hand corner of the map to view the layers. If you click the icons on the map, you can get more information about each one. If you click the star next to the map’s title, it will be added to your Google Maps account. To view it on your phone or computer, open Google Maps, click the menu, go to ‘Your Places’ or ‘Saved’, then click Maps and you will see this map in your list.
Places To Stay Near Pretty Streets In Paris
If you’re looking for a hotel and want to stay near some of these pretty streets in Paris, here are a few hotels I recommend, having stayed in them myself.
Several of the most beautiful streets in Paris are in Montmartre, so you could stay at the Terrass Hotel, which is a very comfortable 4-star hotel with wonderful views across Paris to the Eiffel Tower, including from its top-floor restaurant and bar.
From the Hôtel Diva Opéra, which is another 4-star option, you can walk to Boulevard Haussmann and Avenue de l’Opera, plus several of the best covered passages.
The Grand Hotel Chicago is very close to Passage Geffroy-Didelot. It’s smart, comfortable and close to the many eateries and cocktail bars of the Batignolles neighbourhood.
Near Passage l’homme, I stated in the Ibis Paris Bastille Faubourg St Antoine. It’s not that exciting a hotel (hotel chains are more of a safe option than exciting, I think), but it’s in a good location and was relatively well-priced.
If you’d like even more hotel recommendations, including for all over Paris and ranging from budget to luxury, I have a post on the best places to stay in Paris for the first time.
The Last Word
I hope this post has given you lots of ideas for pretty Paris streets to wander along during your next trip to Paris. And if you need any more inspiration, have you looked at my guides to the best things to do in Paris on your first visit? What about my guide to Paris off the beaten path? Do you know how to avoid Paris Syndrome?
Finally, I have itineraries that range from one day in Paris to four days in Paris.
Enjoy strolling those pretty Paris streets!
This was amazing!! I’m spending three days in Paris at the end of May and will use this information and suggestions. I haven’t been in many years. My passion is architecture and, as you know, Paris must have the largest collection of beautiful buildings and streets. Thank you so much!
Oh thank you so much! Hope you have a really good time in Paris in May – you should have nice weather then 🙂