Cathedrals and cabarets near the 17th arrondissement
There's not much in the way of must-see sights in the 17th arrondissement. For those, you'll need to stroll just a little to the south or east. A walk up the steep steps on the far side of Montmartre hill will take you to the grand domes of the Sacre Coeur. Wonder at the Romanesque and Byzantine flourishes of that great church before swiveling to see the silhouette of the Eiffel Tower in the distance. Down below is the risky Moulin Rouge, where the neon haze of red light hides the home of the can-can and French cabaret.
The 17th arrondissement is street life
The streets of this area are like a theater stage for Parisian life. You can just fling open the wide windows of your 17th arrondissement vacation rentals and watch as baguette-wielding cyclists whizz by or animated city dwellers chat over steaming mugs of mocha. There's even better people watching – and shopping – in the marketplaces. The Marche des Batignolles is known for organic produce and its tasty French veg stalls. The Marche Poncelet is even more famous, offering pungent blue cheeses and glazed croissants and more.
There's never a dull moment in the 17th arrondissement
Because this is one of Paris's local areas, it's always bustling with life and markets and people. You don't need to limit your trip to summer months like June, July and August to catch the place at its best – only for the best weather. In fact, a trip here in spring or fall could not only reveal a more authentic side to the cafes and jazz bars that abound, but also help save plenty of euros on account of cheaper 17th arrondissement vacation rentals.
Park life in the 17th arrondissement
The 17th arrondissement is just another slice of the urban sprawl that is Paris. Encircled by the big ring roads that encase the capital, it's limited by highways to the north and the start of the 18th and 8th arrondissements on its other sides. There are some parks for those who want to get a taste of the city's more peaceful side. Head down to Parc Martin Luther King for wide fields and pretty flower beds. Or, go to Square des Batignolles for manicured English gardens, ponds and thought-provoking sculpture works.