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Further Afield

This chapter covers districts and specific buildings and places that are
a little out of the city centre, or do not fall conveniently into any of the
city walks. This includes places like La Défense, La Villette and Versailles,
which are so large they are virtually walks in themselves. Then there is
the spacious greenery of Cimetière du Père Lachaise, Parc des Buttes-
Chaumont and Cité Universitaire, all of which are worth taking the time
to stroll around. There are also individual buildings or monuments that
simply cannot be missed, such as the Portes St-Denis and St-Martin, the
impressive new Bibliothèque Nationale de France and the fascinating
Manufacture des Gobelins. One building that simply has to be seen by
anyone interested in Gothic architecture is the Basilique St-Denis, located
just north of the city and not too far from the Marché aux Puces
(flea market) of St-Ouen. This chapter begins, however, with two mini-
walks through the west and north of the city, areas that both have a
scattering of fascinating museums and houses, including the lavish
Hôtel Salomon de Rothschild, the starkly Modernist Foundation Le
Corbusier and the vast green expanse of the Bois de Boulogne.