Neighborhood
Canal Saint-Martin / Oberkampf
in Paris, France
Younger bars, culture and alternative nights out.
Where it is
The area covers the Canal Saint-Martin and the Oberkampf quarter across the 10th and 11th arrondissements in eastern Paris, around Place de la République.
Address: Paris
What it is
Today the area draws a young, mixed crowd to the canal banks for picnics and to the dense bar-and-restaurant strips of Rue Oberkampf, Rue Jean-Pierre-Timbaud and Rue Saint-Maur. Artists, bobos and LGBTQ visitors meet here for a night out. It is seen as a relaxed, less touristy alternative to the Marais, keeping a local, lively character.
History
Initiated by Napoleon and completed in 1825, the Canal Saint-Martin supplied Paris with drinking water and goods; as boat traffic declined it gradually shifted from industry to leisure. Once an artisan district, Oberkampf transformed from the 1990s into a nightlife hub as artists and creatives took over its old workshops.