Parc de la Villette
Between the Cité des sciences et de l'industrie (to the north, near the Porte de la Villette) and the Cité de la Musique (to the south, near the Porte de Pantin), the Parc de la Villette extends over 35 hectares. Designed by Bernard Tschumi to resemble a city with its streets, monuments and squares, it plays host to various cultural facilities. Shows and events appear back to back throughout the year, making the park a unique and lively performance venue. Fun workshops in the park give young people a chance to learn about video techniques or visual arts. The Maison de la Villette welcomes all those who are curious about the history of north-east Paris.
+ Visit the Parc de la Villette website
Grande Halle
In the middle of the park, the Grande Halle is masterpiece of steel architecture from the 19th century. Extending over more than two hectares, the former slaughterhouse can now hold up to 15,000 people. Refurbished and covered in glass, it has staging and display facilities for a wide range of events: trade shows, festivals, exhibitions, performances etc.
+ Visit the Grande Halle website
Cité de la Musique
Designed by the architect Christian de Portzamparc, the Cité de la Musique, opened in 1995, is a lively arts venue which is surrounded by the greenery of the Park de la Villette.
This innovative project to promote musical culture is a national and international hub dedicated entirely to music, with around 250 concerts a year for adults and young people, the Musée de la musique with its rare collections, a Media Library with around 100,000 documents, and rich and varied educational provisions.
The Cité de la Musique is a forum which is perfectly integrated into a rich cultural space, its promising future marked by the opening of the Paris Philharmonic in January 2015.
+ Visit the Cité de la Musique website
Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris
Both musical and functional, the architecture of Christian de Portzamparc invites the 1200 or so pupils of the Conservatoire to make the best use of its resources: three public rooms for their first performances, 170 practice rooms and studios, a rich media library of around 100,000 documents for lending or consultation, powerful audiovisual equipment, a restaurant, accommodation, a gymnasium and more.
+ Visit the Conservatoire website
Le Zenith
The Zenith came from a simple concept, like all good ideas: to design a room specifically suited to this type of music. It was brought to life by two architects, Philippe Chaix and Jean-Paul Morel, who worked with performance professionals to come up with the concept of the Zenith.
+ Visit the Zenith website in French
Cabaret Sauvage
Through its extremely diverse programme of events, the Wild Cabaret hosts artists from the four corners of the world for concerts, evening events, cabaret shows, balls, circus events, etc. with around 10,000 visitors on over 150 days per year.
+ Visit the Cabaret Sauvage website in French
Centre Equestre
The Equestrian Centre of la Villette offers lessons every day, for all levels, themed events on Sunday afternoons and courses during the school holidays.