Montparnasse comes from "Mount Parnassus", given to the neighborhood by students who came here to recite poetry. In the XVIIIth century, the bd Montparnasse was laid down and during the Revolution, lots of cabarets opened their doors. The neighborhood became famous at the beginning of the XXth century when it was the heart of intellectual and artistic life in Paris. It attracted people from all over the world come to experience the lifestyle; it also found itself the home of political exiles such as Lenin and Trotsky. The real action in the neighborhood was to be found in endless talks in cafés like as le Rotonde, le Sélect, le Dôme, la Cloiserie des Lilas, or la Coupole. Here the great minds gathered: Picasso, Modigliani, Soutine, Paul fort, Apolinaire, Max Jacob, Hemingway, Breton, Cocteau, Fitzgerald, Henry Miller, Miro, Fujita... All have left their eternal mark in the memory of this area.

The Tower
It started as a redevelopment scheme of the Montparnasse and the railway stations in 1958 and had strong support from the french government. The tower itself was built between 1969 & 1973. During construction, the tower was very popular as it became a symbol of the new modern Paris. This changed however when the 210 meter tall Tour Montparnasse was completed. The 58 floors of the tower are mainly occupied by offices, while two floors are open to the public for viewing the city; the 56th floor with a restaurant, and the terrace on the top floor.
Public optinion turned against the tower because it intruded the skyline. Nowadays, the Paris skyscrapers are built on the outskirts of the city, mainly in the Défense area.

How to get there
Metro : Montparansse or Rennes

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