Arènes de Lutèce

Arènes de Lutèce

Roman arena behind an archway, pétanque clacking

Hours

Open daily from morning to around dusk; varies by season

Tickets

Free

Address

49 Rue Monge, 5th arr.; the entrance is a narrow archway between buildings

Slip through an unremarkable archway on Rue Monge and a half-circle of stone tiers opens up. It is what is left of the Roman town of Lutetia, from the 1st century, and it once seated around 15,000. These days locals throw steel pétanque balls on the sandy floor while students read and people eat lunch on the steps. It is free and no one checks tickets. There are few signs, so the best plan is simply to sit down for a while.