(Re)discover the districts around the Olympic sites

Located in the 7th arrondissement, the Hôtel des Invalides is one of the iconic sights of Paris. Surrounded by a multitude of other cultural sites, Les Invalides makes a good starting point for a fabulous stroll through history. After saying hello to Napoleon I, continue your visit of Paris with a tour of the Army Museum.

The OPG offer an extraordinary showcase for the heritage features of Paris. A place as important as Les Invalides simply has to be seen. On the esplanade, spectators will be able to watch the archery, para archery, athletics and road cycling competitions.

Roland-Garros has reigned in Auteuil since 1928 as a place of victories, international events and even birthday celebrations (14 times for Nadal). Various activities are available in the vicinity of the stadium. A walk in the great outdoors? A cultural visit or two? The choice is yours.

During Paris 2024, the Philippe-Chatrier, Simonne Mathieu and side courts will host 3 competitions, tennis, boxing and wheelchair tennis.

Saint-Denis, the famous home of the national stadium, the Stade de France, has a few other assets too, like its choice location in the Paris Region, its historic monuments and a lively neighbourhood spirit that looks set to evolve. Indeed, the aquatic centre built for the Olympic and Paralympic Games will become another local venue some time after the event. It is destined to become a sports complex and a real venue and meeting place for the local people.

The Olympic and Paralympic competitions to be held in Saint-Denis will be split between two sites. The Stade de France will host the athletics, para-athletics and rugby. The artistic swimming, diving and water polo events will take place at the aquatic centre.

Porte de la Chapelle is one of the main road gateways into Paris. This site in the 18th arrondissement is also undergoing major transformation. During Paris 2024, the badminton, para badminton, rhythmic gymnastics and para weightlifting events will be held in the Arena built for the occasion. In the long term, the eco-designed site will become a familiar part of the district’s community life. In fact, the Paris Basketball club will take up residence here.

Midway between the Bois de Boulogne and the river Seine, a stone’s throw from the centre of Boulogne-Billancourt, the Parc des Princes district is a place where sport rules. Footy fans are familiar with its stadium, home to the Paris Saint-Germain football club. So it’s no surprise that the venue is to host the OPG football matches.

You cannot visit Paris without seeing this iconic square of the capital. Easy to recognise by its obelisk and its sheer size, the Place de la Concorde borders on some extremely popular historic sites. The district is also appreciated for its parks and gardens where time seems to slow down in comparison with the rest of the city.

The entire square will be rearranged for the OPG, to host the 3x3 basketball matches as well as the freestyle BMX, breakdancing and skateboarding competitions. An adrenalin-packed programme indeed! The icing on the cake is the Paralympic Games opening ceremony, also to be held on Place de la Concorde, on 28 August 2024 following a parade worthy of the event, on the Champs-Elysées.

La Défense is the world’s fourth most attractive business district. But traders aren’t the only people strolling between these tower blocks. Curious visitors come here to admire the architecture, highly original compared to the rest of the Île-de-France region, and perhaps to stroll in the many parks and gardens.

The district also boasts a sports arena. For 2024, Paris La Défense Arena, home of the Racing 92 rugby team, will put the oval ball aside and morph into an aquatic centre. Because this site is to host the swimming, para swimming and water polo events.

Tucked in a loop of the river Seine, Colombes is one of the Olympic venues located outside of Paris. Its sports stadium, the stade Yves-du-Manoir, is a well-known feature in sporting history. Among other events, it hosted the 1924 Olympics. A hundred years on, Colombes is returning to the forefront of the world sports scene. During the 2024 OPG, the stadium will be used for the hockey matches.

Le Bourget is famous for being the first area in Île-de-France to boast a civil airport, well before the opening of Orly airport. Nowadays it is home to the Air and Space museum. The town is also close to the Georges-Valbon Park which is very lively with various outdoor activities.
For Paris 2024, the sports complex of Le Bourget will host the sport climbing competition. This fairly new but highly appreciated discipline first featured in the Olympic Games of Tokyo. A few miles away, the North Paris Arena will host the boxing, modern pentathlon and sitting volleyball events.

Tucked between the Seine and the Parisian boundary, Bercy offers a contrasting experience. The harmonious mix of vineyard vestiges and modern buildings gives the district a very special charm. Bercy Village is a place buzzing with life, packed with shops and restaurants. Despite it’s urban nature, this part of the 12th arrondissement also offers a few green spaces for those in search of a little peace and quiet.

As the district’s flagship site, the Accor Arena regularly hosts the most popular modern artists and all sorts of sporting events. It has therefore been selected for the Olympic basketball, wheelchair basketball, artistic gymnastics and trampolining events.

Certain parts of the Grand Palais renovation will be completed in time for the 2024 OPG. Which means the monument will be ready to host some of the Olympic competitions.
- Fencing
- Wheelchair fencing
- Taekwondo and para taekwondo
In the same district, the Alexandre III bridge will also see athletes striving for excellence and a gold medal. These include the challengers in the marathon swimming, triathlon, road cycling and para triathlon events.

Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines on the outskirts of the Paris Region, is a gateway to the Haute Vallée de Chevreuse regional nature park. For cycling enthusiasts, the place to be is the National Velodrome which houses the headquarters of the French Cycling Federation. Those in search of adrenalin thrills will head instead for the municipal BMX stadium.

For Paris 2024, these two sites will host respectively the cycling / para cycling and the BMX racing events.

The easiest way to take advantage of the Paris Region’s refreshing waterways is to get away from the city centre. In Vaires-sur-Marne, trees prevail over buildings and the île de loisirs Vaires-Torcy appeals to all age groups. Sports activities and entertainment await locals and visitors alike.
The nautical stadium of Vaires-sur-Marne is among the pre-existing installations to be used for the OPG. The town will host several aquatic events:
- Canoe sprint
- Rowing and para rowing
- Canoe slalom
- Para canoeing

Versailles needs no introduction, as its reputation goes way beyond the borders of France. The Palace has made the city of Versailles a key tourist site of the Paris Region. A tour of this royalty hotspot is enough to make you dizzy. The palace interior, the gardens, the park and the Trianon estate each take a while to explore if you want to savour every detail. But Versailles has much more to offer than just a palace. Be sure to allow time to visit the rest of the city which has a few surprises in store.

For Paris 2024, the “gardens of Versailles” will be even livelier than usual. The sound of hooves will echo through the groves. Indeed, the site is set to host the equestrian sports events, the para dressage competition and some of the modern pentathlon heats.

The Eiffel Tower is a focal point for tourists and anyone who has yet to become familiar with the city’s different districts. This icon of Paris and its spacious surroundings were an obvious choice of setting for the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

On the Champ-de-Mars, an open-air arena will be installed for the beach volleyball and blind football matches. A second, temporary facility, the Champ-de-Mars Arena will host the judo, para judo, wrestling and wheelchair rugby events.

On the opposite bank of the Seine, the Trocadero gardens will host the road cycling and athletics competitions. Multiple activities will also be available for those curious enough to give them a try.