What comes to your mind when you hear the word "Paris"? Probably images of grand boulevards, leafy parks, River Seine with its bridges, stylish Parisians sipping down their Cafe Latte. Or perhaps famous landmarks: The Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Cathedral, Le Louvre, Arc de Triomphe... The list of goes on and on.

All this is very true and certainly part of the essential Paris experience. However, Paris is a multifaceted city and if you have the time, you could be pleasantly surprised by spending some of it in one of the more seldom visited quarters.

Enter Belleville – a dizzying array of cultures, a refuge for artists, "alternative folks" and dreamers. It also has a plentitude of small and affordable ethnic restaurants, bars and cafes. Belleville with its smaller and somewhat shabby streets seems to have the old Paris charm that has unfortunately been polished away to some extent from more popular (read: more touristy) city quarters like Montmartre or Pigalle.

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