Hidden deep within the 16th arrondissement, the Maison La Roche, home to the Fondation Le Corbusier, draws an enthusiastic if select crowd. Built by Le Corbu himself from 1923-1925 for the wealthy bachelor Monsieur La Roche, the iconic structure, with its flat roof, white stucco walls and elevated rez-de-chaussée, is something of a Mecca for modernist architecture pilgrims.

The foundation itself contains a wealth of original drawings, plans and manuscripts either bequeathed or transferred by Le Corbusier as well as a number of photographical archives and personal paintings.

Although seemingly bourgeois and staid, you should also make the most of the surrounding neighborhood. The quartier boasts several Mallet-Stevens Art Deco immeubles as well as Hector Guimard’s famous Castel Béranger, a whimsical Art Nouveau compound of 36 apartments that is regarded as one of his most important works. On occasion generous residents open the Castel’s gates so that us mere mortals might gawk at its swirling staircase and awesome courtyard.