L'Escurial: an art-house cinema in Paris's 13th arrondissement

It's the only independent cinema in Paris's 13th arrondissement. L'Escurial, located in the Gobelins district, is one of the capital's oldest cinemas, having opened in 1911. Alongside the Majestic Bastille, the Arlequin and the Reflet Médicis, this cinema is part of the Dulac Cinéma company.

L'Escurial is distinguished by the cachet and decor it has retained over the years. Even after undergoing renovations, you'll still find the aesthetic codes of the 40s at l'Escurial, with its red velvet, gilding, chandeliers and mirrors. In fact, the cinema was barely saved in the 80s thanks to its special programming, its films in VO and its festivals, at a time when a crisis was hitting the small Parisian cinemas in the area.

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Today, arthouse films are still on the bill at this cinema, as are other film events throughout the year: ciné-rencontre, documentaries, not forgetting the short-film evening held once a month. In addition, one of the cinema's two auditoriums has a panoramic screen with slightly curved edges.

If you'd like to get there, head for Boulevard de Port-Royal, near the Galerie des Gobelins, 400 meters from the cinema. And 900 metres further on, you'll come across La Ferme Tropicale, a store specializing in reptiles and other animals, which also offers discovery workshops for all.