18 July 2008

PARIS - Young tourists passing through Paris have a new place to stay following the opening of the first youth hostel in the city for more than 15 years.

The hostel, beside the bassin de la Villette in the city's northeast, has 275 beds priced from EUR 17 to EUR 30 per person.

At the opening ceremony Thursday, Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoe said that even though the city remains the world's leading tourist attraction, "it still needs to cater for young people travelling on a budget".

Built on the site of former warehouses and shops destroyed by fire in 1990, the complex is in a part of the capital undergoing radical transformation.

The area not far from the Place de Stalingrad used to have a reputation as a centre of drug dealing. But in recent years it has undergone a makeover with restaurants, bars, cinemas and a marina being built.

The hostel hopes to attract other tourists and local residents with a number of public facilities including a restaurant, bar and internet cafe.

[AFP / Expatica]