WHO AM I ? my BIO
SAINT GERMAIN DES PRES: CHIC AND ELEGANCE
A neighbourhood of timeless classics and modern flair
My Saint Germain key words:
Classic, elegance, cafés, lively, quiet, peaceful, Le Flore, Les Deux Magots, Juliette Gréco, Simone de Beauvoir, Sartre Hemingway, authors, artists, 18th century, Delacroix, home decoration, antique dealers, art galeries, terraces, Marguerite Duras, Dora Maar, pastries, Left Bank, liiterary
Location
Saint-Germain-des-Prés is loocated mainly in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, on the Left Bank of the Seine. It extends westward from the Latin Quarter (which is in the 5th arrondissement).
On the right: a map of the 6th arrondissement, divided into four administrative districts. Although one of them is officially named “Saint-Germain-des-Prés”, Parisians often think of Saint-Germain as a much larger aerea, even including parts of the 7th arrondissement.
Peaceful AND lively
You’ll love Saint-Germain-des-Prés if you enjoy peaceful and cosy areas that mix lively streets (like rue de Buci, boulevard Saint-Germain…) with very quiet ones (such as rue Cardinale, rue de l’Abbaye, rue Saint-Benoît, rue Séguier, rue de Poitevins…).
If you like cafés (including literary cafés), antique shops, elegant architecture, art galleries, home décor stores, pastries and chocolate, you’re in the right place.
Plus, Saint-Germain-des-prés offers easy access to the Seine, the Louvre, the bookstalls along the river, the Latin Quarter, and the Musée d’Orsay.
iconic cafes
Saint Germain-des-Prés is famous for its cafés, especially the iconic ones like Le Flore, Les Deux Magots, Le Bonaparte, and La Palette.
This neighbourhood has long been a historic hub for publishers, writers, and artists (Picasso, Simoone de Beauvoir, Sartre, Hemingway…).
It’s also the part of Paris that first welcomed Jazz music after WWII. Some even say Bebop was born here.
saint-germain-des-pres church
One of the oldest churches in Paris, recently restored.
Originally built in the 6th century, it has been partly destroyed and rebuilt several times over the centuries.
a gathering place and home for many artists and writers
Since the 17th century, Saint Germain des Prés has been meeting place for artists and writers and was attached to major artistic movements : existentialism, surrealism, Jazz music.
Below: a few of the artists and writers who spent time in Saint Germain des Prés
17th c.: Racine
18th c.: Voltaire (1694-1779). The Enlightenment philosophers often met here.
19th c.: Eugène Delacroix (1798-1863), George Sand (1804-1876) Wagner (1813-1883), Anatole France, Saint Saens
20th c.: Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, Jean-Paul Sartre, Pablo Picasso, Marguerite Duras, Jorge Luis Borges, Dora Maar, Simone de Beauvoir, Jim Morrison, Romain Gary, Allen Ginsberg, Anna Karina, Susan Sontag, Apollinaire, Jacques Prévert, Albert Camus, Roland Barthes, Giacometti, Lacan, Gainsbourg, Charlie Parker, S. Beckett, Miles Davis, Ellington, Stéphane Grappelli, Martial Solal, James Joyce, Henry Miller…
…and the list goes on.
Nice streets and spots to wander around
My recommendations:
Saint-Germain-des-Prés is one of those places where you might feel instantly at home. A neighbourhood where it’s also nice to walk at night. Calm and safe.
It’s a great place to get a real feel for Parisian life.
Don’t miss :
The Saint Germain des Prés church, so beautifully renovated
Le Flore or Les Deux Magots, just near the church. Two true institutions full of history (not the most affordable places in town, but a coffee or drink and maybe a pastry, can be worth the experience).
From the church you can walk:
- – North toward the Seine
- – South toward Saint Sulpice church and its neighbourhood
- – Towards Le Bon Marché and La Grande Epicerie
- – Or towards the Luxembourg garden. Each or these walks will take about 15 minutes on foot.
Some addresses
- Le Flore, Les Deux Magots, Le Bonaparte cafés and Saint Germain des Prés church : boulevard Saint Germain. Metro : Saint Germain des Prés
- Ladurée (pastry shop and tea room) : corner rue Jacob/rue Bonaparte, about 150 meters from Les Deux Magots.
- Pierre Hermé (high-end pastry shop): rue Bonaparte, nearby Saint Sulpice church.
- Musée Delacroix: the artist former residence, with a peaceful garden and his studio (note: only a few of Delacroix’s works ar displayed). Place de Furstemberg.
- The charming Place de Furstemberg, the lively rue de Buci and its many cafés. The picturesque Cour du Commerce Saint André.
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