A Walking Tour Paris

An important extension to the city in the 17th century, this area is also
known as the Left Bank. It takes this from its geographical location, but
the word Left is also a not inappropriate one given the political views of
the artists and thinkers who made the district famous. The glory days
of American jazz, intellectual angst and existentialism may have gone –
replaced by haute-bourgeois city life – but the places the musicians and
philosophers used to hang out in the first half of the 20th century are
still here, particularly the cafés lining the Boulevard St-Germain. This
famous boulevard is also home to any number of exclusive boutiques,
while the streets off it are a treasure trove of antiquarian books,
antiques and art. On the south side of the Boulevard St-Germain are
a number of quaint streets, home to good restaurants and interesting
shops, as well as at the famous Odéon theatre. This area is also home
to the magnificent Musée d’Orsay, a mecca for Impressionist art lovers
housed in a former railway station which is a work of art in itself.