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Getting Oriented | Top Attractions | Worth Noting
Updated by Bryan Pirolli
If you had to choose the most classically Parisian neighborhood, this would be it. St-Germain-des-Prés has it all: genteel blocks lined with upscale art galleries, storied cafés, designer boutiques, and a fine selection of museums. Cast your eyes upward after dark and you may spy a frescoed ceiling in a tony apartment. These historic streets can get quite crowded, so mind your elbows and plunge in.
This quartier is named for the oldest church in Paris, St-Germain-des-Prés, and it’s become a prized address for Parisians and expats alike. Despite its pristine facade, though, this wasn’t always silver-spoon territory. Claude Monet and Auguste Renoir shared a cramped studio at 20 rue Visconti, and the young Picasso barely eked out an existence in a room on the Rue de Seine. By the 1950s St-Germain bars bopped with jazz, and the likes of Albert Camus, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Simone de Beauvoir puffed away on Gauloises while discussing the meaninglessness of life at Café Flore. Nearby in the 7e arrondissement, the star attraction is the Musée d’Orsay, home to a world-class collection of Impressionist paintings in a converted Belle Époque rail station on the Seine. It’s famous for having some of Paris’s longest lines, so a visit to the Orsay should be planned with care. There are also several smaller museums worth a stop, including the impressive Musée Maillol, a private collection in an elegant mansion dedicated to the work of sculptor Aristide Maillol. The Musée Delacroix, in lovely Place Furstenburg, is home to a small collection of the Romantic master’s works. Not far away is the stately Église St-Sulpice, where you can see two impressive Delacroix frescoes.
Paris is a city for walking, and St-Germain is one of the most enjoyable places to practice the art of the flâneur, or stroller. Make your way to the busy crossroads of Carrefour de Buci, dotted with cafés, flower markets, and shops. Rue de l’Ancienne Comédie is so named because it was the first home of the legendary Comédie Française; it cuts through to busy Place de l’Odéon and Rue St-André des Arts. Along the latter you can find the historic Cour du Commerce St-André (opposite No. 66), a charming cobbled passageway filled with cafés, including, halfway down on the left, Paris’s oldest, Le Procope.
Make sure you save some energy for the exquisite Jardin du Luxembourg, a vintage French garden whose tree-lined paths have attracted fashionable wanderers through the ages, though the swish of crinolines has given way to the crunch of designer tracksuits sported by Parisians on their morning constitutional. Fortunately, there are lots of chairs for resting those weary feet.
Getting Oriented
Top Reasons to Go
Musée d’Orsay. The graceful vaulted ceiling and abundance of natural light in this train station–turned–museum are reminders of why the Impressionist painters thought that train stations were the cathedrals of the 19th century.
Jardin du Luxembourg. Take in a puppet show, wander the tree-lined gravel paths, or just laze by the fountain at this most elegant of Parisian gardens.
Boulevard St-Germain. The main artery of this chic neighborhood is edged with shops, art galleries, and cafés. The top boutiques are clustered around Rue de Rennes, off the main stretch; for more art galleries, head north to Rue de Seine.
Cafés, cafés, cafés. This is excellent people-watching territory. Take a seat at one of the many cafés, linger over a drink, and watch the world go by.
Making the Most of Your Time
Aim for an early start—have a café crème at a café along the river and get to the Musée d’Orsay early, when crowds are thinner. Leave some time for window-shopping around the Boulevard St-Germain and Rue de Rennes on your way to the Jardin du Luxembourg. You might want to plan your visit on a day other than Monday, when the Orsay, many of the art galleries, and even some shops are closed. The Maillol museum is open every day and late on Friday while the Delacroix is closed Wednesday.
Getting Here
The St-Germain neighborhood is the 6e arrondissement and a bit of 7e. To get to the heart of this area, take the Line 4 métro to St-Germain-des-Prés. For shopping, use this station or St-Sulpice. It’s a short walk to the Jardin du Luxembourg, or take the RER B line to the Luxembourg station. For the Musée d’Orsay, take the Line 12 métro to Solferino or the RER C line to the Musée d’Orsay.
Best Cafés
Café de la Mairie.
This slightly shabby café, once the haunt of author Albert Camus, is a good place to spy celebrities like actress Catherine Deneuve, who lives nearby. | 8 Pl. St-Sulpice, St-Germain-des-Prés | 75006 | 01–43–26–67–82 | Station: St-Sulpice.
Café du Métro.
Settle in at this friendly café-brasserie for hot chocolate or French onion soup after an exhausting round of shoe shopping around the Rue de Rennes. Closed Sunday. | 67 rue de Rennes, St-Germain-des-Prés | 75006 | 01–45–48–58–56 | www.cafedumetro.com | Station: St-Sulpice.
Dueling Cafés
Les Deux Magots (6 pl. St-Germain-des-Prés) and the neighboring Café de Flore (172 bd. St-Germain) have been duking it out on this bustling corner in St-Germain for more than a century. Les Deux Magots, the snootier of the two, is named for the two Chinese figurines, or magots, inside, and has hosted the likes of Oscar Wilde, Hemingway, James Joyce, and Richard Wright. Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone du Beauvoir frequented both establishments, though they are claimed by the Flore. The two cafés remain packed, though these days you’re more likely to rub shoulders with tourists than with philosophers. Still, if you’re in search of that certain je ne sais quoi of the Rive Gauche, you can do no better than to station yourself at one of the sidewalk tables—or at a window table on a wintry day—to watch the passing parade. Stick to a croissant and an overpriced coffee or an early-evening apéritif; the food is expensive and nothing special.
La Palette.
The terrace of this corner café, opened in 1902, is a favorite haunt of local gallery owners and Beaux Arts students. Meals are served at lunch, while sandwiches and lighter fare are available at other times of day. Films fans may recognize it as the place where Owen Wilson’s character meets Hemingway in Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris. | 43 rue de Seine, St-Germain-des-Prés | 75006 | 01–43–26–68–15 | www.cafelapaletteparis.com | Station: Mabillon.
Le Bar du Marché.
Grab a sidewalk table—if you’re lucky—or stand at the bar, skip the food, and order an apéritif at this constantly packed little place. The feel is classic French with a splash of kitsch, right down to the waiters in overalls and berets. | 75 rue de Seine, St-Germain-des-Prés | 75006 | 01–43–26–55–15 | Station: Mabillon.
Top Attractions
Fodor’s Choice | Carrefour de Buci.
Just behind the neighborhood’s namesake St-Germain church, this colorful crossroads (carrefour is French for “intersection”) was once a notorious Rive Gauche landmark. During the 18th century it contained a gallows, and during the French Revolution the army used the site to enroll its first volunteers. Many royalists and priests lost their heads here during the bloody course of the Terror. There’s certainly nothing sinister about the carrefour today; brightly colored flowers are for sale alongside take-out ice-cream and snack kiosks. Devotees of the superb, traditional bakery Carton (at No. 6) line up for pastries (try their tuiles cookies). | St-Germain-des-Prés | Station: Mabillon.
Église St-Germain-des-Prés.
Paris’s oldest church was built to shelter a simple shard of wood, said to be a relic of Jesus’s cross brought back from Spain in AD 542. Vikings came down the Seine and sacked the church, and Revolutionaries used it to store gunpowder. Yet the elegant building has defied history’s abuses: its 11th-century Romanesque tower continues to be the central symbol of the neighborhood. The colorful 19th-century frescoes in the nave are by Hippolyte Flandrin, a pupil of the classical master Ingres. The church stages superb organ concerts and recitals. Step inside for spiritual nourishment, or pause in the square to people-watch—there’s usually a street musician tucked against the church wall, out of the wind. | Pl. St-Germain-des-Prés, St-Germain-des-Prés | 75006 | 01–55–42–81–10 | www.eglise-sgp.org | Daily 9–7 | Station: St-Germain-des-Prés.
Fodor’s Choice | Église St-Sulpice.
Dubbed the Cathedral of the Rive Gauche, this enormous 17th-century Baroque church has entertained some unlikely christenings—among them those of the Marquis de Sade and Charles Baudelaire—as well as the nuptials of novelist Victor Hugo. The church’s most recent appearance was a supporting role in the best-selling novel The Da Vinci Code, and it now draws scores of tourists to its obelisk (part of a gnomon, a device used to determine exact time and the equinoxes, built in the 1730s). The 18th-century facade was never finished, and its unequal towers add a playful touch to an otherwise sober design. There are two magnificent Delacroix frescoes in a chapel to the right of the entrance. | Place St-Sulpice, St-Germain-des-Prés | 01–46–33–21–78 | www.paroisse-saint-sulpice-paris.org | Daily 7:30–7:30 | Station: St-Sulpice.
Quick Bites: les éditeurs. A trendy café favored by the Parisian publishing set, les éditeurs is a perfect place to sip a kir (white wine with black currant syrup) from a perch on the skinny sidewalk or at an inside table shadowed by book-lined walls. The menu offers a modern twist on French classics. | 4 carrefour de l’Odéon, St-Germain-des-Prés | 75006 | 01–43–26–67–76 | www.lesediteurs.fr. | Station: Odéon.
Fodor’s Choice | Jardin du Luxembourg.
The Luxembourg Gardens has all that is charming, unique, and befuddling about Parisian parks: cookie-cutter trees, ironed-and-pressed walkways, sculpted flower beds, and immaculate emerald lawns meant for admiring, not for lounging. The tree- and bench-lined paths are, however, a marvelous reprieve from the bustle of the two neighborhoods it borders: the Quartier Latin and St-Germain-des-Prés. Beautifully austere during the winter months, the garden grows intoxicating as spring brings blooming beds of daffodils, tulips, and hyacinths, and the circular pools teem with boats nudged along by children. The park’s northern boundary is dominated by the Palais du Luxembourg and the Sénat (Senate), which is one of two chambers that make up the Parliament.
Highlights
The original inspiration for the gardens came from Marie de Medici, nostalgic for the Boboli Gardens of her native Florence. She is commemorated by the Fontaine de Medicis.
Les Marionettes du Théâtre du Luxembourg is a timeless attraction, where, on weekends at 11 and 3:15 and Wednesday at 3:15 (hours may vary), you can catch classic guignols (marionette shows) for €4.70. The wide-eyed kids might be the real attraction—their expressions of utter surprise, despair, and glee have fascinated the likes of Henri Cartier-Bresson and François Truffaut. The park also has a merry-go-round, swings, and pony rides; the bandstand hosts free concerts on summer afternoons.
Check out the rotating photography exhibits hanging on the perimeter fence near the entrance on the Boulevard St-Michel and Rue Vaugirard.
Tips
- “If the grass is en repos,” a nice way of saying “stay off,” feel free to move the green chairs around to create a picnic spot or people-watching perch.
- If you want to burn off that breakfast pain au chocolat, there’s a well-maintained trail around the perimeter that is frequented by a surprising (for France) number of joggers.
- If you’re looking for a familiar face, one of the original (miniature) casts of the Statue of Liberty was installed in the gardens in 1906.
Bordered by Bd. St-Michel and Rues de Vaugirard, de Medicis, Guynemer, and Auguste-Comte, St-Germain-des-Prés | 75006 | Les Marionettes du Théâtre du Luxembourg, guignolduluxembourg.monsite-orange.fr | Free | Daily 7:30–dusk (hrs may vary depending on season) | Station: Odéon; RER: B Luxembourg.
Fodor’s Choice | Musée d’Orsay.
Opened in 1986, this gorgeously renovated Belle Époque train station displays a world-famous collection of Impressionist and Postimpressionist paintings on three floors. If you came to see the biggest names here, head straight for the top floor and work your way down. English audio guides and free color-coded museum maps (both available just past the ticket booths) will help you plot your route. Note, though, that renovations will be ongoing until 2015, so expect some gallery closings.
Highlights
Ground floor: Galleries off the main alley feature early works by Manet and Cézanne in addition to pieces by masters such as Delacroix and Ingres. Later works by the likes of Toulouse-Lautrec are found in Salle 10. The Pavillon Amont has Courbet’s masterpieces L’Enterrement à Ornans and Un Atelier du Peintre. More experimental visions, including Gustave Moreau’s myth-laden decadence and Puvis de Chavanne’s surprisingly modern lines. Hanging in Salle 14 is Édouard Manet’s Olympia, a painting which pokes fun at the fashion for all things Greek and Roman.
Top floor: Impressionism gets going here, with iconic works by Degas, Pissarro, Sisley, and Renoir. Don’t miss Monet’s series on the cathedral at Rouen and, of course, samples of his water lilies. Other selections by these artists are housed in galleries on the ground floor.
Second floor: An exquisite collection of sculpture as well as Art Nouveau furniture and decorative objects is housed here. There are rare surviving works by Hector Guimard (designer of the swooping green Paris métro entrances), plus Lalique and Tiffany glassware. Postimpressionist galleries include work by van Gogh and Gauguin, while neoimpressionist galleries highlight Seurat and Signac.
Tips
- Lines here are among the worst in Paris. Book ahead online or buy a Museum Pass; then go directly to entrance C. Otherwise, go early.
- Thursday evening the museum is open until 9:45 pm and less crowded.
- The elegant Musée d’Orsay Restaurant once served patrons of the 1900 World’s Fair; the Café du Lion offers quick fare on the ground floor by the entrance; there’s also a café and a self-service cafeteria on the top floor just after the Cézanne galleries. Don’t miss the views of Sacré-Coeur from the balcony—this is the Paris that inspired the Impressionists.
- The d’Orsay is closed Monday, unlike the Pompidou and the Louvre, which are closed Tuesday.
1 rue de la Légion d’Honneur, St-Germain-des-Prés | 75007 | 01–40–49–48–14 | www.musee-orsay.fr | €12 (€9 without special exhibit); €9.50 (€6.50 without special exhibit) after 4:30 except Thurs. after 6 | Tues.–Sun. 9:30–6 (Thurs. 9:30 am–9:45 pm) | Station: Solférino; RER: Musée d’Orsay.
Quick Bites: La Maison de Thé. Secreted away in the Maison de la Chine (China House), La Maison de Thé is a little-known oasis of calm in this bustling ‘hood. Come for a dim sum lunch (best to reserve) or lovely afternoon tea, complete with an East-meets-West selection of sweets. To find it, head to the back of the Maison de la Chine and pass through a small outpost of the upscale Hong Kong boutique Shanghai Tang. | 76 rue Bonaparte, St-Germain-des-Prés | 75006 | 01–40–51–95–17 | www.maisondelachine.fr | Mon.–Sat 10–7 for tea; 12:30–2:30 for lunch | Station: St-Sulpice.
Worth Noting
Fodor’s Choice | Cour du Commerce St-André.
Like an 18th-century engraving come to life, this charming street arcade is a remnant of ancien Paris with its enormous uneven cobblestones. Famed for its rabble-rousing inhabitants—journalist Jean-Paul Marat ran the Revolutionary newspaper L’Ami du Peuple at No. 8, and the agitator Georges Danton lived at No. 20—it’s also home to Le Procope, Paris’s oldest café. This passageway also contains a turret from the 12th-century wall of Philippe-Auguste (visible through the windows at No. 4, the chocolate shop Un Dimanche à Paris). | Linking Bd. St-Germain and Rue St-André-des-Arts, St-Germain-des-Prés | 75006 | Station: Odéon.
École Nationale des Beaux-Arts.
Occupying three large mansions near the Seine, the national fine-arts school—today the breeding ground for painters, sculptors, and architects—was once the site of a convent founded in 1608 by Marguerite de Valois, the first wife of Henri IV. After the Revolution the convent was turned into a museum for works of art salvaged from buildings attacked by the rampaging French mobs. In 1816 the museum was turned into a school. Today its peaceful courtyards harbor some contemporary installations and exhibits. The courtyard and galleries of the school are accessible by guided tour, which can be arranged through Cultival (see www.cultival.fr for details). | 14 rue Bonaparte, St-Germain-des-Prés | 75006 | Daily 1–7 | Station: St-Germain-des-Prés.
Institut de France.
The Institut is one of France’s most revered cultural institutions, and its golden dome is one of the Rive Gauche’s most impressive landmarks. The site was once punctuated by Tour de Nesle (forming part of Philippe-Auguste’s medieval fortification wall along the Seine, the tower had many royal occupants—including Henry V of England). Then, in 1661 wealthy Cardinal Mazarin willed 2 million French livres (pounds) for the construction of a college here. It’s also home to the Académie Française: protectors of the French language. The edicts issued by this fusty group of 40 perpétual (lifelong) members are happily ignored by the French public, who prefer to send an email rather than the Académie-approved courriel. The Institute is off-limits to visitors. | Pl. de l’Institut, St-Germain-des-Prés | 75006 | Station: Pont Neuf.
Mairie du 6e.
The “town hall” of the 6e arrondissement (as “mairie” is roughly translated) often stages impressive free art exhibitions and other cultural offerings. Stop by the accueil (reception desk) on the ground floor to see what’s on or to pick up information on other timely happenings around this artsy district. | 78 rue Bonaparte, St-Germain-des-Prés | 75006 | 01–40–46–76–60 | www.mairie6.paris.fr | Free | Weekdays 11:30–5 (7 on Thurs.); Sat. 10–noon; hrs could change with each exhibit | Station: Saint-Sulpice.
Musée Delacroix.
The final home of artist Eugène Delacroix (1798–1863) contains only a small collection of his sketches and drawings. But you can check out the studio he had built in the large garden at the back to work on frescoes he created for St-Sulpice Church, where they remain on display today. The museum also plays host to temporary exhibitions, such as Delacroix’s experiments with photography. France’s foremost Romantic painter had the good luck to live on Place Furstenberg, one of the smallest, most romantic squares in Paris: seeing it is reason enough to come. | 6 rue Furstenberg, St-Germain-des-Prés | 75006 | 01–44–41–86–50 | www.musee-delacroix.fr | €5 (€11 with a joint ticket to the Louvre) | Station: St-Germain-des-Prés.
Musée Maillol.
Bronzes by Art Deco sculptor Aristide Maillol (1861–1944), whose voluptuous, stylized nudes adorn the Tuileries Gardens, can be admired at this handsome mansion lovingly restored by his former model and muse, Dina Vierny. The museum is particularly moving because it’s Vierny’s personal collection. She met Maillol when she was a teenager and he was already an old man. The stunning life-size drawings upstairs are both erotic and tender—age gazing on youth with fondness and longing. The museum often stages popular temporary exhibits of 20th-century painters such as Jean-Michel Basquiat and Francis Bacon that are worth the wait. | 61 rue de Grenelle, St-Germain-des-Prés | 75007 | 01–42–22–59–58 | www.museemaillol.com | €11 | Sat.–Thurs. 10:30–7, Fri. 10:30–9:30 | Station: Rue du Bac.
Musée National de la Légion d’Honneur.
A must for military-history buffs only, the National Museum of the Legion of Honor is dedicated to homegrown and foreign military leaders. Housed in an elegant neoclassical mansion just across from the Musée d’Orsay, it features a broad collection of military decorations, themed paintings, and video tributes to various luminaries—including U.S. general Dwight Eisenhower, a Légion member who led the Allied liberation of France in 1944. Entrance is free; so are the English audio guides. | 2 rue de la Légion d’Honneur, St-Germain-des-Prés | 75007 | 01–40–62–84–25 | www.musee-legiondhonneur.fr | Free | Wed.–Sun. 1–6 | Station: Solférino; RER: Musée d’Orsay.
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