Latin Quarter

Introducing Latin Quarter

The archetypal Paris endures in the Latin Quarter, not only for the enviable few who live here, but as a symbol of fiery intellectualism for a nation that prides itself on its contributions to philosophy, culture and political life.

The inhabitants simply refer to their neighbourhood as le quartier, and while other Parisians might, perhaps enviously, accuse them of snobbery, the locals can lay claim to the academic halls, cafés, cinemas and winding streets that birthed some of the most important movements of the last century, from existentialism to La Nouvelle Vague.

Local resident Ernest Hemingway and fellow members of the Lost Generation were harbingers of a cultural and intellectual wave that swept through the area during the 1920s. Soon after, existential philosophy was born from heated debates at local cafés between Jean Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir.

That countercultural spirit later engendered the May 1968 student protests, and these days Sorbonne students still stage occasional demonstrations. Local ciné-clubs spawned La Nouvelle Vague during the 1950s, and today’s Parisians still take their film seriously, drawing crowds to the local cinemas any given night of the week.

Some of Paris’ best markets, ethnic restaurants and salons du thé are found near Place Monge and in the streets near Rue Saint-Jacques. On weekends, the Jardin des Plantes and Jardin du Luxembourg invite with their open-air classical concerts, keeping fresh the areas cultural heritage.