Saint-Germain-des-Prés

Introducing Saint-Germain-des-Prés

The past incarnations of this neighbourhood, from medieval village to existentialist HQ, are visible wherever you stroll, from scraps of pre-Haussmann architecture amid the arcing thoroughfare of Boulevard Saint Germain to a little square named after Sartre and de Beauvoir.

Scores of commercial art galleries remain of the midcentury scene that saw Boris Vian and Jean-Luc Godard hanging with philosophers at jazz clubs, and though the deep thinking hasn’t completely disappeared, it has been lightened with some serious shopping streaks.

For a hit of the area’s buzzing gastronomy, wander down the street market on Rue de Buci (check out the waiters in dungarees and gavroche caps at Bar du Marché), stop for small plates at no-bookings bar L'Avant-Comptoir, or dine at bistronomique Semilla.

The civilised streets are perfect for a post-lunch stroll on a lazy Sunday, weaving around students reviving after an arduous night in the basement bars of Rue Princesse and the American expats who make it their base due to the area’s comparatively laissez-faire yet glossy ambience. Even on the most mundane of weekdays, students from Beaux Arts and Sciences Po flirt on the terrace at timeless La Palette, Céline-clad oenophiles swirl fine claret at Compagnie des Vins Surnaturels and, yes, Juliette Gréco types still stare into their espressos at Café de Flore.

All this, and you're a short walk from the Louvre, the Tuileries and the Musée d'Orsay to provide some further cultural stimulation.