Stroll from St. Germain to the Louvre (6Th - 1St)

Home , Concorde (Paris Métro), Place de la Concorde, Pont des Arts, Rue Bonaparte, Rue de Seine

Stroll from St. Germain to the Louvre (6th - 1st)

Rue Bonaparte and Boulevard St. Germain 6 Pl. St. Germain – Café Deux Magots 172 Blvd. St. Germain – Café de Flore

21 Rue Bonaparte – Laduree

43 Rue de Seine – La Palette 60 Rue de Seine – Simone de Beauvoir’s former home

Place de la Concorde - Hotel de Crillon

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back in the day and is still very popular with This tour takes between 1 and 3 hours tourists and Parisians alike. Continue on to- depending on how much time you spend in wards the Seine on rue de Seine stopping as the Louvre. (Can be done day or night, you like in the galleries. Take note of although some places are not open at night UXHGH6HLQHwhere 6LPRQHGH%HDX of course.) YRLUlived. She was a brilliant French philoso- pher and feminist. Which is back down south on rue de Seine a few blocks. Begin at 5XH%RQDSDUWHDQG%OYG6W Also notice the old photo shop near the end of rue *HUPDLQacross from Église St. Germain (one of de Seine, Roger-Viollet on your left as you ap- the oldest churches in Paris and worth a look). Clos- proach the river, which has been selling photos of Paris and other places since the early 1900s. Cross est metro stop is Odeon. the street just after rue Mazarine and go through the You will be next to the über-famous 'HX[ small porthole doorway. And voilà — you are in the square which is home to the spectacular Institut 0DJRWVFDIp at 6 Pl. St. Germain-des-Prés, which de France created in 1795 and which encom- was the favored café of Jean-Paul Sartre and passes the Beaux-Arts and the Simone de Beauvoir. Some people love to go here $FDGpPLH to say they did. We prefer &DIpGH)ORUH,at )UDQoDLVHamong other Academies. 172 Blvd. St. Germainnext door but in general both After you are done taking pictures of the Institut are overpriced and the waiters can be less than with its marvelous gold dome, cross the street friendly. walking across the 3RQWGHV$UWVpedes- trian bridge. This is our favorite pedestrian Stroll on rue Bonaparte towards the Seine pass- bridge, which sees a lot of activity in the sum- ing Louis Vuitton on your left. Turn right on rue mer as people set up picnics with candelabras, Jacob. If you are already winded (God help you!) couscous and wine. It’s also a popular bridge you can stop into /DGXUpH(located at 21 on New Year’s Eve where many Parisians con- rue Bonaparte) for lovely palmiers (elephant ears) gregate with their bottles of champagne be- or any other pastry and a cup of tea. This is a cause you can see the sparkling Eiffel Tower great place to buy a gift, as the boxes and pack- from here. Everyone wishes each other a aging are as delicious as the French pastries. “Bonne Année!” and if you are in Paris on New Ladurée has several other locations around Paris, Year’s, it’s a must! Enjoy the view as you pass including one on the Champs-Élysées as well as across and then enter one of the back en- another near the Madeleine. They are famous for trances to the square outside the Louvre, their macaroons. which will be right in front of you. Even at night you may go in this way. Continue along rue Jacob, which is a wonderful street chock-full of fabulous shops, antiques, and It’s fun to imagine that you’re coming home via bookstores. Turn left on rue de Seine. This street carriage to your palace after a ball, back in the is well known for its art galleries and the artist time of the Louis’. As you pass the small gar- hangout /D3DOHWWHat43 rue de Seine. dens on either side and walk towards the foun- They serve breakfast and it’s always a good stop tain, imagine you’ll have to choose which of the for a drink. They have been here since 1902. As many rooms you might want to sleep in tonight. the name implies, it was frequented by painters 7KH/RXYUHis the largest museum in the

world. Construction began in the 12th century artist who is still going strong into her late 90s. on the building and it was used back then as a She had to wait until she was quite old after her palace by François the 1st as well as the Sun husband and father had both died to be noticed King, Louis XIV. It did not become a museum by the international art establishment. Enjoy the until the early 1800s. After you have marveled at Tuileries at a casual pace — stop for a crêpe at this square inside the many exterior walls of the one of the stands. You’ll end at the Place de la Louvre, walk towards the archway to your left Concorde — where Marie Antoinette had her and pause for the dramatic view of the pyra- head chopped off. Don’t worry; they don’t do mide, then proceed through this archway and that kind of thing anymore in Paris. Go for a tea enjoy the larger square of the Louvre site. You or a glass of champagne at the +{WHOGH can enter the museum through the pyramide, &ULOORQ on the Place de la Concorde. This is designed by I.M. Pei and opened in 1989. There the best hotel in Paris with a fabulous gift shop. was an uproar in Paris when it first opened, but You’ll be right near the metro stop Concorde right now most Parisians feel that the pyramide is a on the place. perfect marriage of the new with the old. It is especially beautiful when seen at night — the pyramide somehow makes the entire site more exciting and alive and with its shape echoes the ancient past as well as feeling quite modern even though it is now 20 years old. There are 35,000 works of art here so do not try and do it all. Pick one small area, enjoy that and be satis- fied. After your visit, stop for a bite at &DIp 3RLQWVRI,QWHUHVW$GGUHVVHV 0DUO\, which faces the pyramide and is open every day for lunch and dinner. This is the best view of the pyramide and the Louvre in Paris. 1. Rue Bonaparte and Boulevard St. Germain

If you have time and your feet aren’t aching yet — 2. 6 Pl. St. Germain – Café Deux Magots continue straight on towards the small Arc de Triomphe structure which is named the Arc de 3. 172 Blvd. St. Germain – Café de Flore Triomphe du Carrousel. [The vrai (real) Arc de 4. 21 Rue Bonaparte – Ladurée Triomphe is a very long walk away at the end of the Champs-Élysées.] Straight ahead are the Tuil- 5. 43 Rue de Seine – La Palette eries Gardens. The famous garden architect, Le 6. 60 Rue de Seine – Simone de Beauvoir’s Nôtre, planned the Tuileries. There is a carnival former home here in the summer. The sculptures in the gardens 7. Pont des Arts are lovely — not far from the Arc. Note the large piece by Louise Bourgeois, a French artist who 8. 93 Rue Rivoli – The Louvre / Café Marly now lives in New York, of a large spider eerily titled Maman (mother). This is the same sculpture you 9. 10, Place de la Concorde – Hotel de Crillon will find at the Guggenheim Bilbao in Spain & the Tate Modern in London. Bourgeois is an important