Latin Quarter walking tour & neighborhood guide
The Sorbonne, the Panthéon and the bookshops of the Left Bank.
Video by Tours by Foot - London on YouTube, uploaded Jun 2021. All rights belong to the creator. Like or comment on YouTube ↗
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The Latin Quarter, on the Left Bank of the Seine opposite Notre-Dame, has been the student quarter of Paris since the Middle Ages. Its name comes from Latin, the language spoken by the scholars of the Sorbonne, and its streets are still full of students, bookshops, cinemas and busy cafés.
The Sorbonne and the Panthéon
The Sorbonne, founded in the 13th century, is one of the oldest universities in Europe, and its domed chapel faces a small square of cafés. Uphill, the Panthéon, a vast neoclassical building, holds the tombs of France's great figures, including Voltaire, Victor Hugo, Marie Curie and Josephine Baker. Its dome offers wide views over the rooftops.
The Roman past survives here too: the Cluny Museum, home of the Lady and the Unicorn tapestries, stands beside the ruins of Roman baths, and the Arènes de Lutèce is a Roman arena hidden behind apartment buildings, where locals now play pétanque.
Along the river and to the gardens
Near the Seine, the lanes around Rue de la Huchette and Saint-Séverin church are some of the oldest in Paris, and Shakespeare and Company, the famous English-language bookshop, looks across the river to Notre-Dame. The green boxes of the bouquinistes, booksellers who have lined the quays for centuries, sell old books and prints.
To the west, the Latin Quarter meets Saint-Germain-des-Prés, the elegant neighborhood of literary cafés and art galleries, and the Luxembourg Gardens, with their palace, fountains and green metal chairs, are a favorite place for Parisians to relax.
A classic walk in the Latin Quarter
Start at Place Saint-Michel and its fountain, wander Rue de la Huchette to Shakespeare and Company, and look across at Notre-Dame. Walk up Rue Saint-Jacques past the Sorbonne to the Panthéon, then down Rue Mouffetard, one of the oldest market streets in Paris. Finish in the Luxembourg Gardens or the Jardin des Plantes.
The walk takes around three hours. Rue Mouffetard is liveliest on weekend mornings, when its market stalls are open, and the cafés around the Sorbonne are cheaper than those by the river.
Top sights in Latin Quarter
- 1
Panthéon
The resting place of France's great men and women.
- 2
The Sorbonne
One of the oldest universities in Europe.
- 3
Luxembourg Gardens
A palace garden with fountains, statues and lawns.
- 4
Cluny Museum
Medieval art, the Unicorn tapestries and Roman baths.
- 5
Shakespeare and Company
A legendary English-language bookshop opposite Notre-Dame.
- 6
Arènes de Lutèce
A Roman arena hidden in the heart of the city.
Food markets & where to eat in Latin Quarter
Rue Mouffetard
A market street of cheese shops, bakeries and cafés.
Marché Maubert
An open-air market held three mornings a week.
Rue de la Huchette
Busy lanes of cheap eats near Saint-Michel.
Place de la Contrescarpe
A small square surrounded by cafés and bistros.
Opening hours and prices change often. Please check with each place before you visit.
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