Start your walk in front of Notre Dame Cathedral.
The Latin Quarter, first inhabited by the Romans, is one of the oldest areas of Paris. Home to the one of the oldest universities in the world, the Sorbonne, this area on the Left Bank of the Seine river was named in the Middle Ages after the language spoken by the educated scholars. Today, walking around the Latin Quarter, you'll see cafes where students are studying, ancient churches and small cobblestone streets built in medieval times.
Instructions
1. Stand in front of Notre Dame Cathedral and look south across the Seine river. The area across the Seine is the Latin Quarter, first inhabited in the 12th century. Walk south across the Pont au Double bridge to access the Latin Quarter.
2. Walk right on Quai St. Michel and turn left on rue de la Bucherie. Locate Shakespeare and Company Bookstore at no. 37. Shakespeare and Company is known as the refuge for American writers of the Lost Generation, such as Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein and Ezra Pound, who were fleeing the conservative Prohibition movement in the U.S. If you wish, enter the bookstore and browse the large selection of English-language authors.
3. From Shakespeare and Company, walk a few feet away from the river to the large grass park called Rene-Vivani Square. Enter the square for a stunning view of Notre Dame Cathedral from the garden. Examine the church, St. Julien-le-Pauvre, a resting place for 12th-century pilgrims and one of the oldest churches in Paris. Before St. Julien-le-Pauvre was built, a chapel constructed in the sixth century occupied this holy space.
4. Walk along rue Galande for a block and turn left on rue Severin. Admire the Gothic Church of Saint Severin, built in 1210 and reconstructed in 1458. Walk inside and notice the ornate stained-glass windows representing the seven sacraments.
5. Leave the square housing the Church of Saint Severin and turn right on rue St. Jacques. Walk uphill on rue St. Jacques and turn left on boulevard St. Germain. Walk up St. Germain until you reach the Musee National du Moyen Age. The museum contains artifacts from medieval times. Enter the courtyard to view the Roman baths; if you are interested in medieval history, spend a few hours exploring the museum, especially the famous Lady and the Unicorn tapestries. If you are interested in gardening, walk around to the back of the museum to wander through the medieval herb gardens.
6. Exit the Musee National du Moyen Age onto boulevard St. Michel, turn left and walk up Rue de la Sorbonne. Look through the fences at La Sorbonne, founded in the 13th century and home to famous professors such as Thomas Aquinas and students such as Dante and Calvin. If school is in session, you can walk through the gates and admire the grounds and buildings of this historic university.
Tags: Latin Quarter, turn left, Dame Cathedral, Notre Dame, Notre Dame Cathedral, Shakespeare Company