After visiting the Marais, it’s time to explore Paris’s two islands and the Latin Quarter. Since this is a very long route, I decided to split it in two. The first part covers Île de la Cité and Île Saint-Louis, while in the second part of the tour we’ll walk along Boulevard Saint-Germain in the Latin Quarter.
Instead of a map: under the heading of each stop you’ll find its address, and every address is a link. Click it, and the place will open right away in Google Maps.
The Pont Neuf and Place Dauphine
pont Neuf, and place Dauphine
Start the route on the Right Bank near the Pont Neuf. This bridge, despite its name (“the new bridge”), is actually the oldest bridge in the city, and the first one not to have houses built on it. Cross the bridge slowly and take advantage of the strategic spot to photograph the Seine, the bridges, the passing boats, and the beautiful houses on both sides of the river. On the far side of the Seine you’ll see a statue of King Henri IV, which arrived there from Place des Victoires after it was replaced by a statue of Louis XIV (in fact, quite a few statues and monuments in Paris have a habit of wandering from place to place around the city. More on that in a future post).
King Henri IV was quite the womanizer and loved to wear green clothes. So it’s no surprise that the small, charming garden on the little peninsula behind his statue is called Square du Vert-Galant (loosely translated, “the green gallant”). I highly recommend a relaxed stroll through the garden, and while you’re there, try to forget that the place was once called Île aux Juifs (Island of the Jews), and that the last Grand Master of the Knights Templar was burned alive there in 1314…
After you finish visiting the garden, head back and go into Place Dauphine, in my opinion one of the loveliest squares in Paris, built by Henri IV in 1607 and named after his son, the crown prince (the Dauphin), the future Louis XIII.
This square was once home to the famous actors Yves Montand and his wife Simone Signoret, and it has a few charming cafés and restaurants, plus one of Paris’s best-kept secrets: the Hôtel Henri IV, which, for its amazing location, offers one of the cheapest rates in the city. It’s no longer as cheap as it used to be, but it’s still very hard to get a room, and you usually need to book several months in advance.
The Conciergerie and Sainte-Chapelle
2 boulevard du Palais, and 10 boulevard du Palais
Once you’ve finished strolling through the square (and maybe had a cup of coffee), head out and walk along the Seine eastward, taking in the towers of the Conciergerie along the way. One of these towers is named Bon Bec, which can be translated as “the good mouth,” since it served as an interrogation room where prisoners opened their mouths after being tortured. Continue until you reach the intersection with Boulevard du Palais, where you’ll be struck by Paris’s first clock. The original clock was built in the 14th century, while the current one dates to 1585, built in honor of King Henri III.
Now it’s time to visit the Conciergerie. It was part of the complex of the king’s first palace, which predates the Louvre. The concierge was one of the most important roles in the king’s palace, since he headed the royal household. Over the years, the Conciergerie became a prison that “hosted” quite a few famous inmates (for example, the Marquise de Brinvilliers). The Conciergerie reached the height of its “fame” during the French Revolution, when hundreds of prisoners spent their final days there before being executed (no wonder the place was nicknamed “the antechamber to death” during that period). If you visit, you’ll get to see a 14th-century guardroom and the prisoners’ cells, including the cell of the most famous prisoner of all, who spent her last days in the Conciergerie: Queen Marie Antoinette of France.
Once you’ve finished visiting the Conciergerie, walk south along Boulevard du Palais and take in the Palais de Justice, most of which was built under Napoleon III. Next to it you’ll find Sainte-Chapelle, a must-see for anyone who loves Gothic stained glass art. The church was built by Louis IX to house the Crown of Thorns of Jesus, which he bought at a hefty price from a shady merchant. There’s always a line at the entrance, since the church is part of the Palais de Justice complex and visitors have to go through security checks. But the wait is absolutely worth it, because once you get inside and climb to the second floor, you’ll see this stunning sight:
Notre-Dame Cathedral and its surroundings
Leave Sainte-Chapelle and continue on toward Notre-Dame Cathedral. Along the way you’ll pass Paris’s old hospital, still in operation today, called Hôtel-Dieu (House of God). For many years it was customary to put 3 patients in a single bed (and that was still considered a luxury compared to other hospitals), and a grim Renaissance-era saying held that in every bed there was one person sick, one dying, and one dead (which says a lot about the quality of medical care at the time). After passing the hospital and walking east, you’ll eventually reach the square in front of Notre-Dame Cathedral.
There’s a separate post about Notre-Dame Cathedral. But what’s interesting to know is that most of what you see today was built in the 19th century, when Eugène Viollet-le-Duc (1814-1879), who was in charge of the cathedral’s restoration, decided that simply restoring what had been there wasn’t enough, and that this was a great opportunity to beautify the cathedral and make it… more authentic. Still, it’s a gorgeous church, and I recommend not just going inside but also walking around it to see its various wings.
Once you’ve finished visiting the cathedral, head to Rue du Cloître-Notre-Dame, on the north side of the cathedral, and watch with admiration as tourists wait patiently to climb the cathedral’s towers (if you want to do this, try to arrive as early as possible in the morning, since the number of people allowed to climb the towers is limited, and as a result the line moves very slowly). Ignore the souvenir shops and continue east until you see rue Chanoinesse on your left. Turn onto this street, where the canons who ran the cathedral used to live, which is why the street bears their name. It’s a narrow street full of hidden gems, and if you’re lucky, you can peek into the courtyards of the old houses.
Stroll leisurely along rue Chanoinesse, and take special note of the beautiful restaurant Au Vieux Paris at number 24 (its photo opens this post) and the cupcake shop next door.
Continue from there to rue de la Colombe. This is one of the oldest streets in Paris, and you’ll find a restaurant here whose roots go back to the 13th century. This restaurant has a fascinating story involving, among others, Cartouche (1693-1721), the most famous criminal of the 18th century. You can read the full story here.
From there, continue to rue des Ursins and enjoy the old houses and romantic alleys. At the end of rue des Ursins you’ll reach Rue Chantiers, from which Notre-Dame’s spire will suddenly appear before you in all its glory.
Walking Tour of Île Saint-Louis
Once you’ve finished exploring Île de la Cité, it’s time to cross the bridge and visit Île Saint-Louis. Since there’s quite a lot to see there, and quite a few stories to tell, I decided to create a separate walking tour for this neighborhood. So let me recommend heading over to the Île Saint-Louis walking tour, and I’ll see you there :-).
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