What to see in the Latin Quarter of Paris (route with map)

Today we will show you the route that we took through the Latin Quarter, a route that we enjoyed very much, in a very leisurely manner and we will get to know a part of the 5th district.

On this route we will walk about 3 kilometers. The cost will be €11.50 as we will have the entrance to the Pantheon, for those who have the Paris Pass the entrance is included.

We were staying near the Arc de Triomphe, so to start this route, in our case we took the metro to the Jussieu station from where we started the walk. Although the closest stations to the Pantheon are Cardinal Lemoine for the metro, and Luxembourg for RER B. You may be very close to the starting point so you don’t have to take this transfer into account.

Indice:

Welcome to the Latin Quarter!!

From Place Jussieu we will begin a quiet 300-meter walk through streets without tourists until we reach Cardinal Lemoine station, the station where I recommend you get off.

And from here we started the walk to the Pantheon, we were only about 400 meters away to reach one of the essential points on this visit, the Pantheon.

On the walk we passed by one of the few visible remains of the wall of Philip Augustus from the year 1200. It was built by order of Philip II of France to defend the city from attack by the Anglo-Angevin armies.

St. St. Etienne Du Mont Church

We continue our steps until we find the Church of Saint Etienne Du Mont. Inside it houses the remains of Saint Genevieve, patron saint of Paris. A beautiful building. A curiosity, its staircase appeared in the film Midnight in Paris by the famous Woody Allen, it is the place where a car picks up the protagonist to take him back to the 1920s when the bells strike midnight.

You can visit its beautiful interior, where you will find the relics and sarcophagus of Saint Genevieve, patron saint of the city. Admission is free.

Pantheon of Paris

And now, we just turn our gaze and there he appears, the Pantheon of Paris.

When we see his image he reminds us of St. Paul in London and St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

It is a magnificent construction made between 1764 and 1790, the original idea was that it would be a church dedicated to the patron saint of the city, but in 1791 the French National Assembly voted that the building, which had not yet been consecrated as a church, would serve as a temple to house the bodies of the illustrious men of the country.

Thus, in its crypt we find Voltaire, Rousseau, Marie Curie, Victor Hugo, Alexandre Dumas, among others.

In 1851 Foucault installed his famous pendulum in the Pantheon because the great height of the building facilitated the experiment. It was possible to demonstrate the rotation of the Earth. Since 1995 a replica of this pendulum has been installed in the Pantheon.

Admission costs €11.50 and is included in the Paris Pass.

►TICKETS FOR THE PANTHEON OF PARIS

The schedule is from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. or 6:30 p.m. depending on the season. (More information on their website)

Surrounding it are lots of students, the Santa Genoveva library, the Pantheon Sorbonne University and several other beautiful buildings.

Place l’Estrapade (Emily in Paris)

Changing the turn of the visit, we walk a 130-meter swim and we find a special corner.

If you’ve seen Emily in Paris you’ll recognize it right away, but if you haven’t seen it and don’t plan to, I bet you’ll also like this corner, only slightly disturbed by tourists who are fans of the series.

Did you know that there is a free walking tour of Emily’s locations in Paris? ►Book it here

The Place de l’Estrapade is the point, a small square with a fountain in the middle, with locals enjoying their moment of rest. In this place was Emily’s apartment, and in this square she celebrated her birthday.

But if we just cross it, we find Gabriel’s restaurant, which is actually a restaurant but is called Terra Nera.

Right next door is the Boulangerie Moderne, where Emily used to buy those amazing croissants. But if you have no idea what I’m talking about, I’m sure you still want to buy some croissants and eat them sitting in the square. Isn’t it?

We turn our steps back to the Pantheon and now we will go down Rue Valette.

►Have you seen our route through Montmartre?

Luxembourg Gardens and Museum of the Middle Ages

I’ll tell you what I did this time, but in reality you have many more options. You can go to Rue Soufflot and see the image of the Pantheon from there (great photo!), and go to the Luxembourg Gardens. And then, go down to the Seine passing by the Sorbonne and the Museum of the Middle Ages, but this time we chose a quiet walk down Rue Valette.

Admission to the Museum of the Middle Ages or Cluny Museum costs €12, is included in the Paris Pass and Museum Pass and admission is free on the first Sunday of the month.

Notre Dame and Fountain Saint Michel

About a kilometre, always downhill, separates us from the Seine River and Notre Dame. It’s a nice walk, but any forks you choose will be good options as well.

Do you know why it is called Latin Quarter? The Latin Quarter owes its name to the Medieval Era, when the inhabitants of the area were students who used Latin to communicate.

I also tell you that although we are marking the entire route for you to do on your own, there are free tours of the Latin Quarter, for me they are always a very good option to enjoy the area and get information.

We continued our walk, with beautiful corners at every step, until we reached the majestic, despite what we had experienced, Notre Dame, and along with it the beauty of the Seine that always captivates.

What can we say about Notre Dame? Until 2019, it was a must-see attraction with a climb to the top of its towers. Then, on April 15, we saw it burn in flames. Today, although it is full of scaffolding due to its reconstruction, it is still the image of Paris along with the Eiffel Tower.

We cross the Seine to admire it more closely, and return to the Place Saint Michel, an iconic place in the Latin Quarter, and a place where we stayed very close to on our previous visit. An area that is my favourite in Paris, with many places to eat and which maintains the charm of the entire district.

Have you already chosen the area to stay in Paris?►The best districts to stay in Paris

Shakespeare and Company

If we wanted to add one more place, although we didn’t do it this time because we’ve already been there more than once, it would be the Shakespeare and Company bookstore. This bookstore also appears in some films, for example in the previously mentioned Midnight in Paris.

St Julien le Pauvre, Saint Séverin and Saint Sulpice

At this point we will be able to visit three churches.

The Church of Saint Julien le Pauvre, considered one of the oldest in Paris, its construction began in the twelfth century.

The Sainte Severin church, its bell tower, has the oldest bell in Paris.

And although in the next arrondissement, in the 6th, the Saint Sulpice Church, which became better known to everyone for appearing in the novel The Da Vinci Code.

In all three cases, tickets are free.

Have you seen our other routes through Paris? ►Montmartre ►Galleries and covered passages►Catacombs and Pére Lachaise