It is ironic that this district should be named after a church. However, if Saint Germain des Prés is a chapel, it is definitely the chapel of the free thinkers and the audacious. All the Parisian icons have lived here. Thus the spirit of Sartre, Beauvoir, Camus, or Breton, the silhouette of Juliette Gréco and that of Sagan still haunt the district, while jazz continues to resonate in the cellars where Boris Vian, then Gainsbourg, played. Artists from all over the world have also stayed here: Hemingway, Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, Kundera... or even Picasso who painted Guernica here. Saint Germain des Prés is finally a style, both difficult to define and recognizable among all. True Parisian chic was created here before being offered to the greatest number of people in the windows of the Bon Marché.

The "Must-see" of Saint Germain des Prés:

The most "village-like": The church of Saint Germain des Prés
The only Romanesque building left in Paris, the church of Saint Germain des Prés, despite its fame, is surprisingly modest. Indeed, until the 12th century, this small abbey was a village with barely a few hundred inhabitants spread over an area that more or less corresponds to the boundaries of the current 6th arrondissement.

The most "mythical" restaurants in Paris: Les 2 Magots, the Flore, and the Brasserie Lipp . These mythical brasseries and cafés have hosted the endless discussions of some of the most brilliant minds of the 20th century: Sartre, Gide, Vian, Breton, Aragon,... Les 2 Magots - 6 Place Saint-Germain des Prés, 75006 Paris Le Flore, 172 Boulevard Saint-Germain, 75006 Paris

The most Instagrammable : La Maison Sauvage
With its two floors and its terrace, La Maison Sauvage is waiting for you... if only to immortalise the bunches of flowers that cascade down its façade. 5 rue de Buci 75006 Paris

The most unusual, the Museum of Medicine
Housed in a beautiful gallery built at the beginning of the 20th century, this is the oldest museum devoted to the history of medicine in Europe. A true tribute to science and the progress of medicine, this charmingly old-fashioned cabinet of curiosities displays various pieces of anatomy (skinned animals, foetuses and other specimens preserved in formaldehyde) as well as a host of surgical instruments. A hybrid experience between Doctor Jekyll and Mister Hyde! 12 rue de l'École de Médecine - 75006 Paris - Self-guided tour: 3.50 euros

The most "confidential": the Delacroix Museum and the Place Fürstenberg
Elegantly shaded by 4 magnificent paulownias, the Place Fürstenberg, one of the smallest in Paris, is home to what was Delacroix's last residence and studio. Now converted into a museum, it houses more than a thousand works by Delacroix, preparatory drawings, prints and small format paintings that allow us to discover a more intimate Delacroix than the one presented in the Louvre.
6 rue de Fürstenberg 75006 Paris - museum visit: 7 euros To go further in the painter's footsteps, cross the boulevard Saint-Germain, then go to the Church of Saint-Sulpice where you can admire Delacroix's "Struggle of Jacob with the Angel" in the silence and freshness. 2 Rue Palatine, 75006 Paris, France / free visit


The most "secure": The Pont des Arts
Good news! this wooden footbridge is no longer in danger of collapsing into the Seine since the padlocks that had been dangerously accumulated on it have been removed! However, the bridge has lost none of its charm, quite the contrary, offering a spectacular view of the Louvre, the Pont Neuf, the Ile de la Cité, and many others.Pont des Arts, between the Quai de Conti and the Quai François Mitterrand. Free access.