The Panthéon crowns the hill at the center of Paris' 5th arrondissement

The 5th Arrondissement [1] of Paris is one of the best known of the city's central districts, located on the Left Bank (Rive Gauche) of the river Seine. Also commonly known as the "Latin Quarter" (le quartier Latin) - from the fact that the first great Parisian university, the Sorbonne, was founded (and can be still be found) here (Latin being the language the medieval period students used once to speak....), the 5th was also the core of ancient Gallo-Roman Paris, as revealed in a number of otherwise rare archaeological remains that can be seen within the district.

Get in

By Métro

Map of the 5th Arrondissement

• St. Michel
• Cluny/la Sorbonne
• Maubert/Mutualité
• Cardinal Lemoine
• Jussieu
• Place Monge
• Luxembourg
• Censier/Daubenton
• Gare d'Austerlitz

By Bus

27, 87, 86, 24, 21, 47, 87, 84

Many tourists rely on the subway system to get around. However, while you are there to visit, why not see the city from the bus? Unlike other big cities, the buses in Paris are a first class ride for the same price. They are very clean an usally arrive every 7-10 minutes. The system is very easy to understand (there are big maps and the lines are color coded) and you can ask anyone on the bus to tell you where you should stop. Buses typically go faster than other cars too because they benefit from special bus lanes on all main avenues and boulevards thoughout the city.

See

• Sorbonne

Landmarks

• Panthéon, Place du Panthéon (Métro Cardinal Lemoine), +33 1 43 54 34 51. Daily 10am to 8pm. Originally conceived by Louis XV as a grand neo-Classical church honouring St. Geneviève, the patron saint of Paris. After the Revolution, the building was converted into a mausoleum for the great philosophers, military, artists, scientists and heroes of the French Republic. Occupants of the crypt include Voltaire, Rousseau, Victor Hugo, Zola, the Curies and, most recently, Alexandre Dumas (reinterred here in 2002). The view from the dome (206 steps) is marvellous, check tour departure time at the information desk. A fascinating reconstruction of Foucault's Pendulum also hangs within the Panthéon. 7€ (4.5€ reduced rate, museum card accepted).
• Jardin des Plantes - the Paris Botanical Garden, founded as the royal medicinal garden in 1626 by King Louis XIII's doctor, contains over 10,000 species. The grounds also include a small zoo known as La Ménagerie and the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, which includes the recently renovated Grande Galerie de l'Evolution.
• Arenes de Lutece [2], 47 rue Monge et rue de Navarre, Métro: Place Monge, Jussieu, Cardinal Lemoine, open 8am - 5.30pm (winter), 8am - 10pm (summer), entry free - an ancient Roman theatre, the only surviving above-ground ruins of the Gallo-Roman era in Paris (ancient Lutetia, French Lutece) apart the nearby Thermes de Cluny. The theatre could hold approximately 15,000 spectators and measures some 132 m x 100 m. Built sometime in the 2nd century AD, the location of the actor's dressing room, the platform of the stage and lapidary remains can still be seen. The remains were rediscovered in 1869, when new streets were being built - an excavation was subsequently ordered in 1883. The theatre has been preserved as a quiet archaeological park removed from the bustle of Parisian streets

Museums and Galleries

• Musée du Moyen Age [3], 6 place Paul Painlevé (Métro Cluny), +33 1 53 73 78 16. Open daily 9:15 am to 5:15 pm. Housed in a 15th century abbey, alongside 1st century Gallo-Roman baths, the museum has an extensive collection of medieval art and artifacts. Highlights include the medieval "Lady and the Unicorn" tapestries, a papal golden rose and the original heads from the facade of Notre Dame. 6,70€ (5.2€ reduced rate, free under 18, museum card accepted).
• Musée de l'Institut du Monde Arabe [4], 1 rue des Fossés-St Bernard, tel 01 40 51 38 38, open Tu - Su 10 am - 6 pm, closed Mondays and 1 May.
• Musée Curie [5], 11 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, Métro: Cardinal Lemoine (ligne 10), Place Monge (ligne 7), RER-B: Luxembourg, tél/fax +33 1 42 34 67 49 , open Mo-Fr 1.30pm - 5 pm except bank holidays and during August, free entry - this charming scientific museum preserves the offices and laboratories of Pierre and Marie Curie, pioneers in the discovery of radioactivity, their instruments, equipment and furniture arranged as it was during their critically important research. Guided tours in English available.

Churches

• Eglise Saint-Julien-le-Pauvre, 1 rue Saint-Julien-le-Pauvre, Métro: Cluny-Sorbonne / Saint-Michel
• Eglise Saint-Etienne-du-Mont, pl Ste Geneviève, open Mo - Sa 9 am - 12 pm, 2 pm - 7 pm, Su open 1/2 hr later after lunch. St Geneviève was responsible for saving Paris from the Huns in 451 and her shrine in the church has been a popular place of pilgrimage ever since. The church as it stands dates from between 1492 and 1626 and is a mix of Gothic and Renaissance architectural styles. A unique feature is the Renaissance roodscreen, the sole survivor in the city.
• Eglise Saint Nicolas du Chardonnet, 23 rue des Bernardins. A controversial church occupied by the arch-traditionalist Society of Saint Pius X, who it is claimed have illegally occupied the church since 1977.

Do

Buy

The rue Mouffetard hosts an ongoing open air market

The lower end of rue Mouffetard as it runs away from the Panthéon hosts an ongoing fruit and vegetable market, and is lined with food and wine shops of all kinds.

• La Fontaine aux Vins, 107 rue Mouffetard, Métro: Censier Daubenton. +33 1 43 31 41 03. +33 1 45 34 51 47. One of several wine shops along the lower part of the street, La Fontaine is a good example because the wines are of high quality, but barely more pricy than the ones you'll find in the grocery store. They offer tastings outside on the street, and delivery if you buy a case. The prices start at around 4€ per bottle which you might note is around what you'll pay for a glass in a bar.
• Gepetto & Vélos, 46 rue Daubenton, Métro: Censier Daubenton. +33 1 43 37 16 17. OK, so if you are just staying for a day or two it makes no sense whatever to buy a bike, but if you are going to be around for a while having your own might just feel better than renting one from the RATP. If so, you could do a lot worse than Gepetto, where you'll find a range of real bikes rather than the usual cheap MTB you'd see at a sporting goods store. The prices start at around €100 for a sturdy used 3 city bike.
• l'Epée de Bois, 12 rue de l'Epée de Bois, Métro: Pl. Monge. +33 1 43 31 50 18. Mondays 1:30pm to 7:30pm, Tuesday to Saturday 10:30 to 7:30pm, Sunday 11:00 to 1:30pm. The name of the store and the street it's on both translate to the "wooden sword", and you find those here along with any number of wooden toys for children ages 1 to 10. They also have books and games.
• Shakespeare & Co [6], 37 rue de la Bûcherie, open daily 12 pm - 12 am, cash sales only - probably one of the most eccentric bookstores you will ever visit, this must-see was established in 1951 by George Whitman: three rambling floors literally crammed with books, both new and (mainly) second-hand. The bedding shoved amongst the shelves is for the (largely American) ex-pats who doss down amongst the books at night.

Eat

A lot of travellers arriving in the 5th from across the river are lured into the restaurants and fast-food outlets between rue St Jacques and boulevard St Michel (in Rue de la Huchette, rue Saint-Séverin). Our advice: avoid them as they are overpriced tourist-traps. You'll eat better a up the hill a bit.

• Le Petit Prince de Paris, 12, rue de Lanneau (close to Pantheon in the 5th Arrondissement), +33 1 43 54 77 26. Open every evening from 7:30pm to midnight (12:30am Fri and Sat). A notably Parisian restaurant experience, but with friendly and warm service. Traditional French food (try the duck!) and deliciously complicated sauces. Relaxed and uncrowded, but reserve in the morning for a weekend night. 16€-23€ menu including appetizer and main plate, 6€ for dessert. Reasonable wine selection.
• Le Grenier de Notre Dame, 18 rue de la Bûcherie, Métro: St. Michel. +33 1 43 29 98 29. A vegetarian restaurant with a great selection including a number of vegan items, the Grenier is, as the name suggests, just around the corner from the cathedral. The English-speaking staff is super friendly. Dinner menus start at 12 €.
• Jardin des Pâtes, 4 rue Lacépède Métro: Monge. +33 1 43 31 50 71. Open every day from noon to 2:30pm and 7pm to 11pm. The range of pasta dishes is just fantastic at this cute little restaurant tucked away near the Jardin des Plantes. Although some meat dishes are served there is a huge range of choice for vegetarians as well. The menus run around 12€.
• La Petite Légume
• La Tour d'Argent, 15-17 quai de la Tournelle, Métro: Cardinal Lemoine or St Paul. +33 1 43 54 23 31. [7] For fat wallets La Tour d'Argent is a must-see. The oldest restaurant in Paris, located along the Seine, is famous for its duck receipes.

Drink

• Universel Café, 267 rue Saint Jaques, Métro: Luxembourg. +33 1 43 25 74 20. This mostly anglophone joint presents jazz artists from around the globe on its tiny stage. There's never a cover, and the atmosphere is always fantastic with the huge collection of postcards etc. on the stage wall, and the muical statue of liberty in the front. Please do buy a CD from the artist or toss a couple of Euro into the hat.
• Polly Magoo, 3, rue du Petit Pont, Métro: Saint Michel. Open noon to 5am, Sunday to Thursday, and to 8am on Friday and Saturday. This bar bears no relation, beyond the name, to the legendary, sleazy, and legendarily sleazy bar which was further south up the street at 11 rue Saint Jacques and was replaced by a 'boutique hotel' in 2002. Jim Morrison was a regular at the original bar, but the owners of the new version would be unlikely to let anyone that shabby come in. The Gaudi-esque bar and blue mosaic storefront make this bar a must see as well as a must sit for those who like their bars to come with a theme. Their formule (1 tapas, 1 beer) is 8 euro.
• The Fifth Bar, 62 rue Mouffetard, Métro: Place Monge. Named for the arrondissement, or maybe a measure of whiskey, this little hole-in-the-wall caters to a mixed anglophone expatriate crowd, with a mix of local students and (in tourist season) backpackers. Tuesdays and Thursdays are student nights with happy-hour prices all night with a student ID. Depending on season, American sports often play on the television. Lager pints are 3.50€ at happy hour, 5€ after 20h (except for student nights.)
• Le Vieux Chêne, 69 rue Mouffetard, Métro: Place Monge. Just down the way from the fifth on the left is another hole-in-the-wall, this one dating from the 18th century. It was named after its sign, a bas relief of an old oak tree (vieux chene), which was around 250 years when it was chiselled off early in 2005 by workman 'restoring' the facade of the building. The selection of beers etc. is good and the crowd is mostly students. Expect to pay around 4€ for a pint. There is a minuscule dance floor in the atmospheric and sweaty cellar below.
• Le Piano Vache, 8, Rue Laplace, Métro: Maubert/Mutualité. +33 1 46 33 75 03. A legendary part of student life in the real latin quarter this dark baroom has walls covered with posters and photos of bands, but also a wall covered with passport-type photos of regulars past and present. At night things get going with DJs, bands of all styles, and on tuesday nights, a pop-rock jam session. Beer: 3.50€, mixed drinks 6.50€, coffee 1€.
• Café Aussie

Sleep

St. Etienne du Mont in its romanesque glory, just behind the Panthéon

Budget

• Young and Happy Hostel, 80 Rue Mouffetard, Métro: Place Monge. +33 1 47 07 47 07. fax: +33 1 47 07 22 24. [8] A hit with young travellers, the young and happy exists to save you money. The rooms are just as basic as can be, but clean unlike the average one-star. The location is hard to beat if you are looking for a nice evening out. The risk though is that if you party too much you won't see much else of Paris. Oh, English is the lingua-franca here. A dorm-room bed costs 20€, while a double goes for 23 €.
• Hôtel du Commerce, 14, rue de la Montagne-Sainte-Geneviève, Métro: Maubert-Mutualité. [9] +33 1 43 54 89 69, fax: +33 1 43 54 76 09. The rooms are tiny, but cheap, especially for the location, just a stone's throw from Notre Dame. The hotel provides a shared kitchen area if you would like to save even more money by cooking some of the time, there are markets both nearby and over the hill on rue Mouffetard, so this is a good idea for budget travellers. Although they do have exactly one (pricier) room equipped with a shower, the rest of the rooms share a brand-new shower facility near the reception. Singles without start at 26€. Use of the showers costs 2€.
• Esmerelda, 4 rue Saint-Julien-le-Pauvre, Métro: Saint-Michel. +33 1 43 54 19 20. An excellent example of what happens when a "find" hotel is discovered by the travel guides, the Esmerelda has lost none of it's charm but the prices have crept up into nearly the two-star range, and you'll have to book ahead by at least a couple of months in the high season or around the winter holidays. On the plus side the place really does deserve the attention (and solid bookings), as it really is super charming, the welcome couldn't possibly be better and it's still on the cheap side. Try not to trip over the ample knick-knacks in your room, which will likely be named after a French singing star. A basic room is 65€, doubles are 80 to 95.
• Port-Royal-Hôtel, 8 Boulevard de Port-Royal, Métro: Les Gobelins. [10] +33 1 43 31 70 06. Great hotel right next to the Rue Mouffetard and its market. Whimsical rooms decorated in rich floral patterns. Prices range from 39-87€ depending on size and level of amenities. Average room rate is around 55€. Ask for a room with a bidet.

Mid-Range

• Familia, 11 Rue des Ecoles, Métro: Maubert-Mutualité or Cardinal-Lemoine. +33 1 43 54 55 27. fax: +33 1 43 29 61 77. [11]. As with the Minerve (below), each of the rooms in this family run two-star is decorated with a unique medievalist mural by the artist Gérald Pritchard. This combined with the antique furniture gives the place some real character. If you are lucky enough to get a room with a balcony (ask!) you can enjoy your breakfast overlooking the courtyard (or the street). Basic rooms start at 73.50 €, doubles start at 90.
• Minerve, 13 Rue des Ecoles, Métro: Maubert-Mutualité or Cardinal-Lemoine. +33 1 43 26 26 04. fax: +33 1 44 07 01 96. [12]. While not quite the bargain it was a couple of years ago when it was (erroneously) classified as a two-star, the properly three-star Minerve is a family run operation (the same family as the Familia next door. It's worth staying here just to enjoy the antique-stuffed lobby and the individual murals which adorn each of the rooms. The rooms are all air-conditioned, and the bathtubs (if your room has one) are huge. Watch your elbows in the tiny elevator though! A basic room is 82€ to 115 €, a double runs from 96€ to 128€.
• Hôtel de l'Esperance, 15 rue Pascal, Métro: Place Monge or Censier-Daubenton. [13] +33 1 47 07 10 99. This quirky little little family run hotel just off of Place Contrescarp and the rue Mouffetard has some really good value rooms, especially up on the top floor. The young staff gets high ratings, as does the proprietess (even with her very limited english), though it's sometimes best to avoid the proprietor depending on mood. Rooms start at 80€ and go up to 120€.
• Hôtel du Levant, 18, rue de la Harpe, Métro: Saint-Michel. [14] +33 1 46 34 11 00, fax: +33 1 46 34 25 87. Scoring consisent high marks for quality and spaciousness the du Levant is the closest to Place St. Michel of any of our listings here. Apparently the rooms are mostly of a standard Parisène size (small) but there are a couple of larger ones as well, so it's better to ask. Prices for a standard room start at 95€ off season or 111€ on season.

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