Paris may be the City of Light and romance, but it’s also the city of selfie sticks, stressed out tourists, and long lines. So why not see the real Paris, the best parts of the city that most tourists miss.
This guide, accompanied by our hotel recommendations, was developed with a local, who wants to help you see the hidden gems that so many miss. Allons-y…
Neighborhood 2
Saint-Germain Boulevard
Next, we stroll down Boulevard Saint-Germain, a boulevard echoing with the whispers of history and the buzz of Parisian life.
Known Sartre hot-spot Map of the Boulevard Saint-Germain, with our five gems marked
Our 5 Neighborhood Gems
Prestigious Cafes
Iconic Café de Flore on Boulevard Saint-Germain
Visit the iconic Café de Flore and Les Deux Magots, where literary giants once convened.
Also don’t miss Café Laurent‘s transition from historic cafe to jazz lounge.
Sure, the tourists love these places, so not really hidden gems, but if you can stand the crowds, dive in.
Prestigious Universities
Pedestrian day Stroll the storied avenue without the cars and buses
Ranged along the boulevard are some of the oldest and most prestigious seats of learning in Europe.
The most famous and august of them is the Sorbonne, formally known as the University of Paris, the second oldest university in Europe. (Fun fact: the oldest is not Oxford, as is commonly thought, but the University of Bologna. Oxford is merely the oldest university in the English-speaking world.)
The Sorbonne’s faculty buildings are woven seamlessly into the Saint-Germain neighborhood, so keep your eyes peeled for dreamy students lugging philosophy books – and their starstruck imitators reading Sartre in the many cafés and micro-parks.
Le Cinéma du Panthéon
Relish cinematic nostalgia at one of Paris’s oldest theaters. Enjoy its new tearoom styled by Catherine Deneuve.
Le Panthéon
Walk up the hill and discover the neoclassical Panthéon, with nice views of the city below.
Get defensive The geometric Grande Arche
