Paris’ 5th Arrondissement
Just across the river from Notre Dame, and boasting two universities, the 5th is the traditional heart of the intellectual ‘left bank’ culture. The district’s northern, riverside sections offer plenty of life - especially the warren of bars and tourist restaurants around the St Michel fountain, but the real life of the quarter goes on a little further up the hill.
At the heart of the 5th arrondissement stands the Sorbonne, one of the world’s oldest and most famous universities. The surrounding area (known as the ‘Latin Quarter’ after the language spoken by the college’s first students and tutors) boasts bookshops, cafes and some excellent restaurants. Rue Mouffetard and Place de le Contrescarpe - once home to a young Ernest Hemingway - are home to the liveliest student bars.
Next door to the Sorbonne is the Pantheon. Once a cathedral, it’s now a grand secular monument in which many of France’s national heroes are interred, and it’s giant dome is easily spotted from all parts of the city. While the student population keeps the 5th youthful and lively, the district is undeniably rich and gentrified, combining good living with some of the citiy’s oldest history - just off Rue Monge stand the uncelebrated remains of Paris’ ancient Roman Amphitheatre.
More Paris districts:
1st - Louvre 11th - Bastille
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