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The 6th district contains the western part of the Latin Quarter,
around Saint-Germain-des-Prés. But the luxury shops have replaced
the libraries. First the map:
__________ Seine \_Ile de la Cité
|| ```---___ ```---________
|| ```---__________
|| | |
|| |B|
|| |d|
|| S.Germ-Prés |.|
___||__________________________| |___
Bd Saint-Germain
---..---..---------------------. .---
|| || Odéon |S|
|| || |a|
// || S.Sulpice |i|
\\ // || |n|
\\// ||r Palais |t|
\// ||. """"" Lux """|-|
7th //\ ||R """""""""""""|M| 5th
//\\B ||e """"""""""""|i|
// \\d ||n """"""""""""|c|
// \\.||n """"""""" |h|
// \\||e """"""""" |e|
// \\|s """""""" |l|
// \\ """""""" | |
// |\\R """ | |
// ||\\a """ | |
// || \\s """ | |
// || \\p """ | |
// || \\a """| |
// || \\i """| |
_//_________||_____\\l___________""| |___
Bd du Montparnasse
---------------------\\------------ ---
14th \\
Montparnasse
Bldg
The top direction corresponds to the north-north-east. Everything
in italics is outside the district. The double quotes (""")
indicate the Jardin du Luxembourg}.
Population was 44,919 in 1999 (6th least populated district) and
land area is 2.15 km2 (5th smallest district).
Around Boulevard Saint-Germain
Many libraries and a few universities still survive in the little
streets north and south of boulevard
Saint-Germain. The crowded boulevard
Saint-Michel, from the Seine to the Jardin du
Luxembourg, is the home of large bookshops for students or book
lovers (Gibert Joseph). In rue Monsieur-le-Prince, which goes
south-east from Carrefour de l'Odéon, you will find foreign
bookshops. Saint-Sulpice hosts shops dedicated to religious items,
including the large bookshop "La Procope". Everywhere in the northern
half of the district you will find other bookshops specialized in all
the fields of knowledge.
Saint-Germain-des-Prés is a former abbey which,
as its name indicates, was surrounded by fields (prés) in the
Middle Ages. Nowadays, only the roman church remains on boulevard
Saint-Germain, at the end of rue de Rennes. It's one of the oldest and
most beautiful churches in Paris; the walls are entirely painted
inside, a rare thing in France.
Facing the church, on the boulevard, stand the famous cafés of
Saint-Germain-des-Prés: les Deux Magots and the Café de Flore,
where many writers, philosophers, artists used to spend their
time. You can send them in many Nouvelle Vague movies. Nowadays,
most of the clients are probably tourists, because the prices are
extremely high. Perfume and clothe shops have invaded the
quarter. There used to be several famous libraries in
Saint-Germain-des-Prés, but all of them have disappeared as far as I
know, except an interesting one, between les Deux Magots and the Café
de Flore, which stays open until midnight.
Instead of paying your dinner twice the normal price at
Saint-Germain-des-Prés, walk in the little streets north of boulevard
Saint-Germain and choose a small restaurant there. After the very
lively rue de Buci, you will walk through an area dedicated to art
galleries and find charming 17th- and 18th-century streets near Saint-Michel. Notice the very
beautiful 18th-century balcony at 27, rue Saint-André-des-Arts.
Odéon and Luxembourg
After crossing the boulevard Saint-Germain at Carrefour de l'Odéon,
you will walk south to the Théâtre de l'Odéon and get to the largest
garden inside Paris: the Jardin du Luxembourg. It's
a very typical French garden with ponds and straight alleys. It's
crowded with students, tourists, chess or tennis players, and it may
be difficult to find a seat on a Saturday afternoon in May. The palace
at the northern entrance of the garden is the Senate. French citizens
(and maybe foreigners?) can come and follow the proceedings in the
beautiful amphitheatre.
Montparnasse
Montparnasse extends over the 6th, 14th and 15th
districts. Nowadays, Montparnasse is one of the liveliest areas at
night in Paris with restaurants, cinemas and theaters. | 
