The main feeling you get from visiting Notre-Dame Cathedral (Notre-Dame de Paris) is “déjà vu”. Everyone who has been to Paris, feels obligated to get a picture with lancet arches, Gothic steeples, “rose” windows backgrounds or take a picture of himself at the background of H-shaped facade, where the author of the novel “Notre Dame” saw the first letter of his name – Hugo.

Notre Dame de Paris – view from the Seine river

By the beginning of new millennium the Cathedral, blackened by urban smog, has been thoroughly cleaned, and the fronts still look unusually white. Despite of the crowds of tourists Notre Dame is a current cathedral, on Sundays masses take place (four in the morning and one in the evening), and sometimes magnificent wedding ceremonies are arranged here.

The great French novelist Victor Hugo was inspired by the Notre Dame Cathedral

Yet in the middle of IVth century early basilica was situated here and later on a Romanesque church appeared. In 1163 Bishop Maurice de Sully founded a new cathedral on its place which construction took 182 years. Finally completed in 1345, Notre Dame could accommodate nine thousand people – thus it has always been the largest temple in Europe of early Gothic period.

The Cathedral has been constantly reinforced and rebuilt from the very beginning. And it suffered most during the revolution when the Jacobins decapitated 28 biblical kings on the front, taking them as the French kings by mistake. Gothic heads were discovered in 1977 during the excavations (they can be seen now at the National Museum of the Middle Ages (Musée du Moyen Âge)), and those statues that can bee seen in the west facade today is the result of the restoration of 1850s conducted by the famous architect Eugène Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc, an outstanding visionary who made most French cathedrals and churches look more “medieval” than they actually did in the Middle Ages. In addition to the statues of the kings the Cathedral owes Viollet-le-Duc the Gothic spire and the gallery of chimeras (they can be seen better from the top of the narrow and steep stairs leading to the 69-meter-high tower of the Cathedral).

One of the most famous and photographed “rose” windows in Paris

The Cathedral necessarily needs to be entered. Remember Henri de Navarre who has been marrying Marguerite de Valois standing outside the door – as the Huguenots were not allowed to enter the Catholic Church – and who then said: “Paris is well worth a mass” (“Paris vaut bien une messe”). This is the traditional route of the inspection: enter from the right, leave to the left, put your first glance to the middle of the central nave, and then forward to the altar and round in a clockwise, looking in the chapel for anything interesting. Do not forget to look back at the glowing 10-meter-high Gothic rose at the altar – the stained glass you have noticed on the facade. You don’t have to buy a ticket to get to the treasury. You don’t need to waste your time exploring the stained glass as well – in half an hour you will see the stained glass windows of Sainte Chapelle.

Sainte-Chapelle outside…

… and inside. It’s worth visiting Sainte-Chapelle in a summer day! You’ll be impressed by stained-glass windows and play of light.

On the square in front of Notre Dame you can take a look at km 0 (“Kilometre Zero”), from which all distances in France are measured, and there you will find the entrance to La Crypte Archéologique – Archaeological Museum, which exhibition gives you an idea of what Île de la Cité looked like in a Gallo-Roman Era.

Kilometre Zero (‘lucky shot’ because anybody always stands on it)

This archaeological museum reserves the excavated ruins of the 2000 year old Roman town, Lutetia

Having circled the Cathedral along the embankment, you can see its side elevation, which is often considered to be more beautiful than even the portals of the main square. The Church parts face to the square – buttresses and flying buttresses are taken out to free the space under the arches in 130×48 meters, unavailable in a medieval town. Back then the side elevation could hardly be examined as well. Today the impression you get looking at all these great constructions is totally different: prefect Georges Eugène Haussmann demolished almost the entire medieval Île de la Cité and removed all the parks and squares. The only thing left was a quarter Ancien Cloître (quartier de l’Ancien Cloître) to the opposite side of the embankment of the Cathedral. In the XIIth century 40-year-old priest and philosopher Pierre Abélard, who fell in love with 17-year-old Héloïse, was a teacher here in school at Notre Dame. The love affair of Abélard and Héloïse – ended in the reunion of two lovers at Père Lachaise – is one of the most touching  French histories. The accepted view is that Héloïse’s relatives believed Abélard abandoned Héloïse, and, in their anger, wreaked vengeance upon Abélard by having him attacked while asleep and castrated.

During the Second Empire the square behind the apse of Notre-Dame near the pont Saint-Louis was one of the most fashionable places in Paris. Townspeople used to come to the local morgue to stare at the bodies of people slaughtered in the market of Les Halles and drowned in the Seine.

The underground Memorial to victims of deportation (Mémorial des Martyrs de la Déportation) was laid here in Charles de Gaulle times: to 200 thousand Frenchmen, issued to Germans by the Vichy government. This monument like most memorials of that time is has the spirit of the intolerable hypocrisy. Much more touching are the boards you can see on the buildings: “Among 500 children captured by the Germans in this area the majority was from this school”.

Holocaust Memorial in Paris. It’s dedicated to “French citizens” deported by the Nazis during World War II and who never returned back.

The oldest hospital in Paris Hotel-Dieu – which is situated diagonally across Notre-Dame – was last rebuilt is Ossmanne times. From the reception through the glass wall you will see a monumental courtyard stretching down to the very Seine. This magnificent spectacle has little interest for patients awaiting for a doctor here, but will definitely give you pleasure.

To the right of the Hotel-Dieu you will find an old flower market standing there for nearly a century. Pass Commissariat de police by and go forward to Boulevard du Palais or the Palace. Behind the numerous gates of Commissariat during the dinner time young officers of both sexes are swarming like students during the school break. From the waterfront side there is a memorial plaque with the words of a Paris liberation hero Charles Victor Emmanuel Leclerc written on it: “Hold on, here we go” addressed to the Paris police. The letter was dropped from the aircraft, and the policemen defending the Commissioner from the Germans of Dietrich von Choltitz for three days, were cheered up. No one blamed them for not becoming partisans: the occupation was important, but the thief still has to be in a prison.

Palais de Jusice is built on the site of the former royal palace of Saint Louis, of which the Sainte Chapelle remains

Palace of Justice (Palais de Justice) was built in XIXth century on the place of the old royal palace. The only part of the old palace, which ottoman planners saved and incorporated into the complex of the Palace of Justice – is the Holy Chapel (Sainte-Chapelle) – a Flamboyant Gothic masterpiece. It was built in 1241-1248 to house precious relics of Christ that had been in the possession of Louis IX  (Saint Louis). When you see this narrow and humble two-story church it’s hard to imagine how magnificent the inside can be. It’s not that easy to get in: before you enter the courthouse you have to walk through a frame and turn your pockets out. This is the first queue. Then following the signs across the yard you’ll find the booking office and the second queue too. On the ground floor there is a beautiful chapel of the Virgin Mary, but long staying here doesn’t worth it. You’d better climb up the steep spiral staircase to the personal chapel of the king. It’s a tall vaulted hall consisting, as it seems, of nothing but red, blue and yellow stained glass windows (two-thirds of which are original). It would be a big fault to ignore this sight, as to come here on a cloudy day. It’s crowded in the Holy Chapel, but you can always find a place on the bench by the wall to watch the stained glass more careful, especially if you bring lorgnette with you.

The walls of the oldest prison in Paris – La Conciergerie – adjoin the Palace of Justice from the north. On one of its towers you can find the first clocks in the city (over six hundred years old) still working though. Here you should definitely visit a magnificent Gothic hall (one of the columns has a watermark of 1910), kitchen striking with its size, and cells – poor and rich, with and without the conveniences. La Conciergerie is famous for its “guests”: in the cell, where Marie Antoinette spent 76 days awaiting for execution, the installation in the spirit of a wax museum is arranged. The room of a hateful Austrian is divided on two parts with a curtain, behind which the jailers are on duty day and night. “And nearby were Danton and Robespierre!” – a guard will say with his pleasure: the judges laid down under the knife after there victims.

To say the truth, there’s nothing special inside the jail, but the outside view is impressive and a little bit sinister

A poet Andre Chenier, Charlotte Corday stabbed Marat, the chemist Lavoisier, anarchist Ravachol, “Jacks the Ripper” of all stripes and Napoleonic sergeant Corsican Giuseppe Feshi who wanted to kill Louis Philippe, all of them were waiting for the guillotine in La Conciergerie. There is known a Corsican who prepared a rough wooden bench in his room on the Boulevard du Temple, on which he fixed 24 barrel, each charged with 6 bullets and sat by the window waiting for the king. July 28, 1835 his primitive machine gun killed 19 people on the spot and injured dozens of people in the royal cortege, but Louis Philippe was not injured. Feshi visited the “dressing-room”, reproduced in the prison museum, where Monsieur de Paris, the city’s famous executioner Sanson, ripped the shirt of a sentenced prisoner and shaved his hair on the head, so the guillotine had not met the slightest resistance.

Behind the Palace of Justice there is a small square – The Place Dauphine – actually triangular in shape, but is the most harmonious in the city. Not all the houses, which were built here in XVIIth century, destroyed by prefect Ossman. Particularly, two pavilions in its narrowest part have left safe. In one of them an actress Simone Signoret lived, and Simenon’s hero Jules Maigret (titled Commissaire) who worked on 36 Quai des Orfèvres liked to sit in local restaurants.

The Place Dauphine is situated behind the Palace of Justice. Look at its triangular shape

The Pont Neuf, recently renovated, which is situated behind the square was built four hundred years ago in Henry IV times. Today it is the oldest bridge in Paris, and back then it was the first bridge without shops and houses on it. The Pont Neuf connects the western arrow of Cité with two banks of the Seine and is considered to be one of the symbols of the city. It’s treasured a lot: the artist Christo was once allowed to wrap this bridge, but Leos Carax couldn’t get from City Council the authorization for filming “The Lovers on the Bridge” (“Les Amants du Pont-Neuf”) here,so the director had to create his own the Pont Neuf far away, in the south of France.

The Pont Neuf is the oldest bridge of Paris. Its novelty is concluded in fact that it was the first bridge without houses built on the borders.

The statue of Henry IV on the Pont Neuf is a copy of the  original (1818), like many other statues of kings adorned the Paris area, was melted during the revolution. A small staircase behind it leads to the Square du Vert-Galant.

Square du Vert-Galant

The epithet in the title “gallant” refers to Henry known for his amorous adventures. In summer Parisians in a good shape sunbathe here, in the evening loving couples are coming down to the Square, during the day Japanese tourists are waiting for water taxi.

If you want to visit Paris and see all these beautiful sight with your own proper eyes, we strongly recommend you to bustle about Paris accommodation in advance.  Our professional team speaks several languages and it’ll help you to choose and book the best variant from our list of  short term Paris apartments for rent.

In the very heart of Paris one can find two small natural islands in the Seine River – Île de la Cité where Notre Dame de Paris is situated, and Île Saint-Louis (named by Saint Louis). They can be easily found both from the Left Bank and the Right Bank. You can come here any time of the day or night when you first get to Paris. Though you will still have to get back in the morning – because of the Conciergerie (La Conciergerie), the Sainte-Chapelle or “The Holy Chapel” (La Sainte-Chapelle) and Notre-Dame Cathedral.

Île Saint-Louis and Île de la Cité – a bird’s-eye view

Both islands are connected with the Right and the Left Banks by numerous bridges between them and they are connected to each other by the pont Saint-Louis (Le pont Saint-Louis). Île de la Cité has more architectural monuments than even residential buildings, and the population is mostly made up of tourists, lawyers and policemen. This is where Paris begins from. The second island, Île Saint-Louis, is a quiet and calm place which nowadays is admired by the richest people of Paris. There are people who have never visited Île Saint-Louis though they have been to Paris once or twice – and that is the saddest thing of all! Tourists just pass it by hurrying up to
Notre Dame and then forget to return. Though it would be even better to explore islands from Île Saint-Louis: you need to go there with you mind clear and your eyes wide open.

If you’re going to Paris, we’re glad to offer you a wide range of rental Paris apartments: for a long and short term stays.

Many people from all over the world love Paris and often visit this amazing city. It is popular by lots of historical and tourist attractions. But only few of us really know some corners that hidden from tourists’ eyes and unusual places of this ancient town. We won’t tell you about Louvre, the main tour or French Disneyland. We will open a mystery world of unknown Paris.

1. Everybody knows that France is a country of wine and cheese, but almost nobody knows anything about the Waters’ St. (Rue des Eaux), which is a little wine world. The Passy abbey on this street is rather popular by it’s thermal springs, but favorite Louis XIII’s wine cellars were found here only few years ago by one of the restaurant hosts. He transformed them into a wine museum where tourists could find ancient bottles and wineglasses, wax figures of monks and their tools and taste rare kinds of wine and cheese, as well.

Rue des Eaux & Musee du Vin

2. Then we advise you to visit one pretty restaurant which name is “La Mère Catherine”. It is the world’s first bistro that had this name from russian cossacks who had shouted “bistro” (that means quickly) demanding food in 1814. Today their service is as slow as it was century ago, so be patient. It is a typically french restaurant with traditional cuisine: salad with hot cracklings, chicken cocotte, lamb-chop in garlic batter with parsley. Average price without drinks per person is 30 Euro.

La Mère Catherine Restaurant

3. St. Chateau-D’Eau is known by it’s 39th house that is the narrowest one in Paris. It is 5 meters in height and only 1.20 in width. It consists of one door, one window and one room. This incredible house was built just to fill the space between two streets.

The narrowest house in Paris

4. Charming “La Villet” is a place that, unfortunately, less visited by tourists. And it’s a big mistake. Former slaughterhouse was rebuilt into a great museum of science, engineering and industry, including park, music town and different amusement for adults and children. This place takes you to the future and you become an element in the space. Incredible atmosphere is made of metal roads and bridges, strange sculptures and constructions, unusual fountains and buildings. Focus place of “La Villet” is a huge sphere 36 meters in diameter which, at the same time, is the biggest cinema. It looks like a bubble from outside, but coming inside, you can see a half-spheric screen having of 1000 sq. m. placing you in the center of acting. By the way, this place is in permanent reconstruction, that’s why each visit you would mention here something new.

La Géode in La Villet

5. Special theme about Paris is it’s underground. It is like some reflection of social life in the town. May be it couldn’t be compared with English one, but Louvre-Rivoli station is exactly gorgeous. Take a look at it’s entrance and you will see a beautiful arch with many colorful balls. It wouldn’t be anything shocking if it was usual glass. But it is the real Italian blown glass performed a work of art.

Louvre-Rivoli Metro Station (Details)

6. Undoubtedly, one of the worth visit place in Paris is a Ferris wheel, built in 2000 on Elysees Fields. It has a very hard destiny and scandal reputation. But 60 meters over the land and 50 000 light bulbs attract tourist annually and let them see may be the most beautiful and romantic panorama in the world.

Big Ferris Wheel in Jardin des Tuileries

7. There is one legend in Paris. Once upon a time a certain Marie-Etienne Nitot saved Napoleon’s life and once became a popular court jeweller and a founder of Chaumet house. Many years passed, but Chaumet jewellery is available nowadays. Most people can only watch at it, only the richest one can buy it. The house 12 at Vendôme Square is playing a big role in present Chaumet’s life. It remembers Russian ambassadors and their famous guests, Shopen’s music and his death, Napoleon III and his future wife’s meeting. And now, it saves thousands of ancient photos, negatives and drafts of precious jewellery. You can find here original diadems, copies of all exclusive and serial models: 1500 items, which was made over the last 200 years. Also you can know the price of jewellery in gold ancient franc, clients’ names and look through the old account books.

12 Place Vendome: the Heart and Soul of Chaumet

8. Recently, Field of Mars has started to attract people’s attention again. This interest has appeared due to The Wall of Peace. It’s an unusual 9 meters in height pavilion made of glass, metal and wood. There are 32 steel columns around. The word “peace” is written in different languages on the wall and on each of these columns. People can leave their message in special niches. Those who live far from France also can leave their letters through the Internet and their thoughts will appear on one of the 30 screens on Paris Wall. This place reminds us that the main responsibility in the world is providing peace.

The Wall of Peace (Le mur de la paix), in front of the Eiffel Tower on the Champ de Mars.

9. Père Lachaise is the most popular cemetery in the world. It is the biggest green oasis in Paris and also the greatest museum of the graveside sculpture. The latter will be discussed. We won’t enumerate all famous person and their monuments. We’ll pay attention to the one, the Victor Noir’s grave. He isn’t as popular as the whole cemetery is. But thousand of men and women come to him believing to be treated form infertility and impotence. It is enough to touch his groin that shines better than other parts of body.

A bronze sculpture at Pere-Lachaise cemetery

10. Hundreds of kilometers of mystery gallery, which are known as Paris catacombs, may be the most enigmatic place in this romantic city. At first, it was ancient stone quarry, then this quarry was turned into enormous cemetery. There are bones of more than 6 million different people that accurately stacked into walls in specific décor. In this terrific museum you can see many monuments, ancient altar and well, crypt, tunnel. You’ll have a great opportunity to descend on 20 meters below ground and to know a new Paris with it’s hidden life.

Mysterious world of hidden Paris – catacombs!

To get to know more about The Catacombs of Paris (Catacombes de Paris), read Paris from the inside.

This report has shown you only a part of possible places to visit. The main advise is not to use trite routes and try to explore new places that aren’t mentioned in your guide-book. Remember, Paris is too big and too ancient to be enough for one trip. It keeps lots of secrets and surprises. You should surely come back to know them better.

Ask 100 different people what reminds them of Paris and you will definitely hear – Eiffel Tower. We all know that this «Iron Lady» has always been the symbol of Paris. We also know why – this huge 1,063 ft high tower (which is equal to 81-level building) can be seen from almost any point of the city and the city, too, is spread before the eyes from the top of Eiffel Tower. More than 200,000,000 people have visited the tower since its construction in 1889, making it the most visited paid monument in the world, and on March, 31st this year this incredible structure has turned 120 years old.

But ask yourself what interesting facts you know about Eiffel Tower and it will make you thoughtful for a while.

To begin with this tower should not have even be there back in 1889. When French engineer Gustave Eiffel first decided to raise this structure in 1887 he met with much criticism from the public. Most famous cultural workers of that time even signed the document which said: «And during next years we shall see, stretching over the entire city, still thrilling with the genius of so many centuries, we shall see stretching out like a black blot the odious shadow of the odious column built up of riveted iron plates.»

One of the biggest Eiffel Tower «haters» – novelist Guy de Maupassant – even used to have lunch in the Tower’s restaurant – that was the only place in Paris where he couldn’t see this «disgusting» structure, he explained.

But time passed and Eiffel Tower instead of being the object of irritation soon became an object of admiration.

Later on during the Second World War just before Hitler came to Paris in 1940 frenchmen injured the lift drive which couldn’t be fixed because of the war. So Nazi solders were not able to climb on the top of the tower and raise their banner there. From that moment people began to say that Hitler conquered France but didn’t manage to conquer Eiffel Tower.

«Iron Lady» can also count about a dozen of interesting and unbelievable facts in its history.

Thus on February 4th 1912 an Austrian tailor Franz Reichelt jumped from the first level of Eiffel Tower having self-made wings on his back and died of a sudden heart attack on his way down.

In 1925 a conman named Victor Lustig managed to «sell» the great tower for scrap metal twice. He persuaded two different powerful men to take part in financial support of the structure which was supposedly exposed to danger from the government.

From 1925 to 1935 illuminated signs of Citroën decorated three of the tower’s four sides. That became the highest advertising space in the word at that time.

In January of 1956 a sudden fire destroyed the top of the structure which was later reconstructed.

On July, 22nd 2003 the top of the tower was on fire again. The fire could be put down only by night.

In winter of 2004 the first floor of an «Iron Lady» was re-equiped into an ice skating rink. This was some sort of an advertising of Paris as 2012 winter Olympiad candidate.

Till now Eiffel Tower remained the same as it was 120 years ago due to 57 tones of paint used every 7 years to protect it from rust.

This huge tower doesn’t suffer from the wind too much. Even the strongest storm can give it only a 3,5 in. sway. And the sun can make the top of the tower shift away up to 7 in.

The last suicide was committed from the tower in April 2008.

Today Eiffel Tower is used for TV and radio transmission, and cellular communication. It is not only the symbol of Paris now, but mostly its heart and fountain of life. Life full of chances and wonderful adventures. And a lot of people all over the world dream of coming to Paris just to see this perfect creation.

How do you think, where the most attended place in Paris is? Doubtless, it is the 1st district where the gorgeous Louvre Museum stretches out its ancient estate. This is the biggest treasure house of art with permanent giant crowd in front of one of the most famous woman of the past the Mona Lisa.

Besides Louvre 1st district is popular by the Tuileries Gardens. It is one of the most romantic green corners of the whole Paris. 63 acres of verdure, pretty benches, fairy ponds, relaxing people, park amusement and, of course, two cozy galleries Jeu de Paume (contemporary art) and L’Orangerie. The latter one is an exhibition of art works of 1870-1930 that also has two of Monet’s Waterlilies paintings which maestro presented to the museum himself. Moreover, from this garden you can have a way to the river Seine and Place de la Concorde.

By the way, about Place de la Concorde. This square is very popular between both native Parisian and foreigners due to its dark past, Egyptian obelisk, marble statues of French towns, Ferris wheel and beautiful fountains.

In the heart of Paris you can also visit Palais Royal that stays royal residence, theater and a training ground for extreme sportsmen at the same time.

Living in 1st district you have a great opportunity to walk across two main bridges Pont Neuf and Pont des Arts. And if the first one is the most ancient, the second is known as romantic place where you can spend lovely dinner, enjoying music, boats, the Seine and passengers.
Another worth visiting place is Place Vendôme that is the concentration of the luxury and jewellery world in Paris with Forum des Halles and lots of boutiques and unusual design shops, as instant, the stamp collectors market on Avenue de Marigny.

This district had its name La Bourse from stock exchange. This area isn’t well known among tourist, may be because of its the smallest size in this megalopolis. You won’t find anything truly famous here. But nevertheless, it is an important business district with prosperous financial and banking sectors and textile industry, as well.

What shall you see if you find yourself here? Well, the first thing you should get into account is marvelous architecture. Then try to find the National Library, Place des Victoires and the Avenue de L’Opéra with the Opéra Garnier at the end of it. Seemed rather non-tourist, this place can be discovered as one of your favorite one due to the atmosphere of ancient town.

This district is perhaps one of the most energetic. It is a location of 17th century structures and houses where once lived many world famous person. The most pleasant place in the area is Place des Vosges that is only a part of a giant ensemble of thirty six Rennaissance palaces. There are fountains and statues, beautiful architecture, big park area. By the way, it is the oldest Paris square where in previous days you could see Victor Hugo or Madame de Sevigné walking.

Going from the palaces it’d better to visit the National Picasso Museum and the Carnavalet. The latter is dedicated to the history of the city and contains some of the greatest collections of art.
The biggest part of the vicinity is taken by celebrity Le Marais that spreads also across the 4th district. This quarter has a very long history but today it is a major Jewish community centre in Paris.

There are the synagogues, Jewish restaurants with kosher food, bookshops and other national features. A little bit to the North of the district you will see Paris’s gay village with cafés, bars, shopping. And of course, Passage du Grand Cerf that is known by its best flea markets in the whole city.

4th district seems to be especially amazing because of the wide canal system and beautiful sceneries from the right bank of the Seine. Also, this arrondissment should be surely included into every tourist route due to the number of sights.

First of all, it is Hôtel-de-Ville. This building has been the house for Paris administration since 1357. But the whole structure was damaged into a fire of Paris Commune. Today, besides the restored facade, beautiful square behind it and some theme sculptures in the yard, you can see a department store called Hôtel de Ville, the Rue de Rivoli, the St-Gervais Church on the left side of the building and Bazar de Hôtel de Ville nearby.

The second sight will be the Centre Pompidou which is notable mainly by its unusual modern style. And the third one is Place de la Bastille that is a place of crossing more than ten streets and avenues. And, don’t forget to have a look at the Colonne de Juilllet which was established in commemoration of July Revolution in 1830.

Also we advise you to visit some old Paris areas like the Ile St. Louis and the Ile de la Cité that are considered to be the place where Paris was appeared. By the way, the amateurs of celebrity musical may drop at the most famous cathedral in the world Notre Dame Cathedral.

From historical point of view, this district is famous for Natural History Museum and giant cemetery called Panthéon. This is the place where many graves of outstanding Parisians are. You will find the resting places of Voltaire, Monnet, Dumas, Rousseau, Soufflot, Hugo and Zola etc.

But from cultural point of view the main spot in this district is the Quartier Latin. This name originated from Latin students who had studied in Sorbonne University and lived in this area. Quartier Latin has its own specific atmosphere of separate town inside a big one and various alternative trends of local youth. Visiting this place you will find one amazing side street the Boulevard Saint Germain where there are many small cafés fulled by progressive students, peculiar persons and impressed tourists. Being in this district surely visit collector’s stalls at the Quai de Montebello and fascinating Rue Galande where you will hear real street-jazz, will see unusual painted houses and will be in Caveau des Oubliettes pub with working guillotine.

Actually, 6th district is called Luxembourg. But this information isn’t wide known, so everybody calls it Saint-Germain, charming Saint-Germain. This is an amazing location of holiday and weekend life.

Narrow streets hide many modern art galleries, various shops, cafés and restaurants. Here you will find typical fountain at Place Saint Sulpice and outstanding designer flea market nearby, that certainly change your attitude to such phenomena of many European cities.
What is more, Saint-Germain is popular by its 17th century’s buildings like the French Senate, the Luxembourg Palace and the magnificent Luxembourg Gardens around. You can feel majestic beauty, dignity and centuries-old history in every part of this old quite edifices that hold memories about some generations.

But the most important spots here are intellect’s cafés (Café de Flore, Cafe Lex Deux Magots ). Don’t think that waiters offer you to answer some difficult questions to get a cup of tea. These cafés are named this way because once world-known people as Hemingway, Sartre, Picasso liked to be there, having drinks and discussing their ideas.