| The northern half of the 6e arrondissement, asymmetrically centred on place St-Germain-des-Prés, is one of the most picturesque, lively and wealthy square kilometres in the city. It's got the money, elegance and sophistication, but also an easy-going tolerance and simplicity that comes from a long association with mould-breakers and trendsetters in the arts, philosophy, politics and sciences. Increasingly, the high-end fashion business is taking over – the streets around the Carrefour de la Croix-Rouge and Place St-Sulpice swarm with internationally known boutiques. Around rue Jacob, on the north side of boulevard St-Germain, it's antique shops and art dealers that dominate. After shopping, nightlife is the main attraction, though it's pretty conservative these days, a far cry from the postwar era when Sartre and de Beauvoir were leading lights in the intellectual set, and Juliette Gréco and Léo Ferré sang in the cellar jazz bars. There are plenty of churches, markets and cafés to take in as you shop or stroll, and you can always rest up in the delightful Jardin du Luxembourg, bordering the Quartier Latin towards the southern end of the 6e. Notoriously romantic, and packed with students, it is one of the largest and loveliest green spaces in the city.
Pages in section ‘St-Germain’: Pont des Arts and Institut de France, Riverside, Place St-Germain-des-Prés, St-Sulpice to the Odéon, Jardin du Luxembourg.
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