The village-like Left Bank neighborhood of Saint-Germain-des-Prés represents postcard-perfect Paris. Named for Église Saint-Germain-des-Prés (the city's oldest church), the area abuts the Quartier Latin and shares its bohemian, scholarly spirit. Long known for art galleries, bookshops, and jazz bars, Saint-Germain-des-Prés was a favorite of existentialist luminaries Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, and Albert Camus, who frequented the Café de Flore and Les Deux Magots. After an intellectual pilgrimage, the best things to do in Saint-Germain-des-Prés include picnicking on the Pont des Arts and browsing the racks at Le Bon Marché.
There’s never a bad time to visit the romantic, atmospheric neighborhood of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, but there are particularly good times. Like May, when the Saint-Germain-des-Prés Jazz Festival is held. The festival celebrates the neighborhood’s jazz heritage and encompasses days of live performances. Autumn is an excellent time to beat the crowds and explore green spaces like the nearby Jardin Luxembourg, and January is when shoppers can score deals at department stores like Le Bon Marché.
Centrally located and readily accessible by public transportation, Saint-Germain-des-Prés is easy to discover. To get there, you can take Métro line 4 to Saint-Germain-des-Prés or Saint-Sulpice, line 10 to Mabillon, or lines 10 and 12 to Sèvres - Babylone. Several bus lines frequent the area, and taxis and rideshare services offer other options. You can view Saint-Germain-des-Prés aboard a Seine river cruise.
Like most Paris neighborhoods, Saint-Germain-des-Prés has its fair share of gourmet restaurants, charming cafés, and destination-worthy bakeries. But it also has a culinary attraction that visiting food lovers shouldn’t miss: La Grande Épicerie de Paris. Adjoined to Le Bon Marché, the fine food hall sells everything from prepared foods to high-quality French ingredients, wines, and cookware. It’s the place to go for a delicious souvenir or two.