A day in Saint-Sulpice, our hidden spots
Article published in May 2022
Do you like secret paths and confidential addresses? Follow us for a stroll through the Saint-Sulpice neighborhood, in the heart of the 6th district.
From the church with asymmetrical towers to the fringe of Luxembourg Gardens, there are plenty of surprises, and a lot of amazing places to discover. While walking rue Palatine, one cannot miss the Saint-Sulpice church, a district icon known for its beautiful and intriguing asymmetry. Inside this historical building, we discover a large marble obelisk marking the path of light emerging from a large stained glass window facing south. Here is the famous “gnomon” of this church, meridian marking the solstices and the equinoxes since the 18th century!
Did you know the Saint-Sulpice church also houses, among other remarkable artistic works, frescoes by Eugène Delacroix? Nestled in the Angels Chapel, its romantic interpretations of religious scenes, including Saint Michael Slaying The Dragon, have regained their original colors since a recent restoration. A first visit not to be missed …
Welcome to the heart of the 6th disctrict, as we are just starting our walk in one of the most popular areas of Paris! Saint-Sulpice is at the convergence of several lively centers: it is a parenthesis of calm between the axes of the streets of Rennes and Sèvres, their high-end shops, including the reknown Bon Marché with its Art Deco glass roof. Towards the Seine lie the terraces and bistros of Odéon, barely less known than the legendary cafes of Saint-Germain des Prés.
We pass by rue du Vieux Colombier where they say Boileau, Molière and Jean de la Fontaine were meeting to share ideas and more! This area also housing the superb theater Vieux Colombier of La Comédie Française, leads us to the rue des Quatre-Vents. Among the discreet shopping streets of that unique district, this street is one of the most pleasant, boasting confidential addresses of esquisite shoemakers and of brilliant designers, working in their opulent ateliers and boutiques, seen through their charming windows. Going to rue Lobineau, with an access to the halls of the Saint-Germain market known for its mouthwatering food shops, why not stopping at Le Petit Vatel? A bistro with just a few tables offering market cuisine where regulars meet to eat on the go. And then let’s turn back through rue Bonaparte, where rare books can be found in that enchanting bookstore located at number 84, for finally entering the Abbey hotel located on rue Cassette. This bucolic four-star establishment welcome in its patio visitors in search of calm and freshness.
Will you continue to the Luxembourg Gardens? Or do you prefer walking to the School of Fine Arts and its superb mulberry courtyard? Or may be you are interested by what is showing at the 3 Luxembourg cinema, or the one of Saint-André-des-Arts. These small cinemas are part of the modern icons of Le Quartier Latin known for its multitude of movie theatre! Once the movie is over, let’s go up Boulevard Saint Michel and enter the mineralogy museum. This sumptuous museum, too little known, together with Le Louvre is one of the oldest museums in France! Please your eyes and let your imagination go while looking through windows of its old collections: a real spectrum of curiosities taking us on a journey starting in the 18th century!
So, whether it is on the side of La Seine river, rue de Rennes or somewhere else on the garden side, shall we will find you this dream property in the 6th district? Contact-us.