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Walk 2: Left Bank |
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My Paris Walks Walk 1: Paris and Chocolate Walk 3: The Marais Walk 4: Ile de la Cité |
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This walk gives a first-hand view of the making of modern Paris under the direction of Baron Haussmann in the 19th century. We begin
our walk in front of the church of Saint Germain des Pres with a look at when, many centuries ago, the church was the center of a walled
monastery surrounded by fields. We trace the growth of the quarter as narrow, winding streets are laid down over time, and into it's
eventual transformation with the creation of Boulevard Saint Germain. Walking down the boulevard we will trace the footsteps of Marat
and Danton of Revolution fame and stand before the houses where they lived (torn down in 1876). Across the boulevard we'll step back into the 13th century and see a huge remnant of the Philippe Auguste wall that surrounded Paris, a tower unnoticed by the passing crowds. Arriving at Place Saint Michel provides a striking example of Haussmann's work, his aesthetic, as well as how he confronted the problems of medieval Paris when he took power in 1853. Walking through the Saint Severin quarter takes us back to the rise of the university as education became secular and separated from the church in the 13th century. We will also look closely at early 20th century plans for renovation of the quarter that were thankfully never carried out. As we approach the end of the tour we pass the oldest tree in Paris -1602. Our final stop is at that most venerable of bookstores Shakespeare and Company. Standing across from Notre Dame we get a capsule view of Paris transforming from Roman times to the year 1908 when the quarter underwent profound change. Click here to go back to the main My Paris Walks page. |
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 Entrance to Cour du Dragon on rue de Rennes.  Rue de Rennes under construction.  Rue de Ecole de Medecine before Haussmann. Click here to go back to the main My Paris Walks page. |