Saint Germain des Pres

Saint Germain Paris location is enviable as it lies in the heart of Paris, surround by the most important structures and areas including the Invalides and the Eiffel Tower Quarter in the east, the Luxembourg Quarter in the south, the Latin Quarter in the west, and the Seine in the north. Bursting at it seems with bistros, bookshops, publishing houses, galleries, coffee-houses, and nightclubs, the intellectual core of this quarter is located at the cross section of rue Bonaparte and the boulevard St-Germain Paris where the Café Les Deux Magots (the wateringhole for many writers belonging to the "Lost Generation" of the 1920s -30s), and the Café de Flore, and the Brasserie Lipp provide the much needed ammunition for academic discussions. Besides these café, the Le Procope, considered as the first coffeehouse in the world and founded in 1686 is located at 13 rue de l’Ancienne-Comédie. Today, this once-upon-a-time coffeehouse, haunt of the likes of Voltaire and young Napoleon I, has reincarnated itself into an elegant restaurant.

The Saint Germain Paris area has some interesting structures like the Cour du Commerce St-André, the Cour de Rohan, the Institut de France, the Palais Abbatial, the Ecole Nationale d’Administration, the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts, the Théâtre National de l’Odéon, and the St-Germain-des-Prés church. Tourists can also enjoy walking along bustling streets such as the rue du Dragon, the rue de l’Odéon, while those who like to travel back in time can visit the museums including the Musée Eugène Delacroix, the Musée Nationale de la Légion d’Honneur, the Musée de la Monnaie, and the famous Musée d’Orsay.

Cour du Commerce St-André is famous as the site where Dr. Guillotin designed the decapitating machine - guillotine. The Ecole Nationale d’Administration is the academic temple to several reputed French politicians where as the Palais Abbatial was constructed for Charles of Bourbon, who was crowned the king in 1586. The Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts is the premier fine art’s school in France.

And finally the very beautiful Saint Germain Paris church, famous as being the oldest Parisian church, that was constructed on orders of the Merovingian King Childebert way back in 542, as a place to safe keep holy relics highly recommended to all is located in this area. However, the church was burned down during the Revolution though only the marble columns in the triforium remain from the original building, and much of it was rebuilt in the 19th century. The St Germain Paris church has a choir in Gothic style and a nave in Romanesque style.

The Saint Germain des Pres church also stages excellent recitals and concerts and boasts of advanced acoustics along with wonderful medieval atmosphere. Travelling to Saint Germain des Pres area is easy as it is well-connected by the Metro and inter-city buses as well.