Saint-Germain-des-Prés, a mythical enclave
As soon as you leave the Saint-Germain-des-Prés metro station, it stands proudly in front of anyone who is curious to look up: the church of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, a former Benedictine abbey founded in the middle of the 6th century by the Merovingian king Childebert I and the bishop of Paris Saint-Germain. The one that became a church in the 19th century is none other than the oldest of the great churches in Paris! Moreover, it was a royal necropolis until the creation of that of the Basilica of Saint-Denis. The building has undergone numerous destructions and restorations over time, but its nave is particularly worth a visit, being one of the last remains of Romanesque art in the capital. The church is in any case an excellent starting point for a walk in the heart of the Germanopratin district!
A neighborhood with a rich historical heritage
It is in fact not the only building that deserves a look: located a few meters from each other, the Hôtel de la Monnaie de Paris and the Institut de France are particularly remarkable. We owe the first to the architect Jacques-Denis Antoine, who carried out the work requested by Louis XV in the second half of the 18th century. Thus, since 1775, this building of more than 30,000 square meters has been located on the grounds of the former Hotel de Conti, with a building in the neoclassical style decorated with columns and pediments. The first factory established in Paris, it is now the last in operation: in addition to its public service mission of minting current euros for France, it also produces foreign currencies. Walk a few steps and you will arrive in front of the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts, recognizable by its facade decorated with frescoes and busts.
Another mythical place in the neighborhood: Procope, founded in 1686 by the Sicilian Francesco Procopio Dei Coltelli, considered to be the oldest café in the capital. It would be the first Parisian restaurant to introduce coffee and democratize it by offering table service in a porcelain cup. A historical monument whose fragments are captured in each element of the original decor: wallpaper from 1830 stamped “Liberty, Equality”, a wall covered with the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen of 1789 in one of the rooms, Napoleon's hat sitting at the entrance... not to mention the roof and the wrought iron balconies of the facade, listed as historical monuments.
Saint-Germain-des-Prés on the cultural side
The neighborhood has always been marked by an intense cultural life. The boys in so-called “literary” cafés, such as Café de Flore and Les Deux Magots, thus saw Guillaume Apollinaire, Simone de Beauvoir or Boris Vian sit at the table, while the family hotel “La Louisiane” was frequented by Salvador Dalí as well as Keith Haring, Jane Campion or even Quentin Tarantino. Beyond meeting places for the artistic scene, the Saint-Germain-des-Prés district was the place of residence of several painters, such as Delacroix, Ingres and Manet.
From the years 1945-50, this center of Parisian intellectual and cultural life vibrated to the rhythm of jazz, with the opening of places such as Le Tabou and the Club Saint-Germain, where the greatest artists, like Miles Davis, would perform. Today, it is in particular in the neighborhood that the Jazz Festival in Saint-Germain-des-Prés Paris takes place every year, at the end of spring.
Among the museums to visit in the neighborhood, we recommend first of all the Eugène Delacroix Museum, located in the painter's former apartment and studio. Equipped with a charming secret garden, it is dedicated to the life and work of the romantic painter and his loved ones (and closed until March 2024). The Gainsbourg House, finally opened to the public in 2023, takes us into the universe of the ‘The Man with the Cabbage Head’ through a guided tour through the voice of his daughter, Charlotte.
Best place to eat in Saint-Germain-des-Prés?
Did all this whet your appetite? So much the better, we found several gems to sit down in the neighborhood. Located in the Saint-Germain covered market, Mordu is one of those addresses where time stands still, with its Art Deco setting and high ceilings. This bistronomic table run by chef Alan Deloumeaux will delight food lovers, with dishes enhanced by the choices of sommelier Olivier Machado. Another safe bet: Aux Prés, Cyril Lignac's restaurant, which gives pride of place to pieces of meat, to be served with a cocktail. We strongly advise you not to miss the crunchy cake with Madras curry cake and avocado, a must! To satisfy desires elsewhere, Kodawari Yokochō will immediately transport you to the streets of Tokyo: despite a decor that some may find kitsch, here you can enjoy one of the best ramen in the capital.
Shopping in Saint-Germain-des-Prés
If you have a few bucks left, or if you simply want to do some window shopping for the pleasure of the eyes, two addresses to remember: the unmissable Bon Marché, founded in 1838, from which it is difficult to come out empty handed. To exalt your five senses, you also go to the Officine Universelle Buly 1903, with its air of an apothecary's office. On the shelves, beautiful products that smell good - perfumes, body oils, candles, creams of all kinds... A place where it is good to find a present for yourself or to give as a gift!