Saint-Germain-des-Prés, from Rue de Rennes

Some neighbourhoods feel familiar before you have ever been. Saint-Germain-des-Prés is one of them: the terraces on the boulevard, the publishers, the names of Sartre and Beauvoir. What surprises you when you stay is that this Paris still exists, simply calmer than you expect as soon as you leave the boulevard. Our apartments in the 6th are on rue de Rennes, and this is where we write from.

Rue de Rennes, a Left Bank axis

Rue de Rennes runs down from Montparnasse towards Saint-Germain-des-Prés. It is a broad Haussmann street, lined with stone façades and shops, that leads in a few steps to the church of Saint-Germain-des-Prés at the boulevard crossing. On either side, narrower streets: rue du Vieux-Colombier, rue Madame, rue Bonaparte, the streets of everyday life in the quarter.

That double nature is what makes it a good address: a wide, convenient street to arrive, move around and leave; quiet streets to live in.

Mornings in the Luxembourg

The Luxembourg is the neighbourhood garden. Go in early, when the chestnut alleys are still empty and the green chairs wait around the great pond. The Medici fountain, the Senate palace, the chess players, the children and their sailing boats: the garden has its habits, and you soon adopt them.

On the way, the church of Saint-Sulpice and its square, with its fountain and two mismatched towers. The streets around it are among the most peaceful in the 6th.

Cafés, bookshops, galleries

Saint-Germain-des-Prés grew up around its cafés. Café de Flore and Les Deux Magots, facing each other at the boulevard crossing, keep their terraces turned towards the street: you come to watch the neighbourhood go by, a book in hand.

Around them, the publishing quarter: publishing houses, bookshops, second-hand booksellers. Further north, between rue de Seine and rue des Beaux-Arts, galleries and antique dealers follow one another down to the river. To the east, the Odéon theatre and the streets that slope towards the Seine.

Tables and sweet things

For a dinner that matters, Restaurant Guy Savoy occupies the salons of the Monnaie de Paris, facing the Seine. For the afternoon, the Pierre Hermé boutique on rue Bonaparte and its Ispahan, rose, lychee and raspberry. In between, the quarter offers bistros, seasonal tables and counters where you can lunch without booking.

On the edge of the 6th, on rue de Sèvres, Le Bon Marché and La Grande Épicerie de Paris are the neighbourhood's other market: this is where you shop when the apartment has a large kitchen and a table for eight. For a hard-to-get table on a particular evening, the concierge takes care of it.

Living in Saint-Germain

Our apartments on rue de Rennes have three and four bedrooms and sleep up to eight guests. They are air-conditioned, with an equipped kitchen, a large living space for entertaining and a bedroom for everyone. You walk home from the Luxembourg, the boulevard or the quays.

You will find them on the 6th arrondissement page and in the collection. For a stay for two, our piece on the romantic neighbourhoods of Paris gives the Left Bank pride of place.

The ACT 3 Team