Latin Quarter Paris Breaks 5th Arrondissement - Quartier Latin
The Latin Quarter, quartier latin or 5th Arrondissement has long been the intellectual centre and heart and soul of Paris, as well as becoming a major tourist area. Bookshops, colleges, churches, clubs, student dives, Roman ruins, publishing houses, street musicians, world foodie restaurants and expensive boutiques characterize the district. Since the founding of the Sorbonne in 1253, the quarter was called Latin because students and professors spoke the Latin language, long before one particular dialect had become standardised as modern French. Follow in the footsteps of Descartes, Verlaine, Camus, Sartre, James Thurber, Elliot Paul, and Hemingway as you enjoy Paris breaks in the latin quarter. Changing times have brought Greek, Moroccan, and Vietnamese immigrants, among others, offering everything from couscous to fiery-hot spring rolls and souvlaki. The 5th arrondissement borders the banks of Seine, and you'll want to stroll along the quayside at quai de Montebello, checking the secondhand book shops with everything from antique Daumier prints to yellowing copies of Balzac's Père Goriot in the shadow of Notre-Dame.
