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Boulevard St. Germain

Boulevard St. Germain, Paris: Address, Boulevard St. Germain Reviews: 4.5/5

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Boulevard St. Germain

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Boulevard St. Germain
4.5
427
#92 of 3,386 things to do in Paris
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About
This historic street is most famous for its assortment of old cafés.
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The area
Neighborhood: Saint-Germain-des-Prés
In Saint-Germain-des-Prés, life is effortlessly chic and all things are beautiful. The main boulevard is dotted with famed terraced cafés, haut-couture shops, ivy-covered railings and fine-dining restaurants. Antique dealers and art galleries surround the fine art school and small museums hide in unassuming squares. The neighborhood’s namesake church is the oldest in Paris and is the backdrop for talented musicians every weekend. The Luxembourg Gardens house the national senate, splendid lawns and flourishing flower beds. Famous faces and bourgeois Parisians frequent Saint Germain accompanied by the students of Rue Saint Guillaume and Rue des Saints-Pères. This is a neighborhood where afternoon people-watching from a café or playing cards in a brasserie are a key part of the daily fabric.
How to get there
  • Mabillon • 1 min walk
  • Saint-Germain-des-Prés • 2 min walk
Best nearby
Restaurants
10,000 within 3 miles
Boutary
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The Frog and Princess
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L'Oliveto
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Attractions
4,060 within 6 miles
Square Félix-Desruelles
10
88 ftPoints of Interest & Landmarks • Gardens
Bibliotheque du Cinema Francois Truffaut
99 ftLibraries
Saint Germain des Pres Quarter
6,806
365 ftNeighborhoods • Architectural Buildings
Abbaye de Saint-Germain-des-Pres
410
484 ftReligious Sites • Churches & Cathedrals
Musée National Eugène Delacroix
334
497 ftSpeciality Museums
Place Furstenburg
42
429 ftPoints of Interest & Landmarks
L'Embâcle
28
523 ftPoints of Interest & Landmarks • Monuments & Statues
Statue de Diderot
9
259 ftMonuments & Statues
Statue de Bernard Palissy
3
239 ftMonuments & Statues
La porte du Square Felix Desruelles
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
427 reviews
Excellent
200
Very good
175
Average
45
Poor
7
Terrible
0
I Don't REVIEW
Melbourne, Australia2 contributions
Lovely, Interesting and Convienant.
When in Paris I stayed in St. Germain and it was a stunning area to be in and even though a little expensive it was worth it as I was travelling alone. I had the Seine outside my front door and the Boulevard around the corner to discover each day. I could have easily left my life behind and never left St. Germain, Lol. I travelled back in August 2015 but I couldnt choose that so I went with Feb, 2021. Sorry for an misunderstandings with the dates.
Written February 20, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Dimitris L
Sydney, Australia40,338 contributions
Great street
Boulevard St. Germain is a great street. We walked along this beautiful stretch a number of times. It is a busy area, full of cafes, restaurants, many other shops, and people. It has a very long history, and it was the centrepiece of the new city design back in the 19th century. A must, to walk on.
Written September 25, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Thomas V
Oakland, CA13,461 contributions
Left Bank Boulevard
This is a very long boulevard through the Left Bank area, connecting various upscale neighborhoods. Lots of bus traffic, just lots of traffic, make it very noisy. But the big shade trees improve the views. Cafes, restaurants, and grand apartment buildings.
Written June 30, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
BradJill
Hong Kong, China148,484 contributions
Important boulevard cutting through the Left Bank
Couples
Had a couple nice walks along parts of Boulevard Saint-Germain during our recent visit to Paris. This is a famous boulevard within the Left Bank side of the city, starting at Pont de la Concorde at the Seine River, passing through the St. Germain and Latin Quarters and then intersecting the river again at Pont de Sully

You'll find lots of restaurants, bars, chocolate shops as well as historic cafes and and major attractions such as the Église de Saint Germain des Prés and Musée de Cluny.

Area hotels are are quite popular in the St. Germain and Latin Quarter near the boulevard as well. We've stayed nearby on a couple trips to Paris in recent years. Good chance will do the same during future visits to the city.
Written February 20, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Janice819
Haleyville, Alabama58 contributions
Small Town Within The City
Friends
This is my favorite shopping area in Paris. The Boulevard St. Germain has many wonderful little side streets as it winds through the Left Bank. I would much rather shop here than on the Champs Elysees. You will still find many designer shops such as Armani, just to name one. Fouquet Chocolate is located in this area and is one of the oldest and the best in the City. Hermes for macaroons? It's here. Beautiful cathederals and churches. Lovely homes and classic buildings. There is a Metro in the center of it all which makes it easy to reach from any section of the City. Don't miss this wonderful area of Paris. You will feel like you've been strolling in a smaller town within the city. It's a go to in my book.
Written April 29, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
MimiJWisconsin
Marinette, WI135 contributions
Stroll Down this Main Artery Boulevard St-Germain for a Taste of Paris
Couples
Lovely and lively, Boulevard St-Germain cuts an arch-like swath across the northern end of the Left Bank, beginning at Quai d'Orsay near the Pont de la Concorde in the west to Arab World Institute at Pont du Sully in the east.

At the western end, Boulevard St-Germain is lined with upscale shops, government buildings, banks and travel agencies as well as restaurants and hotels. At the eastern end, the street offers bookstores, affordable dining, boutiques, computer stores and all manner of business and retail establishments. In between is Place Maubert with its open-air market, the Cluny Museum of the Middle Ages and its serene garden, the busy intersection of Boulevard St-Michel which swarms with students, legendary cafe like Les Deux Magots and Cafe de Flore and the lovely and ancient church of Saint-Germaine-de-Pres.

Boulevard St-Germain is a good place to stay, shop, eat and people watch. Students, business people, academics, artists, lovers of all ages walk down this thoroughfare every day. If you had to chose one street in Paris, this could be it.

This is Paris, this gently curving street that sections off the top part of the Left Bank. You will see it all here, at one time or another. Don't miss it.

North of Boulevard St-Germain are winding streets filled with galleries, cafés, shops, businesses, hotels, and history. They are charming and old and worth a side trip.

If you have one day to spend in Paris, spend part of it on Boulevard St-Germain.
Written December 12, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Loretta R
Hermosa Beach, CA394 contributions
Much to Do & See on One Convenient Boulevard
Friends
Saint-Germain-des-Pres is a long boulevard that spans from the Ile-St-Louis near Notre Dame to the Place de la Concorde. Between those two end points, the boulevard passes the Cluny Museum with the gorgeous Unicorn tapestries, the famous Latin Quarter, Saint-Germain-des-Pres church which is the oldest church in Paris, legendary cafes such as Lipp and Deux Magots, high-end boutiques, and the Church of Thomas Aquinas. This area doesn’t charm me as much as other areas in Paris because it feels a little more urban and modern in energy—faster paced with more local Parisians and business men rushing through. However, it’s worth a visit since there is so much to see and do on one convenient, long boulevard. No getting lost here!
Written December 30, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
sriv60
London, UK110 contributions
Noisy and busy but the side streets are wonderful to explore for shopping
Couples
The boulevard itself is pretty ugly and noisy with the tourists traps of brasserie lipp and the cafe deux magots. The abbey of st.germain is a historic refuge so definitely worth a look, but the real joy of this area is to dive off to the left or right into the side streets where there are wonderful boutiques selling everything from fashion to handmade chocolates and macaroons. There are great interiors shops, jewellers and galleries. Easy to spend a fortune but lovely window shopping too.
Written May 28, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
RonnieOrlando
Orlando, Florida303 contributions
A large avenue with lots of cafes but not anything special
Couples
Large Boulevard with a lot of historic cafes but not anything special. Easy to walk out of hotel and have your pick of cafes but I would prefer to be on the right bank near more sights such as the Louvre and the Arch. Carefully plan what you are going to see and make sure you do not have to make a lot of subway
changes on that line or check if it is near the hop on hop off bus route which I think is the best way for a tourist to see Paris. We are seniors so steps in the subway are hard. Also the subway does not always drop you exactly at the tourist site as the hop on hop off bus does.
Written June 7, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Donsafe
Canterbury, UK1,041 contributions
Still full of excitement & charm
Friends
This area is easy to get to by tube. I usually walk here if I can as I like to see things on the way. I've visited often but I returned to Boulevard St Germain again recently. I was encouraged to do so after reading a story in a book - The Pimlico Tapes by AK Anders - which jogged my memory. The cafes and the street life were just as I'd read about it. I often do this in fact. I once spent a week touring around places mentioned in Orwell's Down & Out in Paris & London. There's a man in Pimlico Tapes who frequented a cafe along the boulevard St Germain. The scene and the man were described so vividly I just had to come and look for it. Maybe the man really exists?

The area still has a bit of a 'red light' feel about it. The hardressers are mainly a front for other services you know. Food & drink-wise, I had a great Salad Nicoise in Cafe de Flor followed by a delicious white chocolate mouse and some small hard goat's cheese - excellent! The prices on the wine list scared me a bit at first until I saw the house wine on a separate card. You can eat well here by ordering two or even three starters, which is loads for anyone. The house red wine was also very good.
I spent a whole day going from cafe to cafe along the street and in little side streets. Cafe St Pierre, Cafe de Flor, Chez Hercule, Cafe Bar Virginia. Perhaps it's the man over there with the cravat, I asked myself? It was one of my best Parisien days for many years, despite the cold.

When it comes to atmosphere, this street really is where it's at! Allow yourself at least a day to take in the atmosphere. Best place to get away from high tourist prices is in the little side streets. Also I'd advise eating your main meal for lunch when the bargains are, if you're on a tight budget.
Written April 9, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Frequently Asked Questions about Boulevard St. Germain
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