Mairie du 5th Arrondissement

The town hall of the 5th arrondissement is in a prominent position, situated nearly opposite the Pantheon. The pedestrianised surrounds, is a popular place to meet and sit on a lovely blue skied day! The town hall was completed in 1849 and was inspired by the faculty of law, dating from 1770, also located on the Place du Pantheon. The facade of the town hall has been listed as a historical monument since 1925. 

Eglise Saint-Severin

The Church of Saint-Séverin is a Roman Catholic Church in the Latin Quarter of Paris, on the lively tourist street Rue Saint-Séverin. It was constructed beginning in 1230, then, after a fire, rebuilt and enlarged in the 15th to 17th centuries in the flamboyant Gothic style. It was the parish church for students at the University of Paris, and is one of the oldest churches that remains standing on the Left Bank. The church took its name from Saint Séverin of Paris, a devout hermit who lived at the site in the 6th century, and died in about 540.

Square Andre Lefevre

This is a small garden located next to the 13th century Eglise Saint-Severin church. It was once the cemetery to the church. It is named after an 18th century French philosopher, Andre Lefevre, and also has a bust of the Belgian poet Emile Verhaeren (1855-1916) (who died tragically in Rouen, when he fell under a moving train while trying to board it).

Place de la Contrescarpe

Place de La Contrescarpe is the opening setting of Ernest Hemingway’s famous novel, A Moveable Feast. In fact, Hemingway lived close to here at 74 rue du Cardinal-Lemoine during the 1920s.

The Sorbonne

The Sorbonne is a building in the Latin Quarter of Paris which from 1253 onwards housed the College of Sorbonne, part of one of the first universities in the Western world, later renamed University of Paris and commonly known as "the Sorbonne".

The Pantheon

The Pantheon stands in the Latin Quarter, atop the Montagne Sainte-Genevieve, and was built between 1758 and 1790, at the request of King Louis XV of France. The King intended it as a church dedicated to Saint Genevieve, Paris' patron saint. However, by the time it was completed, the French Revolution had begun and the National Constituent Assembly voted in 1791 to transform the Church into a mausoleum for the remains of distinguished French citizens, modelled on the Pantheon in Rome. 

Jardin des Plantes

The Jardin des Plantes, or the Garden of the Plants, is the main botanical garden in France. It covers 68 acres and it was founded in 1626 as a Royal garden of medicinal plants. It has approximately 23,500 species of plants cultivated in its greenhouses and outdoor plots, and also has a herbarium, a botanical library, a small zoo, a labyrinth, and various natural history exhibits.

Shakespeare and Company

Shakespeare and Company is an English-language bookshop in the heart of Paris, on the banks of the Seine, opposite Notre-Dame. Since opening in 1951, it’s been a meeting place for anglophone writers and readers, becoming a Left Bank literary institution.