General Information

The 6th arrondissement is an intellectual, arty district, with beautiful architecture, many monuments and the lovely Jardins du Luxembourg. It is also a luxurious shopping area. It is divided into quarters: Quartier de la Monnaie, Quartier de l’Odéon, Quartier Notre-Dame-des-Champs, Quartier Saint-Germain-des-Prés.

Street Spirit

Take a walk along the picturesque streets and feel the atmosphere of the famous Left Bank, which is synonymous with deeply-rooted intellectual tradition and bohemian charm. The 6th arrondissement is also a major location for art galleries and one of the most fashionable districts of Paris, as well as the city’s most expensive area.

History: Highlights

What is now the 6th arrondissement developed around the influential Abbey Saint-Germain-des-Prés. The area turned into a fashionable neighbourhood for French nobility in the 17th century when Queen Marie de Medicis founded the Luxembourg Palace. In the 20th century the district has been the home of major intellectual and literary movements.

Quarter de Monnaie

The 21st quarter owes its name to France’s oldest institution: Monnaie de Paris, the national mint. It was founded in the 9th century and is located in a handsome Neoclassical building.

Quartier de l’Odéon

Paris’s 22nd quarter is where Danton used to live. The area was named after the Odéon-Théâtre which is located nearby.

Quartier Notre-Dame-des-Champs

The 23rd quarter is speared by the rue Notre-Dame-des-Champs, an old street where Victor Hugo and Ernest Hemingway used to live at different points in time. The quarter is sometimes referred to as NDDC by the locals.

Quartier Saint-Germain-des-Prés

The village of Saint-Germain was founded in the 12th century and surrounded the Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés. The area benefitted greatly from the abbey’s spiritual patronage and came to be known as the intellectual heart of Paris. Although it has lost some of its lustre, it is still colourful, bustling with life and quite prestigious.