From the River to the Abbey – A Hiking Trail in the Northern Part of Saint-Germain

The northern border of the Saint-Germain district is the Seine River, and between it and the famous Boulevard Saint-Germain you will find a series of picturesque streets and important art galleries. This is the more bohemian part of Saint-Germain (while its southern part is considered the more religious part due to what was once the Abbey of Saint-Germain and the seminary of Saint-Sulpice) and in my opinion also the most fun part of the district.

Therefore, let me invite you to explore those places that make Saint-Germain so legendary. During our tour, we will “say hello” to Oscar Wilde, Georges Sand, Balzac, Voltaire and even Picasso. At the same time, we will also discover some beautiful buildings, starting from the Academy building, the School of Art and the palace of the abbot who briefly became king. France.

In short, you will find everything here, and since time is short and we have quite a few steps to take and stories to tell, let's get started right away.

The itinerary in the northern part of Saint-Germain

The truth is that since there is no metro station right at the beginning of the route, we will start it in the 1st district of Paris Outside the Louvre-Rivoli station (line 1). After exiting the metro you have two options – both of which are excellent.

One is to walk north along the Seine to the Pont des Arts, where our tour will begin. Another option is to enter theLouvre Through its eastern entrance in the square courtyard (Cour carrée) and from there turn south, exit the Louvre, cross the road and reach the Pont des Arts.

Have you arrived? Let's start our trip!

Itinerary map

The Bridge of Arts and the Academy Building

Yair Garbuz in his book “Paris Tel Aviv – Tel Aviv Paris” recommends taking the “Paris virgins,” straight from the plane, to the Pont des Arts, blindfolded, and there, while standing on the bridge, removing the blindfold. This is Garbuz’s “right of first glance” – and what a glance it is!

To the north you can see the Louvre, to the east the Fontainebleau, to the south the College de France building stands in all its glory to the south, while to the west you will see the Eiffel Tower (And if you stand there after the sun has set and see it lit up and sparkling, you are guaranteed an incomparable romantic sight.)

Now you have two options. The first is to continue on the route (after giving yourself enough time to look at all this beauty). A second option, for Francophiles who like to delve deeper, is to read a number of articles that deal with what your eyes have seen:

• You can read about the Bridge of Arts and the Academy Building in the article The story of Von des Aars and the Collège de France.
  
• You can read about the phone in the article Pont Neuf – the revolutionary bridge that changed Paris.
  
• And one more article, about what you don’t see, because it has long since ceased to exist here. I’m talking about the Tour de Nesle, which stood where the Collège de France stands and witnessed a dramatic event in the 14th century that changed the history of France. You can read about it in Dr. Orna Lieberman’s excellent article. The Migdal Nell Affair: Acts of Adultery in the Royal Court.

The magical garden behind the academy building

Continue south towards the College de France building and on the right you will see a kind of passage that will lead you to a small roundabout named after Honoré Champion (1846-1913), a publisher who published books in the fields of arts and sciences and lived in the Saint-Germain district.

In the center of the square stands the statue of the famous philosopher François-Marie Arouet, known to us as Voltaire (François-Marie Arouet 1694-1778), created by sculptor Léon-Ernest Drivier (1878-1951). Is Voltaire's statue located here because in 1746 he was elected to the Academy, which, as mentioned, is located right across the street? Possibly. However, as you will discover later, Saint-Germain has another connection to Voltaire.

In the meantime, let me invite you to enter a small and charming garden located directly opposite. It is called Square Gabriel Pierné, named after a composer and organist who, like Voltaire, also won a seat in the Academy. For those interested in listening to a little of his music, here is the opening movement of his Piano Concerto Opus 12, which I really like.

While listening to his music on your headphones, enter this magical garden, which is a must-visit both in the fall, to enjoy the special lighting and fall foliage, and in the spring, to witness the lovely blooms.

Street of Galleries and Poets

Continue south on Rue de Seine, which will become, as you will see, the main axis of this route and turn right onto rue des Beaux-Arts. This street was created during the 19th century, to connect Rue de Seine with the School of Fine Arts, which we will talk about later, so it is not surprising that you can find mythological art galleries here (some of which have closed):

• Patrice Trigano (Galerie Patrice Trigano) – A very famous gallery located at number 4, where the sculptor James Pradier (1790-1852) lived, who designed, among other things, the area around Napoleon's tomb inPalace of the InvalidesHere you will find mainly art from the 50s and onwards.
  
• Claude Bernard (Galerie Claude Bernard) – A very old gallery located at number 7-9, where works by Giacometti (Alberto Giacometti 1901-1966), Francis Bacon (Francis Bacon 1909-1992) and David Hockney were sold. The gallery still exists today and you can see what is currently on display by visiting it or enteringThis site.
  
• Albert Loeb Gallery – Opened in 1966 at number 12 by Albert Loeb, son of Pierre Loeb (1897-1964). Pierre was one of the most important art dealers of the first half of the 20th century and a friend of Pablo Picasso, whose works he exhibited in his gallery on Rue Bonaparte, not far away. After the war, he continued to sell modern and abstract art by artists such as the CoBrA group. His son Albert continued his path and opened his own gallery in 1966, where he continued to sell modern art, until he decided to close the shop in 2015.

But it's not just visual art galleries that you'll find here, but also several artists of the written word who lived on the street. The first is the poet Gérard de Nerval (1808-1855), who lived at number 5. He was one of France's most important romantic poets, known for his eccentric personality. How eccentric, you ask? He used to walk the streets of Paris with a lobster tied to a leash, like a dog...

Another important literary figure who spent the last months of his life here was none other than the famous writer and poet Oscar Wilde (1854-1900). He was exiled to Paris after serving two years in a British prison for homosexuality, during which time he lost his health (as part of the hard labor performed by prisoners like him, Wilde was forced to walk for hours on a treadmill, which was operated by a machine. Today, people pay money for this at a gym).

Since Oscar had lost most of his money and was looking for a cheap hotel, he decided to stay at the Hôtel d'Alsace, which was considered cheap and very dirty, even by the standards of Saint-Germain district of the early 20th century (which were very low anyway because at that time the neighborhood was considered very bohemian and cheap to live in).

Oscar Wilde's sense of humor did not leave him until his death on November 30, 1900, and while lying in his bed looking at the cheap yellow wallpaper on the walls, he said:

The wallpaper and I are fighting a duel to the death. One of us will have to go.

If there's anything I should have mentioned at the beginning of this itinerary, it's that all the places you've visited so far (starting with the two gardens we visited and Beaux Arts Street) were once part of the palace complex of Marguerite of Valois (Marguerite de Valois 1553-1615), wife of King Henry IV (reigned 4-1589).

This palace was built with the money she received from her husband for agreeing to divorce him and allow him to marry a younger woman who could bear him children. However, the construction of the palace and her extravagant lifestyle meant that after her death she left her heir Louis XIII (reigned 13-1610) only debts. As a result, the king was forced to sell the palace grounds, which over the years became the streets we walk through now.

If you want to see a small building that remains from Queen Margot's royal complex, all you have to do is walk forward on Rue de Seine until you reach 14 Rue Bonaparte and you will discover the Paris School of Fine Arts in front of you.

Usually, when there is no school, or during Heritage DaysThe guard at the entrance will allow you to go inside. If this happens, look to the right after you enter and you will discover a chapel called: La chapelle des Louanges.

My recommendation is not to settle for the chapel itself, but to also enter the academy building itself, where you will also find quite a few works of art, and of course, not to miss the cloister, which is located not far from the building and where you can also find quite a few statues.

Of course, everything I have written here is only a small part of the academy's story, so if you are interested in reading its full story, you are welcome to visit the article. The Paris School of Fine Arts and the Birth of Bohemia.

The architect of the Louvre and the mistress of Marshal de Saxe on the same street

After visiting the École des Beaux-Arts de Paris, continue south on Rue Bonaparte and turn left onto Rue Visconti. This street dates back to the 16th century, and houses at numbers 5,7,9, 16, and XNUMX survive from that period. Because this street, which still doesn’t suffer from too much traffic today, was considered particularly quiet and remote in those days, it was a favorite of Huguenots (French Protestants), who were persecuted by the authorities in XNUMXth-century France and were looking for a place to hide.

One of those Huguenots was none other than the famous architect Jacques Androuet du Cerceau (1550-1614), who was the favorite architect of King Henry IV and responsible for building parts of the south wing of the Louvre andPlace de Vosges.

In the late 17th century, the famous playwright Jean Racine (24-1636) lived here, at number 1699, and wrote some of the most important plays in the repertoire of French dramatic plays (Athalie, Phaedra, etc.). Racine, who was one of the king's favorite playwrights, lost royal patronage because he was a Jansenist (a sect of the Catholic Church that the king opposed).

Fortunately, he had enough money to retire and maintain a house with 14 servants, which allowed him to live comfortably. It is said that he rarely left this house until he died in 1699 of liver cancer.

In the 18th century, another theatre star lived at number 16, the famous actress Adrienne Lecouvreur (1692-1730). This actress gained great fame not only for her acting talent and her performances in the Comédie Française, but also for being the mistress of Marshal Maurice de Saxe (1696-1750), undoubtedly the most talented officer in the service of France during the 18th century (until the arrival of Napoleon Bonaparte(of course).

In any case, just as in the case of Molière, here too the churchmen did not agree to bury her in the cemetery of Saint-Sulpice And her good friend Voltaire had to wage a stubborn struggle against the religious establishment, which would not give in and would not allow her to be buried in a Christian ceremony. In the end, Voltaire and his friends were forced to bury her on the Champs de Mars not far from where the Eiffel Tower would be built in the future. Voltaire, furious at the insensitivity of the church, subsequently wrote one of his famous poems, La Mort de Mlle Lecouvreur, in which he wrote:

Dieux! Pourquoi mon pays n'est-il plus la patrie Et de la gloire et des talents!

Or in a free translation: God! Why is my country no longer the homeland of glory and talent!

Nearly a century after the death of Adrien Lecouvreur, the famous French writer Honoré de Balzac lived on this street (at numbers 17-19). At that time, Balzac tried his hand at business and, to his great regret, failed in everything he touched. One of the businesses he tried to start was a printing press, which failed to thrive financially.

Ultimately, Balzac decided to give the printing house to his daughter, Madame de Berny (Laure de Berny 1777-1836), who was much more than just his mistress, as can be understood from his eulogy after her death:

She supported me with her words, her actions, her devotion during the great storms. If I am alive, it is because of her. She was everything to me.

Then, as if by magic, the printing house, which was located on this street, suddenly began to gain success and quite a few important works, including Stendhal’s “The Red and the Black,” were printed here. Later, the place became the studio of the famous painter Eugène Delacroix (1798-1863), about whom we will talk more later, and there he painted some of his most famous paintings, including “Hamlet” and “A Jewish Wedding in Morocco.”

La Rochefoucauld, Georges Sand and the first Paris Opera House

After you've finished strolling along Rue Visconti, continue towards Rue de Seine, one of the most important streets in the Saint-Germain district. Number 14 was once the mansion of François VI de La Rochefoucauld (6-1613), who became famous for his book Les Maxims (or in Hebrew: Proverbs), which deals with human nature through a series of short sayings.

Here in this mansion, some of the greatest names in 17th-century literature gathered, including Madame de Savignier, from the complementary works of La Fontaine, Moliere and many others.

In the elegant building at number 31, you will find a sign telling you that in the 19th century, the famous writer George Sand (George Sand 1804-1876) came here after divorcing her husband Baron Dudevant (François-Casimir Dudevant 1795-1871), and she lived here for several years.

By the way, remember the Marshal de Saxe, whom I briefly mentioned when we were walking down Rue Visconti? Georges Sand was his illegitimate descendant, since her great-grandmother was the actress Marie-Geneviève Rinteau (1730-1775), and their common daughter was Georges Sand's grandmother. If you want to read more about Georges Sand, I recommend that you go to the article about Museum of Romantic Life, which deals with the house where she lived in the 9th arrondissement of Paris.

The reason for this is that Ramon, who was an avid lover of ancient Greece, founded the academy here that dealt with Greek culture (from philosophy to the art of weaving sandals). Ramon loved ancient Greece so much that he used to walk around the academy wearing a toga and with a wreath of laurel leaves on his head. This academy did not last after his death and was closed.

Continue on Rue de Seine until you reach the intersection with Rue Jacques Callot. There you will find one of Saint-Germain's legendary cafes, Café La Palette, named after the painter's palette. Not surprisingly, this cafe, located not far from the School of Fine Arts, was a favorite meeting place for quite a few artists, including Cézanne, Picasso, and Georges Braque (1882-1963).

Over the years, the cafe has become a meeting place not only for painters but also for writers like Ernest Hemingway, actors like Julia Roberts, and even politicians like Jacques Chirac. I admit and confess that I have never sat here and I am very curious whether this cafe has become another place that lives up to its name, or whether it manages to maintain a level?

And while you're standing near Café La Pallet, continue a little further down Jacques Callot Street and you'll come to Bistrot Mazarine. I didn't eat there either, but I noticed a small sign telling us that it was here, in this place, that the Italian/French musician Jean Baptiste Lully (1632-1687) founded the first opera in Paris in 1671.

If you would like to read more about the history of the Paris Opera (and enjoy some pretty good music as well), let me recommend the article on Paris Opera Building.

The most romantic square in Paris (at least in my opinion)

Return to Rue de Seine and continue south until you reach Rue Jacob, which once served as the moat of the Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, and is named after our father Jacob. Turn right onto Rue Jacob and then left onto Rue Fürstenberg.

Welcome to the most romantic square in Paris, at least in my opinion. The square is named after Wilhelm Egon von Fürstenberg (1629-1704), the abbot of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, who renovated his Renaissance palace in 1691. The abbot's stables used to stand here, but now you'll find a square with a single streetlight and a few trees. You'll find chic boutiques all around, and the last time I visited there, my camera even caught a painter painting the square.

If you would like to get to know the story of Fürstenberg Square a little better, I recommend you read the article Fürstenberg Square, the romantic square in the city of lightsHowever, before we move on, we must say a few words about the Delacroix Museum, the entrance to which is located inside the square.

Eugène Delacroix lived for years in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, but when he was asked to paint two paintings in the Church of Saint-Sulpice, he decided to move to number 6-8 on the Place Fürstenberg, in order to save himself the long journey to and from the church.

The move was not easy at all, as the building required major renovations to adapt it to Delacroix's requirements, and the workers were, in the painter's opinion, lazy and... diabolical. However, the renovation was eventually completed and Delacroix moved in with his housekeeper, where he lived until the day he died.

I have visited the place several times and I highly recommend that you do so too. It is a “Biz Museum”, that is, a small, charming and intimate museum, which requires no more than one hour of visit. Here you will find sketches of the famous artist, a sculpture of his head and of course the garden and studio where he worked on his latest works. Alongside all of these you will find various temporary exhibitions there. For more information, go toLink this.

Uncle of Henry IV, who almost became King of France

After visiting the Delacroix Museum, you are invited to continue south towards the palace that you will see opposite you.

By the way, real bricks were used in the palace, while in the building where the Delacroix Museum is located today, these bricks were painted, because, as mentioned, the building was previously used as a stable and it would have been a shame to waste money on it.

But next we will return to Charles de Bourbon, although he belonged to the Bourbon family, he was a Catholic and even made a good career out of it. In 1589, with the assassination of King Henry III (reigned 3-1574), the Protestant Henry of Navarre became King of France, as a result of French inheritance laws.

However, the leaders of the Catholic League of France would not accept under any circumstances that a Protestant king would rule over them, so they decided to enthrone Charles de Bourbon and make him King Charles X. Charles managed to rule for about two months, until he was captured at the Battle of Fontenoy. Since the Parliament abolished his monarchy, Charles de Bourbon, who died a few months later in captivity, was not considered to be the true king, and the real King Charles X did not come to power until 10.

As mentioned, the palace underwent a massive renovation by Egon von Fürstenberg in 1691 and is now home to the Catholic College of Paris, so it is not easy to get in there.

When Picasso is too lazy to sculpt Apollinaire

After you have finished admiring the Abbot's Palace of Saint-Germain-des-Près, you are welcome to continue walking east (or right if you are standing in front of the palace). Walk until you see on your left a small garden named after a forgotten politician named Laurent (1856-1919 Laurent-Prache).

Dora Marr was not only the wife of a famous painter but also a gifted photographer, painter and poet, and she is certainly worthy of a statue, so why is the name of one of France's greatest poets of the early 20th century written there?

The story begins with the death of Guillaume Apollinaire from the Spanish flu in 1918. His friends and admirers wanted to erect a statue in his honor and approached Pablo Picasso, who had been a good friend of his. Picasso agreed to sculpt a bust (head) of his friend, but then the committee for the preservation of Apollinaire's memory asked Picasso to show them sketches, and the artist was offended and decided to give up.

About 40 years later, they turned to Picasso, who had since become a sought-after and famous artist, again, and asked him for a head sculpture in honor of Apollinaire. Picasso had more important things to do and he did not agree to make a sculpture specifically for the occasion, but rather to give them a statue that he had already created. When they removed the veil from the statue, in 1959, it turned out that it was, as mentioned, a statue of Dora Maar, and since then generations of tourists have thought that Guillaume Apollinaire was a female person with a strange hairstyle.

Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés

We end our trip at the place that gave the entire district its name, the Church of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, one of the only remains of a monastery that dominated the entire district until French Revolution.

This is one of the oldest churches in Paris and has a long and fascinating history. Since this article is not particularly short, I will not go into detail about the history of the place, but if you would like to delve deeper, you are welcome to enter the article. The History of Saint-Germain-des-Prés – From an Ancient Monastery to the Church of Reason.

In any case, in my opinion this is a must-see site, especially after the extensive renovation it underwent, so even if you visited there several years ago, you should return, admiration is guaranteed.

After you finish visiting the church, you have two options. The first option is to go have a coffee at Deux Magots or Café de Flore, like the last tourists. Another option, if you still have strength left in your legs, is to start walking on another hiking trail called Between Saint-Germain and Saint-Sulpice, which will take you to discover ancient brothels, a wonderful chocolate mousse, a Peruvian-Israeli wine bar, and even Catherine Deneuve's house.

Looking for more information about the Saint-Germain district?

If this trip made you want to get to know this magical district better, I highly recommend you visit the page Saint-Germain-des-PrésYou will find more travel routes there as well as recommendations for good, non-touristy restaurants, hotels worth staying in, and more.