Latin Quarter - 5eme

The Latin Quarter, named for the Sorbonne students who used to practice their Latin in the cafés, has remained a vibrant community thanks largely to the thousands of French and international students who live, work, and play here.

Streets are lined with an abundance of bookstores and affordable cafés featuring every kind of cuisine imaginable, as well as a glut of souvenir shops and overpriced restaurants, due to the neighborhood’s proximity to the Notre Dame Cathedral and its many visitors.

By night the tourist crowd thins out and the vibe turns young and lively, especially along Rue de la Huchette, whose bars and pubs – most housed in tiny medieval stone buildings – have been serving Latin Quarter residents and students since the 1600s.

Less exclusive and less expensive than most other neighborhoods in Paris, the Latin Quarter remains a hotspot with boisterous students and a young creative population.