From the Latin Quarter to the Cité Universitaire Internationale

Our circular starts and ends at the Maubert-Mutualité metro station (line 10). Take exit 2 Place Maubert, which leads to Boulevard Saint-Germain on the odd-numbered side.

(S/E) At the top of the stairs, go straight ahead for a few metres and take the first right, Rue de la Montagne Sainte-Geneviève. Cross Rue des Écoles and continue straight ahead. You will arrive at a small square with the monumental entrance to the former École Polytechnique on your left. In the centre is the former Fontaine Sainte-Geneviève fountain. Ignore Rue Descartes, which branches off to the left, and turn right onto Rue de l'École Polytechnique.

At the next crossroads, note the beautiful ochre brick building on your right. Turn left onto Rue Valette. Note the large brick college building on your right, then turn into the first street on your left, Rue Laplace. Note the porch of the beautiful building at No. 9. Return to Rue de la Montagne Sainte-Geneviève and follow it to the right. You will end up in front of the Church of Saint-Étienne-du-Mont, Place de l'Abbé Basset.

(1) Note the old wine merchant's shop on the left, with its grilles designed to protect the precious commodity from thieves. Turn left onto Rue Saint-Étienne-du-Mont. At the end, follow Rue Descartes to the right to reach Rue Clovis. Note the large blue tree on the gable opposite. Turn left onto Rue Clovis to arrive in front of the Collège des Écossais, a school for Scottish students in Paris who, under the Auld Alliance treaty between Scotland and France at the expense of England (1295), were granted French nationality. Then turn right and walk up Rue du Cardinal Lemoine.

(2) At the fork, opposite a café, continue left, still on Rue du Cardinal Lemoine. Ignore Rue Rollin on your left to arrive at Place de la Contrescarpe. Turn right and cross Rue Mouffetard (a few metres to the right on this street, you will see an original 18th-century red butcher's shop façade with two golden oxen) to take Rue Blainville.

Just before the intersection with Rue Tournefort (on the left), notice the beautiful group of buildings surrounding a small courtyard on the right. Continue straight ahead, passing a small square with a Wallace fountain on your right. Immediately after, turn left onto Rue Laromiguière. At the next intersection, turn left onto Rue Amyot (a few metres to the right, you will see an old country house nestled in a beautiful garden). You will arrive at Rue Tournefort.

(3) Turn right and, at the next crossroads, follow Rue du Pot de Fer on the left (many restaurants). At the end of the street, at the intersection with Rue Mouffetard, notice the Fontaine du Pot de Fer fountain on your right, one of fourteen fountains built by Marie de Médicis to distribute the excess water brought by the Arcueil aqueduct, which she had created to serve the Palais du Luxembourg, along the left bank.

Turn right and walk down Rue Mouffetard, a very old street as it is a former Gallic road. The houses date from the 17th and 18th centuries. At No. 53, during demolition work in 1938, a hidden treasure of more than 3,000 gold coins from the Louis XV era was discovered. Note the wooden sign of the Vieux Chêne at No. 69 and the 17th-century gate at No. 81. At the next intersection, leave Rue Mouffetard, pass under a porch on the right and go up Rue Calvin. At Place Lucien-Herr, turn left onto Rue Lhomond.

(4) At No. 55, turn left into Passage des Postes to return to Rue Mouffetard and continue downhill to the right. There are many old houses here and this lively neighbourhood is full of shops. At the junction with Rue de l'Arbalète, continue straight ahead. Note the beautiful sign "À la bonne source" on the wall at No. 122. Immediately after, turn left onto Rue Daubenton. Then turn right onto Rue de Candolle and, without continuing to Rue Monge, turn right again onto Rue Censier to walk alongside the Church of Saint-Médard and arrive at a roundabout with a fountain. Notice the beautiful, fully painted façade at No. 134 on Rue Mouffetard on your right.

At the roundabout, continue straight ahead onto Rue Édouard Quénu. Cross Rue Claude Bernard and continue straight ahead onto Rue Broca. At no. 17, you will see a beautiful contemporary building, and other beautiful older buildings starting at no. 42. Then pass under Boulevard de Port-Royal, walk past the Lourcine Barracks and cross Rue Saint-Hippolyte. Shortly afterwards, you will arrive at Boulevard Arago.

(5) Turn right onto the boulevard and cross it at your convenience, but before reaching Rue de la Glacière. Cross the latter and continue along the boulevard, passing the Cité Fleurie on your left, a group of 29 artists' studios built between 1878 and 1880 with elements salvaged from the 1878 World's Fair. This complex was home to Modigliani, Gauguin, Rodin and others. It also has some remarkable trees, but unfortunately it is closed to the public.

Further on, turn left onto Rue de la Santé and walk alongside the famous Parisian prison, which is normally used to "house" defendants awaiting trial, but also certain political prisoners. At the next crossroads, turn left onto Rue Léon-Maurice Nordmann. Further on, walk past the Cité des Vignes at no. 152, then the Cité Verte at no. 147, two other artists' communities. Cross Rue de la Glacière again, then ignore the two streets on the right before reaching Boulevard Arago again, which you follow to the right for a few metres.

(5) Turn right onto Rue de Julienne. On the right, in the grounds of the Hôpital Broca, you will see the ruins of the Abbaye des Cordelières, one of the nine great abbeys of Paris in 1674. Turn left onto Rue Pascal to return to Boulevard Arago and follow it to the right. Pass Rue des Cordelières and turn right onto Rue Berbier-du-Mets. This street was built over the Bièvre river, which was covered in 1912.

Immediately turn left onto Rue des Gobelins. Note the beautiful projecting façades at No. 19 (Mémoire de Paris plaque). Turn right onto Rue Gustave Geffroy to reach the Hôtel de la Reine Blanche. This beautiful building, with its mullioned windows, is the remains of a larger complex built around 1520.

At the end of the street, turn left onto Rue Berbier-du-Mets. On your left is the former Manufacture des Gobelins, with a projection that was the chevet of the chapel. On the right are the Mobilier National's storage facilities, where all the furniture available for public institutions such as ministries and embassies is kept. This building was one of the first to be constructed in reinforced concrete, in 1935. At the end of the street, on a small square, turn right towards the entrance to Square René Le Gall.

(6) Enter the square and go down the stairs. This is where the Jardins des Gobelins, intended for the employees of the factory, were located between the Bièvre vive and the Bièvre morte. Head southwest and then turn left onto Place de la Bergère d'Ivry.

Follow Rue Corvisart to the left. When you reach Boulevard Auguste Blanqui, first turn left then right and go under the elevated metro line (Corvisart station). Continue along the Eugène-Atget pedestrian crossing, which passes under a building. Go up a flight of steps and, at the top, turn left and then right onto Rue Jonas to exit the garden. Cross Rue des Cinq Diamants and continue straight ahead. At the crossroads, follow Rue Samson to the left for a few metres, then turn right onto Rue Simonet.

(7) At the intersection with Rue Bobillot, turn right twice and follow Rue de la Butte aux Cailles. Walk along Place Paul Verlaine on your left. Here you can see a memorial to the first balloon flight, which ended at this spot after a nine-kilometre flight on 21 November 1783. Continue along Rue de la Butte aux Cailles until you reach the intersection with Rue des Cinq Diamants.

(8) Turn right and then immediately left onto Rue Alphand. Take Passage Sigaud on the left, which soon turns right onto Rue Barrault. Follow it to the left and, further on, you will see Rue Daviel on your right: a quick detour down this street will take you to No. 10, the Petite Alsace, or Cité Daviel, a beautiful group of half-timbered houses dating from 1912. Back on Rue Barrault, continue to the right and then take the first street on the left, Rue Michal.

Turn right onto Rue de l'Espérance and follow this street, crossing Rue de la Providence and Rue Tolbiac to reach Rue Barrault. Follow this street to the left for a few metres and then turn right onto Rue Auguste Lançon. Cross Rue Boussingault and then Rue des Orchidées and you will find Cité Florale, created in 1928 after filling in an old pond fed by a branch of the Bièvre river. It consists of pretty houses in various styles with small gardens.

(9) Turn left onto Rue des Orchidées, then right onto Rue des Glycines. Then turn left onto Rue des Iris and right onto Rue des Volubilis. Follow Rue des Glycines again, on the left, with a truly beautiful wisteria on the gate of the Villa des Glycines.

Find Rue Auguste Lançon and follow it to the left. Cross Rue Brillat-Savarin and you will come to the crossroads of Rue de Rungis and Rue de l'Amiral Mouchez. Cross the latter and continue straight ahead on Rue Liard, which runs alongside the green trench of the Petite Ceinture on the right. At the end of this street, climb the stairs to enter Parc Montsouris. Turn right immediately onto Allée du Lac and continue along the pond (watch out for birds). At the fork, turn left.

(10) At the next intersection with Allée de la Vanne, continue along the path on the left, which continues around the pond. After the statue "La mort du lion" (The Death of the Lion), continue straight ahead and move away from the pond. At the next fork, continue straight ahead. Then take the paths on the right to cross over the railway line.

On the other side, continue to the right and then, at the fork, turn left. About 50 metres further on, turn left onto Sentier du Tunnel. At the fork just after, continue to the right to reach Allée de Montsouris. Continue straight ahead to exit the park at its south-west corner.

(11) Cross Boulevard Jourdan. On the other side, follow the boulevard to the left for about 100 metres.

(12) Enter the Cité Universitaire Internationale through the first entrance on your right. Go straight ahead and, at the fork that appears very quickly, turn left. At the T-junction, turn left. Then take the first alley on the left and then the first alley on the right, at the corner of the Maison des Canadiens. Continue straight ahead, passing in front of the Maison d'Argentine, until you reach the square, at the university restaurant.

Continue straight ahead on Avenue Rockfeller, between the Fondation des États-Unis and the Maison du Mexique. At the next intersection, turn right to pass between the Collège Franco-Britanique and the Collège d'Espagne.

(13) Take the first lane on the left and follow it until you pass the Fondation Suisse. Go around the Norwegian House on the right and leave the Brazilian House on your right. At the next intersection, continue to the right between the Danish Foundation and the Indian House. Continue along this lane between the National Agronomic Institute House and the Italian House to exit the campus.

Then turn left onto Boulevard Jourdan, where you can continue to admire the facades of the Cité Internationale buildings.

(12) Continue along Boulevard Jourdan until you reach the junction with Avenue du Weill, which comes in from the left. Cross the boulevard.

(11) Take Avenue de Nansouty opposite and walk along Parc Montsouris on your right. Ignore five dead-end streets on your left and enter Square de Montsouris, a quiet street lined with beautiful houses in various styles, but mainly Art Nouveau and Art Deco.

At the end, turn left onto Avenue Reille and walk along the wall surrounding the Réservoir de Montsouris, built between 1868 and 1873 as part of a series of new reservoirs designed to gradually improve the water supply to Parisians, as the waters of the Seine were becoming increasingly unfit for consumption due to industrial and urban development upstream from the capital.

At the fork, turn right onto Place Jules Henaffe. At the crossroads, continue straight ahead onto Rue Beaunier. Notice the beautiful building on your left at No. 3. At the crossroads with Rue du Père Corentin, continue straight ahead, still on Rue Beaunier. You will come to Avenue du Général Leclerc.

(14) Turn right, cross Rue Sarrette on the right and follow Avenue du Général Leclerc to the Alésia roundabout. Go around it on the right, cross Rue d'Alésia and continue to the right of the church, still on Avenue du Général Leclerc. Continue straight ahead until you reach Place Denfert-Rochereau and its monumental lion in memory of the National Defence (1870). This lion, created by Auguste Bartholdi, is a plaster model of the Lion of Belfort, one third of its final size. If you have not already done so, cross Avenue du Général Leclerc to have it on your right.

(15) At the Lion, located on your right, turn left to walk along a park on your left and, at the intersection, continue straight ahead on Rue Froidevaux. At the next intersection, continue straight ahead on Rue Froidevaux, walking along the Montparnasse Cemetery on your right. Shortly afterwards, turn right onto Rue Émile Richard, then immediately turn right again to enter the eastern part of the cemetery.

Further on, turn left onto Avenue Thierry. Further on, at division 28 on your right, note the tomb of Auguste Bartholdi (mentioned above). The statue and medallion were created by Rodin. At the end of this avenue, turn left, then left again to exit the cemetery.

Cross Rue Émile Richard and enter the western part of the cemetery opposite. Shortly afterwards, turn right onto Avenue de l'Est and walk past Niki de Saint-Phalle's Oiseau. Turn left onto Avenue du Boulevard. Further on, in section 21, on your right, note the tomb of Marguerite Duras.

(16) At the entrance gate, turn left onto Avenue Principale. Cross Avenue du Nord, then, in section 6, on your right, you will find the tomb of Eugène Ionesco. Immediately afterwards, cross Allée Lenoir and arrive at the central roundabout.

Go around the roundabout on the left, noting Henri Troyat's grave in section 2 on your left, then Serge Gainsbourg's grave in section 1 on your left, on the other side of Avenue Transversale. Continue around the roundabout and its statue of the Génie du Sommeil Éternel (Genie of Eternal Sleep), cross the Allée Principale, then turn left onto the Avenue Transversale. In section 4, on your left, you will find the tomb of Jean Poiret.

Continue straight ahead to the intersection with Avenue de l'Ouest and note, opposite you, in division 15, the tomb of explorer Jules Dumont-d'Urville and his polychrome stone monument. Turn right. Further on, in division 6, on your right, note the tomb of Charles Beaudelaire (in the second row). Shortly afterwards, turn right onto Avenue du Nord for a short round trip to Niki de Saint-Phalle's Cat.

Back on Avenue de l'Ouest, continue to the right, then, at the corner of the cemetery, turn right onto Avenue du Boulevard. In section 20, you will find the graves of Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir.

(16) Turn left to exit the cemetery and arrive at Boulevard Edgar Quinet. Cross the two lanes of the boulevard and continue straight ahead on Rue Huyghens. Notice the beautiful former Municipal Gymnasium at No. 10 on your left. Further on, cross Boulevard Raspail, then first turn left then right to arrive at Boulevard du Montparnasse. Cross it and continue straight ahead on Rue de la Grande Chaumière.

At the end, turn left onto Rue Notre-Dame des Champs. Ignore Rue Jules Chaplain on your left, then, at the next crossroads, at the corner of a beautiful building, turn right onto Rue Vavin. Continue straight ahead until you reach the intersection with Rue d'Assas, opposite one of the entrances to the Jardin du Luxembourg.

(17) Enter the garden, pass between a kiosk and the Horticultural School building, then turn left to walk alongside the building. At the fork just after, turn right and continue straight ahead until you reach an intersection with a wide path. Cross it and continue straight ahead, between a playground on your right and the statue of Frédéric Chopin on your left. At the next intersection, note the replica of the Statue of Liberty at the end of the path on your left, then turn right to pass between the theatre and the restaurant shortly afterwards.

At the next crossroads, turn left, then take the first lane on the right to arrive in front of a large pond. Turn right to pass to the right of the pond and, on the other side, turn left towards the Palais du Luxembourg. Admire the many statues of Roman queens and goddesses surrounding the pond. Pass between the palace and the pretty water feature (scene from the story of Acis and Galatea) then continue along the palace on your left to exit the garden.

(18) Cross Rue de Vaugirard and turn right to pass in front of the Théâtre de l'Odéon. At the corner of the theatre, turn left onto Rue Corneille. When you reach Place de l'Odéon, turn right onto Rue Racine. Cross Rue Monsieur le Prince and continue along Rue Racine. When you reach Boulevard Saint-Michel, cross it and turn left. Take the first street on the right, Rue du Sommerard. Walk past the magnificent Musée Cluny (National Museum of the Middle Ages) on your left. Continue along Square Paul Painlevé on your right.

Cross Rue de Cluny and continue straight ahead. Shortly afterwards, cross Rue Saint-Jacques and continue straight ahead, still on Rue du Sommerard. Cross Rue Thénard and you will arrive at the crossroads with Rue Jean de Beauvais. Note the Romanian Orthodox church on your right, then turn left onto Boulevard Saint-Germain. Follow the boulevard to the right until you reach the Maubert-Mutualité metro station (S/E).

In many places, take advantage of the "Mémoire de Paris" terminals to discover the history of neighbourhoods and monuments.

On the way back, between (18) and (S/E), if you need anything for your favourite activity, hiking, now is the time to make a few investments, as the neighbourhood is home to a famous brand dedicated to outdoor life!

Follow this link to find out the opening hours of the squares and gardens you will be passing through, which vary depending on the season and whether it is a weekday or weekend.
Other links for the Jardin du Luxembourg, Parc Montsouris and Montparnasse Cemetery.

The École Polytechnique, often referred to as Polytechnique and nicknamed "the X", is a French engineering school founded in 1794 by the National Convention under the name École Centrale des Travaux Publics and militarised in 1804 by Napoleon I. Originally located in Paris, on the route of this hike, between (S) and (2), the school has been in Palaiseau since 1976, in the heart of the Paris-Saclay technology hub. It is a prestigious military science school under the supervision of the Ministry of Defence.

The Church of Saint-Étienne-du-Mont. Replacing a 13th-century building, it was constructed at the end of the 15th century and served as a parish church for the inhabitants of the neighbourhood around the Abbey of Sainte-Geneviève. After being briefly transformed into a temple of filial piety during the French Revolution, it was returned to its function as a parish church in 1801 and has not changed its use since. The shrine of Sainte-Geneviève, empty of its relics since the French Revolution, is preserved there. The church also houses an organ whose origins and case date back to the 1630s.

The Wallace Fountains. Following the siege of Paris and the Commune, around 1870, many aqueducts were destroyed, and the price of water, already high, increased considerably. Many poor people found it impossible to obtain water free of charge. As a result, the temptation of the "wine merchants" was great among the poor, and it was a moral duty to help them and prevent them from sinking into drunkenness. The urgent need for these "four women's brasseries" was clearly demonstrated by the speed with which the project was implemented. Even today, when water and hygiene are not a problem for the vast majority of Parisians, these fountains are often the only free water sources for people such as the homeless. Rich or poor, all passers-by can quench their thirst there.

La Cité Fleurie. The city is still reserved for artists. Threatened by developers in the 1980s, who wanted to build on the site, it was saved by protests that led to its classification as a Historic Monument.

The Bièvre once flowed into the Seine in Paris (at the Austerlitz station) after a 33 km journey through the departments of Yvelines, Essonne, Hauts-de-Seine, Val-de-Marne and Paris. Since 1912, the river, which was until then the second largest river in Paris and ran through the 13th and 5th arrondissements, has been covered along its entire urban course.

La Butte-aux-Cailles was originally a hill covered with meadows and woods, built with several windmills and overlooking the Bièvre from a height of 62 metres. In the 17th century, shell limestone was mined here, but the many industrial activities that used the water from the Bièvre, such as dye works, tanneries, laundries, leather tanneries and even butcheries, made this neighbourhood unsanitary. Later, the Second Empire spared this outlying neighbourhood, which remains a village from the last century in the heart of Paris.

The Cité Florale. The Cité Florale was built in 1928 on a triangular area, a former meadow regularly flooded by the Bièvre. This particular feature meant that it could not accommodate buildings, so the neighbourhood was entirely urbanised with small houses. The appearance of this charming neighbourhood is unusual, as it is surrounded by much more modern buildings.

The Petite Ceinture. The Petite Ceinture is a former 32-kilometre double-track railway line that ran around Paris inside the Boulevards des Maréchaux. Abandoned by Parisians due to growing competition from the metro, most of the line has been closed to passenger traffic since 23 July 1934.

Parc Montsouris. This English-style park, laid out at the end of the 19th century, covers 15 hectares. It is planted with many species of plants and is home to a large number of bird species. It was designed during the Second Empire as part of a project to provide Parisians with green spaces in the four corners of Paris: Bois de Boulogne in the west, Parc des Buttes-Chaumont in the north, Bois de Vincennes in the east, and Parc Montsouris in the south.

The Cité Universitaire Internationale. This university village is home to nearly 6,000 students, researchers, artists and top athletes from around the world in its 40 houses. The project for a residence for students from around the world was initiated in the early 1920s in response to the heightened patriotism following the First World War. By 1927, half of the estate had already been built, financed by patrons, industrialists and foreign governments. In less than 15 years, 19 houses were built in styles that reflect the architectural eclecticism of the interwar period and the policy of cultural mixing pursued at the Cité. On the eve of the war, the number of residents rose to 2,400, representing 52 nationalities.

Montparnasse Cemetery. Change the route of your walk through this cemetery as you wish, depending on which deceased personalities you appreciate. To discover this place in your own way, you can use this link.

The Luxembourg Gardens. Created in 1612 at the request of Marie de Médicis to accompany the Luxembourg Palace, it was restored by architect Jean-François-Thérèse Chalgrin during the First Empire and now belongs to the Senate. It covers 23 hectares and is decorated with flower beds and sculptures. It is a favourite meeting place for Parisians, who call it the Luco. The garden is home to 106 statues, including: The Greek Actor, The Cry, The Writing, The Dancing Faun, Herd of Deer Listening to the Approach, Monument to Antoine Watteau and the series of twenty statues Queens of France and Illustrious Women.

The Cluny Museum. The buildings housed the abbots of the Order of Cluny in Burgundy from the 13th century onwards. From the 17th century onwards, the mansion served as a nunciature for the papal legates. In the 18th century, Nicolas-Léger Moutard, the Queen's printer and bookseller from 1774 to 1792, set up his presses in the chapel. During the Revolution, the mansion was sold as national property and underwent transformations and damage until it was acquired by the State in 1843. In 1833, Alexandre Du Sommerard, a senior advisor to the Court of Auditors and a passionate lover of the Middle Ages, moved in and rented a few rooms to a printer to organise his collection of objects. In 1843, the collection was purchased by the State, which appointed his son Edmond Du Sommerard as the first director of the Musée des Thermes et de l'Hôtel de Cluny.