Stories
5th: Latin Quarter
Paris - 5th Arrondissement
Home to the Sorbonne University, the 5th is considered the real Latin Quarter. St. Michel is the busy bustling area nearest the Seine, the closer you get to the border of the 6th, the more charming medieval alleys you'll find yourself in. But the 5th also shares part of the Luxembourg Garden with the 6th, and that’s an area not to be ignored.
Other areas of interest: the Arenes de Lutece (the ruins of the Gallo-Roman era), Musée du Moyen Age (with its famous medieval tapestry, the Lady and the Unicorn), Musée de l'Institut du Monde Arabe, Musée Curie, and the Botanical Gardens named les Jardin des Plantes with its zoo, La Ménagerie and its Natural History Museum.
Destinations in the 5th: Latin Quarter
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Comedie Saint-Michel: Children's Delight
(La Comédie Saint-Michel)
To get a taste of drama, La Comédie Saint-Michel is the perfect theater for children 3 years old and up. Tailored to families and the wee ones, it's incredibly fun for the family.
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Grand Mosquée de Paris
(The Grand Mosque of Paris)
An elaborate 26-meter-high minaret breaks up the landscape of Parisian apartments, balconies, and cafes as you approach the Paris Mosque. This is the largest mosque in France and the third largest in Europe.
The complex includes a North African-style restaurant (tagines, coucous and pastries are served), Hammam de la Mosquée de Paris (with its steam bath, exfoliating body scrubs, and $1/minute massages), souk and salon de thé.
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Jardin des Plantes and the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle
Le Jardin des Plantes & Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle
(Botanical Garden and the National Museum of Natural History)
While not on a well-beaten tourist path, the trip will be well worth the visit. Once the Royal Garden of Medicine and renamed le Jardin des Plantes during the French Revolution.
This is an expansive venue with building and exhibition upon building and exhibition added on through time; there's much to be seen here, and if you don't make it your first time to Paris, do try to make it on your second visit.
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Madame Marie Curie Museum
Madame Marie Curie Museum
(Musée Curie)
Closed until the first quarter of 2012 (per notice posted at site Nov 9, 2011).
Through the life and work of the two scientific couples - Marie and Pierre Curie, Irène and Frédéric Joliot-Curie - the museum revisits the major stages in the history of radioactivity and its applications, notably the use of radiation in medicine.
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Musee de Cluny
(Cluny Museum)
The National Museum of the Middle Ages (Musée National du Moyen Age) often referred to as the Musée de Cluny, consists of two structures: the frigidarium, which houses the Gallo-Roman baths from the 1st to 3rd centuries, and the Hôtel de Cluny from the late 15th century.
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Musée National du Moyen Age
(National Museum of the Middle Ages)
Sometimes called the Musée de Cluny, the National Museum of the Middle Ages consists of two structures: the frigidarium, which houses the Gallo-Roman baths from the 1st to 3rd centuries, and the Hôtel de Cluny from the late 15th century.
