Left Bank

If you are ever in Paris consider taking the free walking tours offered by Discover Walks. 

These tours are conducted by people who live in Paris. Their wage is derived from whatever your tip.  We learned more about Paris today, than any other excursion we have taken. 

We took the Latin Quarter tour. With Ile de Notre Dame as the neutral center, the left bank of the Seine is also known as the student’s quarter. The right bank has the distinction of being the area for glamour and aristocracy. These two sides are often in opposition.

In days gone by all education was in Latin. Hence the area on the left bank, where the places of higher education are located came to be known as the Latin Quarter.

As the original city of Paris, also known as Lutetia, grew beyond the Ile Notre Dame, the many narrow ancient streets of the Latin Quarter came into being. Sorbourne University is located at the heart of this quarter.  

Famous residents of this area include Cyrano de Bergerac, Dr. Guillotine (guess what he invented), and Rene Descartes.