Saint-Germain Boulevard

Saint-Germain Boulevard

Saint-Germain Boulevard is a major street in Paris, France, named after the Church of Saint-Germain-des-Prés. It is located on the southern bank of the Seine River. The boulevard curves from the Pont de Sully near the edge of the Île Saint-Louis in the east to the Pont de la Concorde leading to the Place de la Concorde in the west, passing through the 5th, 6th, and 7th arrondissements of Paris. In the middle section of Saint-Germain Boulevard, it intersects with the north-south Boulevard Saint-Michel. The most famous part of Saint-Germain Boulevard is the stretch that runs through the Saint-Germain-des-Prés district—the very area from which it takes its name.

Saint-Germain Boulevard is the most significant part of the Left Bank transformed during Haussmann’s renovation of Paris. This boulevard replaced numerous narrow alley-like streets, including Rue Saint-Dominique, Rue Taranne, Rue Sainte-Marguerite, Rue de Bac, and Rue de Cordeliers, from west to east. After World War II, Saint-Germain Boulevard became the intellectual and cultural hub of Paris, with philosophers, writers, and musicians filling the nightclubs and beer halls along the street. Today, it is a bustling high-end shopping street, home to shops ranging from Armani to Rick Owens. Romantic cafés remain vibrant hubs of intellectual, political, and nightlife activity. The area is also home to one of Europe’s top political science institutions.

No. 184 Saint-Germain Boulevard is home to the world’s oldest geographical society, founded in 1821 by Alexander von Humboldt, François-René de Chateaubriand, Jean-François Champollion, and others. Its headquarters have been located here since 1878. In 1879, the decision to build the Panama Canal was made at this site.

Boulevard Saint-Germain

Reason to visit: Home to the world’s oldest geographical society

Continent: Europe【Europe】

Country/Region: France[France]

Province/State: Île-de-France Region [Ile-de-France Region]

City: Paris [Paris]