Home to the student protests of May '68, the Latin Quarter is teeming with a considerable cultural architectural heritage.
Two major arteries of the Latin Quarter, the boulevard Saint Michel and the rue des Ecoles were witness to troubled and intense times in 1968 but now offer a much more peaceful setting for vinyl and CD enthusiasts with numerous music shops and for fans of the silver screen (the arthouse cinemas are legendary).
A new generation of students quench their thirst for knowledge at the Sorbonne or the Jussieu before escaping to the Arenes de Lutece and the pathways of the Jardin des Plantes, a favourite sanctuary for joggers.
Relax your spirits in an Eastern atmosphere at the Mosque of Paris (where a mint tea can be enjoyed after a session in the Turkish bath or 'hammam') and at the Institut du Monde Arabe, whose 30 000 apertures on the facade change depending on the time of day and the position of the sun.
The Latin Quarter is both an area of calm, personified by the Pantheon (the resting place of great names in the history of France) and picturesque atmospheres, such as the rue Mouffetard, emblematic street in the neighbourhood of la Montagne Sainte Genevieve, renowned for its restaurants and food shops.
