Tour · 6 stops · ~45 min walking
Saint-Louis Loop
The smaller island, end to end.
Île Saint-Louis is one of the most architecturally consistent neighbourhoods in Paris — built almost entirely between 1614 and 1664 to a single master plan. This loop walks one quay east, the central street back, and the other quay west. About 1.4 km, fully on the island.
Through the4e · Le Marais & Île Saint-Louis5e · Latin Quarter
1Pont Saint-Louis
Footbridge between the two islands of central Paris. Always busy with buskers — the acoustics under the bridge make any cellist sound great. Built as a temporary structure in 1862; the current span dates from 1970.
Stop at the centre of the bridge if a cellist or jazz duo is playing. From the eastern end, take Rue Saint-Louis-en-l'Île — the island's spine — or descend immediately to the Quai d'Orléans on the south side.
From Wikipedia›
The pont Saint-Louis is a pedestrian bridge across the River Seine in the 4th arrondissement of Paris. It links the Île de la Cité with the Île Saint-Louis. It is served by the Cité stop of the Paris Metro.
Read more on Wikipedia →Verified nearby ·Le Trumilou5 min
→Walk east along Quai d'Orléans (south quay) to the corner of Rue le Regrattier. The Polish Library is at no. 6.
48.85310, 2.35210
- 2
Bibliothèque Polonaise / Quai d'Orléans
6 Quai d'Orléans. Founded 1838 by Polish émigrés in exile after the November Uprising; Chopin, Mickiewicz, and Słowacki were all members. The library still operates with original 19th-century reading rooms; a small museum on the upper floor preserves Chopin's death mask and Mickiewicz's writing desk.
Free entry to the museum on weekday afternoons (check the door). The view from the quay across the Seine to the Pantheon and the Sorbonne is one of the great Left-Bank panoramas — turn around once you reach the corner.
Verified nearby ·Les Bouquinistes de la Seine4 minLa Rôtisserie d'Argent4 min
→Continue east along Quai d'Orléans, then cross to Rue Saint-Louis-en-l'Île at Rue Poulletier. Walk back west on the central street to no. 31 for Berthillon.
48.85170, 2.35430
3Berthillon
31 Rue Saint-Louis-en-l'Île. Family-run since 1954, sourcing its dairy from a single Norman cooperative. The shop closes every August (the family takes holidays) and on Mondays and Tuesdays year-round.
The shop is takeaway only, with a queue down the street when open. Most cafés on Rue Saint-Louis-en-l'Île serve scoops with shorter lines — Le Flore en l'Île and Le Sorbet d'Antan both work. Try the marrons glacés (chestnut) and framboise sorbet together.
From Wikipedia›
Berthillon is a French manufacturer and retailer of luxury ice cream and sorbet, with its primary store on the Île Saint-Louis, in Paris, France. The company is owned and operated by the Chauvin family, descendants of the eponymous Monsieur Berthillon, who from 1954 operated a café and hotel called "Le Bourgogne".
Read more on Wikipedia →Verified nearby ·La Rôtisserie d'Argent4 min
→Continue west on Rue Saint-Louis-en-l'Île, ~3 min, to no. 19 — the church.
48.85160, 2.35670
4Église Saint-Louis-en-l'Île
Built 1664–1726, the only church on the island and one of the few major Parisian churches built entirely in the Baroque style. The interior is unusually bright — the architects (Le Vau then Doucet) cut the ceiling in two domes to bring extra light through clerestory windows.
Free entry. The stone exterior is white limestone deliberately chosen to match the houses around it; the church looks like a slightly grander version of the surrounding buildings, which is the point. Sunday concerts are usually Baroque-period; check posters at the door.
From Wikipedia›
Saint-Louis en l'Île is a Roman Catholic parish church located at 19 Rue Saint-Louis en l'Île on Île Saint-Louis in the 4th arrondissement of Paris, France. It was constructed between 1664 and 1725, and is dedicated to King Louis IX of France, or Saint Louis. The church was originally built in the French Baroque style of the 17th century, but much of the interior decoration was taken or destroyed in the French Revolution. The church was extensively restored and redecorated in the 19th century.
Read more on Wikipedia →Verified nearby ·La Rôtisserie d'Argent5 min
→Continue west on Rue Saint-Louis-en-l'Île to no. 17 — Hôtel de Lauzun is on the right.
48.85200, 2.35580
- 5
Hôtel de Lauzun, Quai d'Anjou
17 Quai d'Anjou. Built 1657, named after a colourful 17th-century duke. Baudelaire lived here 1843–1845; he and Théophile Gautier founded the Club des Hashischins ("Hashish Club") in the upstairs salons, where Balzac and Dumas attended monthly. Now city-owned, used for receptions; rarely open.
Walk along Quai d'Anjou (north side of the island) past nos. 17, 19, and 27 — three of the original 17th-century mansions, all with their original masonry. The view across to the Pont de Sully is the photograph; the lampposts are 19th-century cast-iron.
Verified nearby ·MIJE Marais3 minMusée de la Magie et des Automates4 min
→Continue west along Quai de Bourbon to the western tip of the island, ~5 min.
48.85330, 2.35800
- 6
Pont Saint-Louis (return)
Back to the western tip of the island. The view of the Hôtel-Dieu hospital and the eastern apse of Notre-Dame is the closer of the island's two unforgettable angles. The tip itself, where the Quai aux Fleurs meets the Quai de Bourbon, is the locals' picnic spot.
Sit on the low stone wall at the very tip of the island. River-tour boats pass directly below; you'll get spray on a windy day. End the loop here or cross back to Île de la Cité.
Verified nearby ·Le Trumilou4 min
48.85300, 2.35260