Paris Walks 6th

Paris Walk in the 6th focuses on the beautiful window gardens to be found in Paris. Included are great shops and other points of interest beneath those window gardens. It is an unorthodox approach to a walk but I want to draw your attention to details of window gardens and architectural features as you walk, allowing you to explore the boutiques at will.

The short walk is perfect if you arrive at Gare Montparnasse and only have a brief stay before connecting with the next part of your journey. Instead of sitting in the terminal waiting for your next train you can take a brief walk and enjoy a bit of Paris.

Window Gardens of the 6th Arrondissement and What Lies Beneath

Duration: 30 minutes (without stopping at shops, churches or cafés)
Length: 2.3 km (about 1.4 miles)
Destinations to Explore: Galeries Lafayette, Tour Montparnasse, Bon Marche, Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, Café de Flore, Abbaye of St Germain des Prés
(Note: These POINTS  in green correspond to the map.)

Tour Montparnass, 6th arrondisssement

• My Paris walk in the 6th begins in front of the Hertz office of Gare Montparnasse at the intersection of Avenue du Maine and rue du Maine (A). At this location you will be across the street from Gare Montparnasse.
• Turn to the right and walk north away from Gare Montparnasse toward Tour Montparnasse on Rue du Départ. For a small fee you can ride to the top of Tour Montparnasse for great views of Paris. You might even want to spend a bit of time shopping in Galeries Lafayette (B) before you continue your stroll.

Great Little Shopping Street

• Following Rue du Départ to Boulevard Montparnasse, turn left. Walk until your reach Rue Cherche-midi and turn right. On this stroll we are going to focus on looking up. There will be intriguing shops as you stroll rue Cherche-Midi but the best photographic views will be found by looking up.

rue Cherche-Midi

Tea and Tattered Pages was a lovely bookstore – so sad to see it has closed

• The first street on your left as you walk down rue Cherche-Midi is Mayet (C). Here you could have found the English bookstore Tea and Tattered Pages but as I update this post I bring the sad news that it has closed.  As with any independent bookstore, I am saddened by its closing.
• Continuing on down rue Cherche-Midi to number 81 you will discover the intriguing shop Seredipity. This store has an eclectic mix of household decor where you just might find that perfect little souvenir.
• As you proceed on rue Cherche-Midi you will also pass Les Palais des Thés at number 61. This shop is smaller than their store in the Marais but has, none the less, a good selection of teas.
• Our destination is Bon Marché department store so after stopping at number 48 rue du Cherche-Midi at Comptoirs Richard(D) to check out their coffees, teas and chocolates, we then backtrack one block and turn down rue St Placide to rue de Sèvres where you will have Bon Marché on your right. Bon Marché occupies one whole square city block.
  

  The sign is easy to see if you are looking up for window boxes to enjoy!

• To your left, in the next block on rue de Sèvres is La Grand Epicerie de Paris which is the international food market of Bon Marché. Here you will find a comprehensive global selection of foods organized by country. The selections are overwhelming.
  

  My Favorite Stop in this Walk

• From Rue de Sevres turn on Rue de Placide. Continue on rue Placide (at this point it now becomes rue du Bac) where the entrance to the Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal(E) is on your left opposite of Bon Marché. This beautiful chapel dedicated to Saint Catherine Labouré  is one that you are sure to enjoy . I was so fortunate to arrive just as mass was beginning for a group of Polish pilgrims and very fortunate to have a elderly nun sit next to me who translated the mass from Polish to French.
  

  Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal

• At 120 Rue de Bac , don’t miss the plaque on the building that denotes the place where Chateaubriand died. There is a lovely little park across from the building with a statue in his honor.
  

  Chateaubriand

• On this section of the street at 134 is Foucher Chocolat and Salon du Thé. I stopped here to enjoy not only some of their handmade chocolates and a cup of tea but to also enjoy their air-conditioning.
• At the end of rue du Bac you will find Bookbinder Designs(F). This is a wonderful little shop of handmade books. If you do not have a journal for your trip, this is the ideal place to purchase one. What a great place to record your favorite places on your Paris Walks
• Making a right on rue de Sevres meander up to rue de Babylone (there will be a very nice park on your right). Continue straight, turning left on rue du Dragon. When you arrive at Boulevard St Germain and the Abbaye (H), Les Deux Magots, Café de Flores and Bistro Lipp will all be on your right. Stop for a cup of tea, coffee or a glass of wine.
• If you make your stop Les Deux Magots (H), you will be able to face the Abbey of St Germain des Prés which is your next stop. This church is also found on the Davinci Code tours that you find in Paris.

Finishing Your Paris Walk in the 6th

If you need to get back to the train station then take the Metro Saint Germain des Prés across from the church to Gare Montparnasse.

You can continue your explorations it the 5th arrondissment with the Latin Quarter self-guided tour.

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