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A hike in the region Ile-de-France
This stroll along the Seine, right in the center of Paris, will make you discover both islands l'île Saint-Louis and l'île de la Cité. This area, protected by the river, is the first place in which Gallic populations settled down, founding Lutetia, the capital of a tribe called Parisii. The Celtic word has survived, quite unchanged, for more than 2000 years...
The arrival is at the metro station Châtelet. If you want to get back to the starting point in metro, take the line 1, towards Château de Vincennes.
At the metro station Saint-Paul, take the street of Fourcy on your left, and continue up to the quay of l'Hôtel de Ville. Cross the road and continue on Marie's bridge. Once at the quay Bourbon, turn to the right and walk along the bank up to the end of the island "l'île Saint-Louis". Cross the bridge Saint Louis, and go in the public garden. Go straight ahead towards the river. Walk along the cathedral and along the bank up to go out of the public garden. Turn to the right. Walk past the cathedral and take the left street situated on the border of the square. Turn to the right in the street "rue de la Cité", then to the left in the street "rue de Lutèce". In front of the Law Court, turn to the right in "boulevard du Palais". Cross the Seine and take the pedestrian passage. Walk past the "Théâtre de la Ville" and continue up to the metro station Châtelet.
Information
General points
- Geographic situation. District : Paris 4e
(department Paris)
Road map with
 - Starting point : Metro station Saint-Paul-le-Marais (line "La Défense - Château de Vincennes").
- The length of the stroll is estimated at 1,9 Km and the walk duration is about 1 h 30 mn.
- The stroll is not marked out or only partially
- Stroll form : linear
Remark about linear strolls : the duration of walk and the road-book are presented for one-way direction. Distance and time should be doubled when one goes and back.
- Stroll relief : flat (alt. mini = 30 m ; alt. maxi = 35 m)
- Exposure : open (a sun protection might be foreseen)
Noteworthy places
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1- Hôtel de Sens. This hotel was built in the XVth century in flamboyant Gothic style, on the order of Tristan de Salazar, bishop of Paris. In 1911, it was bought by the city of Paris to receive Forney's library.
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2- Les Bouquinistes. "Bouquiniste" was coined from the French slang word "bouquin" (which means book), and, since the end of the XVIIIth century, it designates books traders settled in small shops spread out along the Seine banks.
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3- Notre-Dame. This is the historical cathedral of the town, situated in its center, l'île de la Cité. Its construction began under Louis VII, precisely in 1163, and it ended in 1345. The adornment belongs to both styles: primitive Gothic and rayonnant Gothic. Its shape is a Latin cross, with the following dimensions: 130 m length, 48 m width of and the height under vault is 35 m. The towers reach 69 m and the facade 40 m.
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4- Marché aux fleurs. The flower market is on the place Louis Lépine for more than one century. There are shops specialized in the sale of exotic plants and even carnivorous plants! On Sundays, birds replace flowers on the market.
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5- Palais de justice. The current Law Court was a former palace of kings of France. It was built during the XIVth century, under Philippe le Bel. Excavations have shown how old this palace is: it is deemed it would have been the residence of Roman governors. Currently, this building is the seat of all the judicial services for Paris.
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6- Place du Châtelet. As it was the continuation of the bridge called "pont au Change", the control of this place entailed the control of the island "l'île de la Cité". At the beginning of the XIXth century, Napoleon ordered the Grand Châtelet to be razed in order to enlarge the perspective by a vast place with a fountain by Bralle in its centre. Both theaters, Théatre de la Ville and Théatre du Châtelet, were built at the end of the XIXth, at the request of Baron Haussman.
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