Paris - Quartier Latin

The Quartier Latin is bounded on the north by the Seine, on the south by the Boulevard de Port- Royal and on the east by the Boulevard Saint- Marcel and Boulevard de l'Hôpital. On the west it merges into the Saint-Germain quarter around the Odéon Métro. In this area, in addition to the Sorbonne, now known as the Université de Paris IV, are most of the grandes écoles (elite colleges, separate from the University) such as the Ecole Polytechnique and Ecole Normale Supérieure, the Université Censier (Université de Paris III) and the Université Jussieu (Universités de Paris VI and VII), the Collège de France and old-established lycées such as the Lycée Henri-IV adjoining the Panthéon, the Lycée Louis-le-Grand behind the Sorbonne and the Lycée Saint-Louis on the Boulevard Saint-Michel.

Towards the end of the Middle Ages lack of space forced the schools of Latin and theology on the Ile de la Cité on to the left bank of the Seine, where there then grew up the Quartier Latin or Latin Quarter (so called because Latin was the language of scholars and students).

The student quarter of Paris is now also a great tourist attraction, with numerous cinemas, discotheques and restaurants (largely offering Arab, Greek and Asian cuisine). Some of the little restaurants have a basement in which patrons can enjoy music, theater or poetry readings after their meal.