Home to universities, bistros and bars, the Latin Quarter is a lively Parisian district on the banks of the River Seine. Also known as the 5th arrondissement, it encompasses the monumental Pantheon and the sprawling Jardin des Plantes with its magnificent greenhouses, museums and menagerie.
Things to do in Quartier Latin
Encompassing the south-east corner of the Latin Quarter is the Jardin des Plantes, which is the main botanical garden in France. It’s home to formal flower beds, an Art Deco greenhouse and an alpine garden planted with species from the Caucasus, North America and the Himalayas. Also within the garden is one of the world’s oldest public zoos, the Menagerie, where you can get up close to mongooses, vicunas and flamingos.
Within the Jardin des Plantes is the National Museum of Natural History, which has been described as the “Louvre of the Natural Sciences”. It features exhibits related to evolution, geology and botany, as well as entomology and palaeontology. Don’t miss the parade of animals walking through the Grand Gallery of Evolution, which was designed by the 19th-century artist Jules André.
One of the Latin Quarter’s most impressive buildings is the Pantheon, a Classical Greek-inspired building that houses the remains of Victor Hugo, Marie Curie and Voltaire. It was the first major monument built in Paris when it was constructed in the 18th century on a design by Jacques Germain Soufflot. Marvel at its colonnaded facade before stepping inside to explore the frescoed interior.
Getting around Quartier Latin
The Latin Quarter is around 10 minutes’ drive from the Eiffel Tower and 30 minutes from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport. Trains services connect to the Saint-Michel Notre-Dame station while subways and buses travel throughout the arrondissement. The 28-hectare Jardin des Plantes is ideally explored on foot.