Île Saint-Louis, Paris
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Ile Saint Louis - by Jean-Pierre Dalbéra (CC BY 2.0)
Description
The Île Saint-Louis is the smaller of the two natural islands on the Seine River in the centre of Paris - the other one being the Île de la Cité where Notre-Dame cathedral is located. The island is 11ha in size and connected to the rest of the city by four bridges. Historically, it consisted of two even smaller islands: the Île aux Vaches and île Notre-Dame that were joined during the 17th century (the canal separating them was filled in). Well known buildings there include Hôtel Lambert and the Church of Saint-Louis-en-l'Île (built in the 17th century with a French Baroque architecture)
Access & Transport
The Pont Marie (7) métro is right across the northern bank of the island whilst Cité (4) and Maubert-Mutualité (10) are best placed to access it from Île de la Cité and the south bank, respectively. There is also one bus stop (86, 87) on Pont de Sully, next to Square Barye, at the south-eastern corner of the island
Instructions & Recommendations
There is no single touristic highlight in Île Saint-Louis, but every Quay (street along the riverbank) and narrow street is worth wandering in aimlessly, in particular Rue Saint-Louis en l'Île which runs in an east-west direction and neatly divides the island in two. This activity is best combined with a visite of the Île de la Cité
Environmental & Social
Environmentally, this is an urban neighbourhood with little green spaces. Neutral from a social perspective
Conclusion
The Île Saint-Louis is in our opinion an excellent option for residents and visitors who have already hit the city's highlights and still have plenty of time to explore Paris. It is one of the few neighbourhoods where one can find a quiet atmosphere and the charm of Parisian streets at the same time, and the reason is because there is no "must see" monument there. So, if you do have the time, spend 60-90mins wandering the streets aimlessly and let the charm grow on you.
Key positive
Seldom crowded
Some good views over the back of Notre Dame
Key negative
No famous monument there
Much less enjoyable if the weather is cold or rainy
Suitability
Accessible to visitors with reduced mobility but pavements are mostly narrow and sometimes occupied by restaurant terrasses
About this Rating
TYPE
Onsite
RESEARCHED IN
May 2024
PROVIDER
Koreval
av. transport time:0h 30m
est. visit time:1h 15m
Sunrise / early morningNo
MorningOk
Lunch timeOk
AfternoonOk
Sunset / eveningOk
Night – bef. midnightNo
Night – aft. midnightNo