Place Saint Michel
Saint-Michel
From the museum we take Rue Sommerard to the right to Boulevard Saint-Michael to the corner of Boulevard Saint-Germain.
The main crossroads of Left bank traffic. These two boulevards, Saint-Michel and Saint-Germain, are the main arteries of automotive and pedestrian traffic in this part of Paris. Most important or interesting things on the Left bank happen near these two streets. Both are lined with pavement cafés where students and travellers are lingering.
Saint-Michel, for a long time characterized by literary cafés, was the venue of student demonstrations against the Nazis in 1944 and against the government in 1968. Now it is characterized by cafés and restaurants and book stores. The alleys behind are full of nightclubs, avant-garde theatres, ethnic shops and specialized boutiques.
