Description

Essentials about Saint-Germain-des-Prés in brief

The church of Saint-Germain-des-Prés is one of the oldest in Paris. The abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés used to stand on the site, but with the exception of the church it was destroyed at the beginning of the 19th century. The church is thus the last medieval testimony of what was then the richest and most powerful abbey around Paris.

The history of Saint-Germain-des-Prés

The abbey was founded as early as 557 under the name of Saint-Vincent-Sainte-Croix by the Merovingian king Childeberg I to serve as a repository for precious relics. A year later, the king was buried here, an event that would elevate this site to one of the first royal necropolises in the country. Germanus of Paris, the canonized bishop of Paris in the 6th century, was also buried here. After being sacked and burned by the Vikings in the 9th century, the abbey was rebuilt in the 10th century. In the meantime, it had taken the name of Saint Germanus and was henceforth called Saint-Germain-des-Prés. Today, the church houses a permanent exhibition on the history of Saint Germain-des-Prés.

The Saint-Germain-des-Prés district

A visit to the church should definitely be combined with a walk through the Saint-Germain-des-Prés neighborhood surrounding the church and named after it. The former artists’ and literati district is, so to speak, the fancier version of the neighboring student district Latin Quarter. Especially the cafés of Saint-Germain-des-Prés are very famous. In the past, intellectuals and artists such as Pablo Picasso, Ernest Hemingway or Jean-Paul Sartre met here. Today the quarter attracts with noble cafés and restaurants as well as numerous boutiques, galleries and antique dealers.

Website

eglise-saintgermaindespres.fr

Opening hours

Admission fees

None.

Address

Getting there

By public transport:

Métro line 4: Stop Saint-Germain-des-Prés

Métro line 10: Stop Mabillon

Bus lines 39, 63, 87, 95 and N01: Stop Saint-Germain-des-Prés

By car:

The nearest parking garage is Parking Marché Saint Germain.