Quiet Corners of the 5th: Cloisters, Ruins and a Mosque Tearoom, a Self-Guided Paris Walk
2h. 1.9 miles. From Centre culturel irlandais to Jardin Alpin, Jardin des Plantes.
The Latin Quarter hides its calm behind institutional doors: an Irish college courtyard, a Roman arena where kids play football in the ruins, and mint tea under fig trees at the Grande Mosquee. A walk for slow afternoons on the Left Bank.
The local move
Order mint tea and a corne de gazelle in the mosque courtyard and stay a while; it is one of the cheapest beautiful pauses in Paris, and nobody hurries you.
Best time to go
Afternoons; the mosque tearoom and the gardens all run until early evening.
When to avoid it
Sunday mornings, when several courtyards are closed and the Jardin des Plantes fills with joggers.
The stops
Centre culturel irlandais
The old Irish college of Paris, its cobbled courtyard open to visitors and its chapel often hosting free exhibitions.
Tip: 5 rue des Irlandais, behind the Pantheon. The courtyard benches are public during opening hours.
Hotel des Grandes Ecoles garden
A countryside-style garden hidden behind a hotel gate on rue du Cardinal-Lemoine, like a village lane in central Paris.
Tip: It is a hotel, so be discreet: a polite look from the gate at 75 rue du Cardinal-Lemoine, or book a coffee if the terrace is open.
Arenes de Lutece
The ruins of a Roman amphitheatre, folded into a public garden where locals play petanque and football where gladiators fought.
Tip: Enter through the unassuming door on rue Monge. Free, open until dusk.
Grande Mosquee de Paris
A 1926 Moorish mosque with tiled courtyards, a hammam, and a tearoom under fig trees serving mint tea and pastries.
Tip: The tearoom entrance is separate, on rue Geoffroy-Saint-Hilaire. Tea is a couple of euros; cash is easiest.
Jardin Alpin, Jardin des Plantes
A sunken alpine garden hidden inside the botanical gardens, several degrees cooler and a century quieter than the main alleys.
Tip: Look for the discreet staircase near the Alpine garden sign; many visitors never find the way down.
Ways to change it up
Scholar's extension
Add the Ecole normale superieure garden at 45 rue d'Ulm on weekdays, a secluded courtyard inside one of France's great schools.
About these walks
This is one of the free self-guided Paris walks written by the Chic Trip team, locals who plan and book full Paris trips for American travelers. Get our free insider Paris guide at chic-trip.com/free-paris-guide, or have us plan your whole trip at chic-trip.com/paris-travel-planner.
