5th arrondissement of Paris, Administrative district in Latin Quarter, Paris, France.
The fifth arrondissement sits south of the Seine and covers four distinct neighborhoods with cobblestone streets, public squares, and green gardens. The boundaries run along the river to the north, Rue des Fossés Saint-Bernard to the east, and climb to Boulevard de Port-Royal in the south.
Romans built their settlement Lutetia here in the first century BCE, and its main road later became Rue Saint-Jacques. During the Middle Ages the university emerged, drawing scholars from across Europe and turning the district into a center of learning.
The name Quartier Latin comes from medieval students who spoke Latin here when the university shaped daily life across the district. Today you see bookshops along narrow lanes, cafés with students at the tables, and small theaters staging plays in tiny halls.
Several metro stations serve the area, and bus lines connect the different neighborhoods so you can walk onward or combine short rides. Streets climb upward from the river to the south, so plan for the slope when walking.
Beneath the streets lie remains of Roman baths and an amphitheater that you can still see in several places. The Arènes de Lutèce in the east shows the old stone tiers where spectators sat almost 2000 years ago.
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