Île de la Cité & Île St-Louis

1er & 4e Arrondissements. As the historic cradle of Paris -- first settled over 2,300 years ago by the Gallic Parisii tribe -- some of the city's oldest "must see" sights are found on the Île de la Cité, including Notre-Dame, the Conciergerie, and Sainte-Chapelle. The small island is also home to Paris's high courts (Palais de Justice), police headquarters, and the Hôtel Dieu hospital, contributing to the already significant bustle of tourists and traffic. It's possible to escape the noisy crowds in the winding medieval streets behind Notre-Dame or under the trees at place Dauphine, but for a decent selection of hotels and restaurants cross the pedestrian bridge to the even tinier Île St-Louis. The art galleries and gift shops along the narrow main street of this exclusive residential enclave have been carefully groomed to appeal to tourists, with prices to match. You'll have to cross the Seine to get to the nearest métro, but this is an excellent place to explore the city's older districts on foot. If you're unsure of what to do for lunch, pick up some baguettes and a bottle of wine and head over to the Seine for a picnic. Don't forget the picnic blanket!

Comments

[michelle lasser]

Hello! We have been actively looking for three years for the perfect "jewel" apartment in Paris, preferably on I'le Saint Louis on Quai d'Orleans or Quai de Berthune, or in the 6th. We hope to find a 2-3 bedroom apartment in a good building with strong financials, quality construction exterior & interior and management. We hope to be on a high floor, with a life in a corner apartment with double/triple exposure with many windows and afternoon sun. While we would love to find an apartment recently renovated to our taste, we are willing do do a complete renovation. We have our lawyer, architect and builder awaiting our purchase. We are a cash buyer with no contingencies. We are returning to Paris September 26 to continue our search and will be staying at the Ritz. If you have, or know of, anything which meets our criteria, please contact me: 617.823.5433 (cell), 617.422.4125 fax or email at michellelasser@aol.com. Thank you in advance for your kind attention to our request. Michelle Lasser