Rick Steves - Rick Steves Walk: Left Bank, Paris

Rick Steves Walks and Tours eBooks are straightforward, self-guided walking tours throughsome of Europes most popular destinations, designed for easy reference on your mobile deviceor eReader. Tours and Walks are available for must-see locations throughout London, Paris,Rome, Florence, Venice, Amsterdam, Budapest, Vienna, Athens, and Istanbul.

Rick Steves Tour: British Library, London

Rick Steves Tour: British Museum, London

Rick Steves Tour: National Gallery, London

Rick Steves Tour: National Portrait Gallery, London

Rick Steves Tour: St. Pauls Cathedral, London

Rick Steves Tour: Tate Britain, London

Rick Steves Tour: Tate Modern, London

Rick Steves Tour: Tower of London

Rick Steves Tour: Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Rick Steves Tour: Westminster Abbey, London

Rick Steves Walk: Bankside, London

Rick Steves Walk: City of London

Rick Steves Walk: West End, London

Rick Steves Walk: Westminster & Whitehall, London

Rick Steves Tour: Carnavalet Museum, Paris

Rick Steves Tour: Eiffel Tower, Paris

Rick Steves Tour: Louvre Museum, Paris

Rick Steves Tour: Orsay Museum, Paris

Rick Steves Tour: Pere Lachaise Cemetery, Paris

Rick Steves Tour: Pompidou Center, Paris

Rick Steves Tour: Versailles

Rick Steves Walk: Champs-Elyses, Paris

Rick Steves Walk: Historic Paris

Rick Steves Walk: Left Bank, Paris

Rick Steves Walk: Marais District, Paris

Rick Steves Walk: Montmartre, Paris

Rick Steves Tour: Appian Way, Rome

Rick Steves Tour: Borghese Gallery, Rome

Rick Steves Tour: National Museum of Rome

Rick Steves Tour: Palatine Hill, Rome

Rick Steves Tour: Pantheon, Rome

Rick Steves Tour: Pilgrims Rome

Rick Steves Tour: Roman Colosseum

Rick Steves Tour: Roman Forum

Rick Steves Tour: St. Peters Basilica, Rome

Rick Steves Tour: Vatican Museum, Rome

Rick Steves Walk: Heart of Rome

Rick Steves Walk: Trastavere, Rome

Rick Steves Tour: Accademia, Venice

Rick Steves Tour: Ca Rezzonico, Venice

Rick Steves Tour: Correr Museum, Venice

Rick Steves Tour: Doges Palace, Venice

Rick Steves Tour: Frari Church, Venice

Rick Steves Tour: Grand Canal Cruise, Venice

Rick Steves Tour: Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Venice

Rick Steves Tour: St. Marks Basilica, Venice

Rick Steves Tour: St. Marks Square, Venice

Rick Steves Tour: Venices Lagoon

Rick Steves Walk: Three Walks in Venice

Rick Steves Tour: Accademia, Florence

Rick Steves Tour: Bargello Museum, Florence

Rick Steves Tour: Duomo Museum, Florence

Rick Steves Tour: Medici Chapels, Florence

Rick Steves Tour: Museum of San Marco, Florence

Rick Steves Tour: Pitti Palace, Florence

Rick Steves Tour: Uffizi Gallery, Florence

Rick Steves Walk: Renaissance Florence

Rick Steves Tour: Anne Frank House, Amsterdam

Rick Steves Tour: Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

Rick Steves Tour: Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam

Rick Steves Walk: Amsterdam City Center

Rick Steves Walk: Jordaan District, Amsterdam

Rick Steves Walk: Red Light District, Amsterdam

Rick Steves Tour: Hofburg Imperial Apartments, Vienna

Rick Steves Tour: Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna

Rick Steves Tour: Ringstrasse Tram, Vienna

Rick Steves Tour: St. Stephens Cathedral, Vienna

Rick Steves Walk: Vienna City Center

Rick Steves Tour: House of Terror, Budapest

Rick Steves Tour: Thermal Baths, Budapest

Rick Steves Walk: Castle Hill, Budapest

Rick Steves Walk: Leopold Town, Budapest

Rick Steves Walk: The Castle Quarter, Prague

Rick Steves Tour: Athens Acropolis

Rick Steves Tour: Ancient Agora, Athens

Rick Steves Tour: Acropolis Museum & National Archaeological Museum, Athens

Rick Steves Walk: Athens City Center

Rick Steves Tour: Bosphorus Cruise, Istanbul

Rick Steves Tour: Chora Church, Istanbul

Rick Steves Tour: Grand Bazaar, Istanbul

Rick Steves Tour: Hagia Sophia, Istanbul

Rick Steves Tour: Istanbul Archaeological Museum

Rick Steves Tour: Topkapi Palace, Istanbul

Rick Steves Tour: Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum, Istanbul

Rick Steves Walk: Historic Core of Istanbul

Rick Steves Walk: Istanbul City Walls & Neighborhoods

Rick Steves Walk: Istanbul New District

Rick Steves Walk: Istanbul Old Town Backstreets

From the Seine to Luxembourg Garden

The Left Bank is as much an attitude as it is an actual neighborhood. But this walk, which is a little over a milefrom the Seine to St. Germain-des-Prs to Luxembourg Gardencaptures some of the artistic, intellectual, and countercultural spirit long associated with the south side of the river. Well pass through an upscale area of art galleries, home-furnishing boutiques, antiques dealers, bookstores, small restaurants, classic cafs, evening hot spots, and the former homes of writers, painters, and composers. Though trendy now, the area still has the offbeat funkiness that has always defined the Rive Gauche. ( Gauche, or left-handed, has come to imply social incorrectness, like giving a handshake with the wronglefthand.)

Use this walk as a series of historical markers as you explore the Left Bank of today. The walk dovetails perfectly with a shopping stroll. It also works well after a visit to the Louvre or after the Historic Paris Walk, and its ideal for connoisseurs of contemporary art galleries.

(See map)

Length of This Walk: Allow two hours.

When to Go: Evenings are pleasant, and many art galleries are open until 19:00 or 19:30.

Delacroix Museum: 5, free first Sun of month, covered by Museum Pass, Wed-Mon 9:30-17:00, until 17:30 on summer weekends, closed Tue, last entry 30 minutes before closing.

St. Germain-des-Prs: Free, daily 8:00-20:00.

St. Sulpice Church and Organ Concert: Free, church open daily 7:30-19:30, Sun morning organ concerts.

Luxembourg Garden: Free, daily dawn until dusk.

(See map)

Start on the pedestrianonly bridge across the Seine, the pont des Arts (next to Louvre, Mo: Pont Neuf or Louvre-Rivoli).

Before dozens of bridges crossed the Seine, the two riverbanks were like different citiesroyalty on the right, commoners on the left. This bridge has always been a pedestrian bridge...and long a popular meeting point for lovers.