3 Best Sights in St-Germain-des-Pres, Paris

A short walk from the neighborhood's namesake St-Germain church, this lively crossroads (carrefour means "intersection") was once a notorious Rive Gauche landmark. During the French Revolution, the army enrolled its first volunteers here. It was also here that thousands of royalists and priests lost their heads during the 10-month wave of public executions known as the Reign of Terror. There's certainly nothing sinister about the area today, though: popular outdoor cafés brim with tourists and locals alike, and colorful coffee-table books are sold alongside take-out ice cream and other gourmet treats. Devotees of the superb, traditional bakery Carton ( 6 rue de Buci) line up for fresh breads and pastries (try the pain aux raisins, tuiles cookies, and tarte au citron).

Like an 18th-century engraving come to life, this charming street arcade is a remnant of ancien Paris, with its uneven cobblestones, antique roofs, and old-world facades. Famed for its rabble-rousing inhabitants—journalist Jean-Paul Marat ran the Revolutionary newspaper L'Ami du Peuple at No. 8, and the agitator Georges Danton lived at No. 20—it is also home to Le Procope, Paris's oldest restaurant (which may seem like a tourist trap, but the food and service are very good). The passageway contains a turret from the 12th-century wall of Philippe-Auguste.

This chic and sleek courtyard is home to a Thierry Marx bakery, Pierre Hermé café, and the very popular Certified Coffee where you'll usually find hipsters working on their laptops. There's also a nice collection of restaurants, a wine bar, outdoor seating, and contemporary artwork. Enjoy a gourmet snack or meal and soak in the modern contrast to the 19th-century limestone buildings on the street that hides this quiet haven of gastronomy. Enter from  83 rue du Bac or  14 bd. Raspail, which features a 79-foot-long cardboard and wood forest by artist Eva Jospin.