6ème arrondissement - Luxembourg Property Insight
The 6th arrondissement is situated at the centre of Paris, on the left bank of the Seine River. West, it is lined with the 7th, east with the 5th, north with the Seine and south with the 14th and 15th arrondissements. At the opposite side of the Seine it also borders the 1st one. The first dwellings on the river bank go back to the Roman time but this district has begun to develop only from the 19th century. Today, it allies the charming atmosphere of its medieval streets with some of the trendiest shops of Paris.
The Luxembourg district has a bit of everything and can be described as a mix of its two neighbours, the 5th and the 7th arrondissements. Like the latter, it has in some places a somewhat austere side with long quiet streets, cloistered communities and a peaceful atmosphere. On the other side, it resembles to the 5th district in many ways. It has indeed numerous schools bringing lots of hustle and bustle; the life there is alternately studious and noisy. It makes this arrondissement a unique one.
The 6th arrondissement is the archetypal residential Parisian district. Small traditional boutiques rub elbows with latest fashion shops in surroundings marked with a rich historical heritage. The Quartier Saint-Germain-des-Prés especially is known to be the symbol of the Parisian elegance and refinement. It is the right place to experience the chic parisien.
All arrondissements in Paris are divided into four quarters; as follows are the quarters of the 6th arrondissement.
- Quartier Saint-Germain-des-Prés: nestling the Ecole des Beaux-Arts (a famous fine arts school), it distinguishes itself with its art facet. Indeed, it offers lots of art book shops as well as dealers of ancient furniture and curios. As for History, remains of the Saint-Germain des Prés abbey and the former residence of the Queen Margot are to be discovered. Numerous ancient hotels are also to be found. This area is very touristy.
- Quartier de la Monnaie: this is one of the most literary quarter of Paris. It indeed counts numerous book shops, from the big bookstore to the famous quay book sellers. Plenty of antique and embossment dealers are also to be found, mostly for the love of art. Two big monuments are part of the Luxembourg arrondissement: the Hôtel de la Monnaie and the Palais de l’Institut. Besides, we can also find ancient properties and remains of old secondary schools. Otherwise this area is thought to be a little “bourgeois”.
- Quartier de l’Odéon: a lively literary quarter. We can find several Grandes Ecoles but also the Senate. On a different note, the Saint-Sulpice church goes back to the 17th century and is a real pleasure for the eyes. The Rue des Augustins is full of history and worth the visit. It is in the former Saint Augustin convent that Louis XIII was enthroned king, and Picasso also painted his famous Guernica in this same street. The quartier de l’Odéon is mostly known for its beautiful garden, the Jardin du Luxembourg.
- Notre-Dame-des-Champs: this quarter has kept its religious traditions. Plenty of piety items shops and sacred art monuments are to be found. Many of them have been converted into house administrations. For example the former convent of Bon Pasteur has become a military jail and a Catholic school has been laid out in an ancient convent of the Carmelites. Besides, several interesting town houses are to be seen, such as the Hôtel du Conseil de Guerre. The streets not to miss are the Rue du Montparnasse and the Rue d’ Assas.
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6ème arrondissement - Luxembourg Immobilier & Property Market Trends
Property prices in this district increased during the last five years (as for the whole department) but have remained very stable since the beginning of 2009. With an average buying price of €10,040 /sq m, it is the most expensive arrondissement of Paris. It can be explained by a high demand due to its strong attractiveness.
Property prices vary according to the quarter. As a very touristy area, the most expensive is the Quartier Saint-Germain-des-Prés (€10,263 /sq m on average). For La Monnaie and L’Odéon, you can count respectively €9,397 /sq m and €9,722 /sq m. Notre-Dame-des-Champs is the cheapest with €8,849 /sq m. Prices tend to increase while approaching the Seine River.
The average area in the Luxembourg arrondissement is 97 sq m. The architecture is stylish and presents impressive ancient estates with large balconies. Vast familial upscale apartments are to be found as well as small pied-a-terre particularly coveted by the foreign public. This area can offer nice opportunities in term of buy-to-let investment, for the properties will always find tenants!
To get updated info about the property prices in Paris, please browse our French Property Market Reports published in the News Section every month.
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Characteristics of the 6ème arrondissement - Luxembourg
Théatre de l’Odéon: it is one of the six French national theatres. It was built in the 18th century in a neo-classic style to house the Troupe du Théatre Français. It is dedicated to European theatre and welcomes various shows all year long. Its particularity is to offer them in original language. It is a hotbed of culture, expressed in various forms such as plays, movies, dance...
Jardin du Luxembourg: one of the Parisians’ favourite relaxation place. This prestigious garden à la française is also an open-air sculpture museum and offers recreational activities for youth and older. It is really worth to stroll in. In middle towers the Luxembourg palace, built for Marie de Médicis and nestling astonishing adorning works of Delacroix and Rubens.
Eglise Saint-Sulpice: also known as the “Cathedral of the Rive Gauche”, this huge baroque church goes back to the 17th century. This is a real masterpiece not to miss. The fountain outside was made by Visconti and the rococo Chapel of the Madonna by Servandoni. The beautiful organ with its 6,700 pipes is one of the world’s largest. Nonetheless the most impressive are the Delacroix frescoes in the Chapel of the Angels.
Cafés des intellects: typical of Paris, they are places of cultural exchange where the craziest ideas are more than welcome. They used to be patronized by artists and writers such as Hemingway, Sartre or Picasso who even declared having created cubism in one of them.
Place Saint-Michel: this crossroad square is at the intersection of several streets and is a meeting place for many Parisians. It offers views on Paris like the Louvre or Notre-Dame and its fountain is really appreciated in summer. It is also known for its design flow market and its small charming boutiques. Besides, it nestles some of the best restaurants of the French capital.