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This park-within-a-park is at the very centre of the Bois. Its lawns and wooded areas include a 200-year-old beech tree said to have the largest spread of branches in Paris.

From this riverbank, just before the Pont de l’rchevêché there are lovely views across to Notre-Dame. The main attraction of this and the adjacent Quai de Montebello, however, are the dark-green stalls of the bouquinistes (see Bouquinistes). The Pont de la Tournelle also offers splendid views up and down the Seine.

Although only a fairly recent addition, being planted in 1990, the beautiful roserie has some 170 species of roses and 180 rose bushes on display. Spectacular when they are in full bloom in spring and summer.

The cobblestone pedestrianized road that stretches south of rue de Grenelle to avenue de La Motte-Picquet is the most exclusive street market in Paris. Here greengrocers, fishmongers, butchers, and wine merchants sell top-quality produce to the well-heeled residents of the area every Tuesday to Saturday. Tear yourself away from the mouth-watering displays of cheese and pastries, however, to feast your eyes on the Art Nouveau buildings at Nos. 33 and 151.

Commissioned by Napoleon and named after his victory over the Austrians at Rivoli in 1797, this grand street links the Louvre with the Champs-Elysées (see Avenue des Champs-Elysées). It was intended as a backdrop for victory marches but was not finished until the 1850s, long after the emperor’s death. Along one side, railings replaced the old Tuileries walls, opening up the view, while opposite, Neo-Classical apartments sit atop the long arcades. These are now filled with a mix of shops, selling luxury goods or tourist souvenirs.

Running roughly parallel to the Champs-Elysées, the Paris equivalent of Fifth Avenue, Bond Street or Rodeo Drive is this high street of international glamour. From Christian La Croix and Versace to Gucci and Hermès, the shopfronts read like a Who’s Who of fashion. Even if the prices may be out of reach, window-shopping is fun. There are also elegant antiques and art galleries, such as La Cour aux Antiquaires at No. 54.

Although the rue Mouffetard is famous today for its lively street market held every Tuesday to Sunday, it has an equally colourful past. In Roman times this was the main road from Paris to Rome. Some say its name comes from the French word mouffette (skunk), as a reference to the odorous River Bièvre (now covered over) where waste was dumped by tanners and weavers from the nearby Gobelins tapestry factory. Though no longer poor or Bohemian, the neighbourhood still has lots of character, with its 17th-century mansard roofs, old-fashioned painted shop signs and affordable restaurants. In the market you can buy everything from Auvergne sausage to horse meat to ripe cheeses.

Sent to Paris under the label “unknown seeds from China” by a Jesuit naturalist living in the Orient, this tree was planted in 1747, first flowered in 1777, and still flowers today.