The Latin Quarter after Notre-Dame

Cross the Petit Pont from the cathedral square and you’re in the Latin Quarter — the university district of Paris for eight centuries, named for the Latin once spoken by its students.

Start at Shakespeare and Company, the storied English-language bookshop facing the cathedral across the river. Browse slowly; the creaking floors are part of the experience.

Wander rue de la Bûcherie and rue Galande into the medieval lanes, pass the little church of Saint-Julien-le-Pauvre (one of the oldest in Paris), and find a café table for a slow coffee.

With more time, continue to the Cluny Museum for medieval art — including original sculpture from Notre-Dame — or up the hill toward the Panthéon. History Lover includes this route with audio stops.