On the streets of Paris: Quai d'Anjou from Quai des Célestins – Timeless Elegance on Île Saint-Louis

Quai d'Anjou (Île Saint-Louis, 4e), seen from the opposite bank on Quai des Célestins.

This is one of Paris's most quietly luxurious stretches: 17th-century mansions (hôtels particuliers) line the quay with their tall windows, wrought-iron balconies, and pale stone facades, many built for wealthy magistrates and financiers during the island's golden age. The trees (plane and chestnut) frame the view perfectly.

Just around the corner, at Hôtel de Lauzun, Baudelaire and his friends once gathered for their infamous "Club des Hashischins" in the 1840s, eating hashish-laced jam while debating art and poetry in candlelit rooms. A few doors down at Hôtel Lambert, Chopin gave intimate piano recitals for Liszt, Delacroix, and Balzac during his years with George Sand, those same salons still echo with Romantic-era whispers.

Sensory notes: the cool river air, the scent of damp leaves and distant baking from nearby boulangeries, the subtle play of light on the Seine's green surface, and that unmistakable feeling of walking through a painting that’s still alive.

A few street-level gems nearby:

• Hôtel de Lauzun and Hôtel Lambert (peek through the gates if you can).
• Berthillon glacier (the legendary ice cream spot, a short walk along the quai).
• Pont Marie or Pont de la Tournelle for classic Seine photos.
• Métro: Pont Marie (Line 7) or Sully-Morland (Line 7) – both ~5 min walk.

Paris streets: sometimes noisy, sometimes hushed, here, they whisper history and invite you to linger. What's your favorite quiet corner along the Seine?

Bon samedi à tous !

“The streets of Paris are best explored without hurry — they reveal themselves only to the unhurried.”

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Part of the “Streets of Paris” Series

Each Saturday, we wander through the streets of Paris — tracing light, texture, and the quiet poetry of daily life.

Browse the full series

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