Left+Bank

The Left Bank is also known as La Rive Gauche. It is the southern bank of the River Seine that flows through the middle of Paris. The Left Bank is also known as the artistic part of the city because many famous writers and artists came from that area, including Ernest Hemingway, Pablo Picasso and F. Scott Fitzgerald. In the past, The Left Bank was considered a poor part of Paris and rent was very cheap, which is why so many “starving artists” called it home.

The Left Bank houses the most important landmark in the city, the Eiffel Tower. The tower can be seen in the skyline of the Left Bank. The south side of the Seine is home to some major Paris landmarks as well as some famous streets, including Musee d’Orsay, Luxembourg Gardens, boulevard Saint-Germain and rue Bonaparte. The popular Latin Quarter also occupies a large portion of the Left Bank.

Currently, the area is very fashionable and elegant. The Left Bank now has high end apartments and cafes and also night clubs. This area is an essential part of Paris and a center for the social life of the city. A trip to Paris would not be complete without a trip to the Left Bank.