St-Germain

Gentrified to the hilt and painfully chic, St-Germain gets its name from the ancient church of St-Germain-des-Prés, the oldest house of worship in Paris. The narrow streets and historic facades are reminiscent of the Marais, but with more antiques shops and upscale galleries than museums and nightlife. Luxury boutique hotels in the area offer cozy historic character without sacrificing space or modern comforts (at a price, of course), while budget sleeps can be found around métro Odéon for those who can forgo elevators, air-conditioning, and closet space. People-watching is best from the café terraces along the noisy boulevard St-Germain, or from the peaceful reclining chairs in the magnificently landscaped Jardin du Luxembourg to the south.

To the west, in the stately 7e arrondissement, luxurious ministries and embassies -- including the Hôtel Matignon, residence of the French prime minister -- line the streets, their majestic scale completely in keeping with the Hôtel des Invalides, whose gold-leaf dome rises above Napoléon's tomb. Fans of late 19th-century art can find bliss at the Musée d'Orsay, where a knockout collection of Impressionist painting has been installed in a converted Belle Époque rail station, or at the more intimate Musée Rodin, housed in a splendid 18th-century hôtel particulier.