Fodor's Expert Review Carrefour de Buci

St-Germain-des-Pres Family
Cafe de Paris, Carrefour de Buci, Paris, France

A short walk from the neighborhood's namesake St-Germain church, this lively crossroads (carrefour means "intersection") was once a notorious Rive Gauche landmark. During the French Revolution, the army enrolled its first volunteers here. It was also here that thousands of royalists and priests lost their heads during the 10-month wave of public executions known as the Reign of Terror. There's certainly nothing sinister about the area today though: popular outdoor cafés brim with tourists and locals alike, and colorful coffee table books are sold alongside take-out ice cream and other gourmet treats. Devotees of the superb, traditional bakery Carton ( 6 rue de Buci) line up for fresh breads and pastries (try the pain aux raisins, tuiles cookies, and tarte au citron).

Family Street

Quick Facts

Intersection of Rues Mazarine, Dauphine, and de Buci
Paris, Île-de-France  France

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