THE PARIS OF SIMONE DE BEAUVOIR

It takes only a few steps through the streets of Saint-Germain-des-Prés to sense a presence. That of an intellectual, vibrant and engaged Paris. A Paris where ideas circulated as freely as conversations on café terraces. It was here, among cafés, bookshops and discreet apartments, that Simone de Beauvoir shaped her thought, alongside Jean-Paul Sartre.

From Hôtel Montalembert, nestled in the heart of the Left Bank, this walk takes on its full meaning. Every street becomes a page, every place a story.

SIMONE DE BEAUVOIR
a free and engaged figure

A major figure of the 20th century, Simone de Beauvoir (1908–1986) was a philosopher, novelist and essayist, deeply engaged in the debates of her time. Born in Paris, she pursued brilliant studies at the Sorbonne, where she passed the agrégation in philosophy in 1929, a decisive year marked by her meeting with Jean-Paul Sartre, with whom she would form an emblematic intellectual duo.

Close to the existentialist movement, she developed a philosophy based on individual freedom, responsibility and engagement. Her major work, The Second Sex (1949), challenged conventions by analysing the condition of women and laying the foundations of modern feminism. Through her novels (The Mandarins, winner of the Prix Goncourt in 1954), her essays and her memoirs, she explored human relationships, society and the role of women with rare lucidity.

But Simone de Beauvoir also represents a way of living Paris. Long established in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, she made the cafés, bookshops and streets of the neighbourhood her spaces for reflection and creation. She often wrote in cafés, observing the world around her and exchanging ideas with the intellectuals of her time.

Even today, her imprint remains palpable. To follow in her footsteps is to discover a Paris that is at once literary, engaged and profoundly alive.

• She was one of the first women to pass the agrégation in philosophy, ranking second, just behind Sartre
• The Second Sex has now been translated into more than 40 languages and remains a global reference
• She rests in Montparnasse Cemetery, alongside Jean-Paul Sartre, a place of remembrance still widely visited today

CAFÉ DE FLORE
the epicentre of ideas

It is impossible to evoke Simone de Beauvoir without stopping at the Café de Flore. A true institution, this legendary café was one of her daily refuges.

Seated on the terrace or inside, she wrote, observed and debated. Even today, the atmosphere remains intact. The mirrors, the red banquettes, the ballet of waiters… everything evokes that era when literature was lived in the present.

Good to know: open every day from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 a.m., ideal in the morning or at the end of the day.
Insider tip: choose a morning coffee to enjoy a more peaceful atmosphere.

LES DEUX MAGOTS
endless conversations

Just a few steps away, Les Deux Magots continues the immersion. Less intimate but just as emblematic, this place welcomed writers, artists and philosophers in a state of constant effervescence.

Simone de Beauvoir and Sartre spent hours there, between passionate discussions and writing.

Good to know: open every day from 7:30 a.m. to 1 a.m.
Insider tip: settle in at the end of the afternoon to observe the life of the neighbourhood.

RUE BONAPARTE
in the footsteps of daily life

Leaving the cafés behind, let yourself be guided towards Rue Bonaparte. It was here, in this neighbourhood, that Simone de Beauvoir lived for much of her life.

Elegant façades, art galleries, old bookshops… Nothing seems to have truly changed. One can easily imagine her walks, her reflections, her encounters.

Good to know: the neighbourhood is just a few minutes’ walk from Hôtel Montalembert.
Insider tip: step inside the independent bookshops to prolong the experience.

LA LIBRAIRIE L’ÉCUME DES PAGES
the spirit still alive

Just a stone’s throw from Saint-Germain, L’Écume des Pages embodies the continuity of this intellectual heritage.

Open late into the night, this bookshop is an essential stop for literature lovers. Here, of course, you will find Simone de Beauvoir, but also an entire generation of engaged authors.

Good to know: open 7 days a week, ideal after dinner or an evening walk.
Insider tip: ask the booksellers for recommendations to discover works in the existentialist tradition.

JARDIN DU LUXEMBOURG
to breathe and reflect

For a more contemplative pause, head to the Jardin du Luxembourg. This emblematic Left Bank garden offers a welcome breath of fresh air after the lively energy of Saint-Germain.

Simone de Beauvoir came here to walk, observe and think. Today, the place retains that same gentle atmosphere.

Good to know: open from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. in summer.
Insider tip: settle near the central basin at the end of the day for a soothing light.

L’ÂME
of Saint-Germain

Exploring Simone de Beauvoir’s Paris means rediscovering a city on the scale of thought. A city to be read, contemplated and felt.

From Hôtel Montalembert, every place is within easy reach, every moment part of a natural continuity. In the morning, a coffee on a terrace. In the afternoon, a literary walk. In the evening, a more intimate moment at the restaurant of Hôtel Montalembert, where conversations continue in a warm atmosphere.

Because in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, some stories never fade. They continue to live on, around a street corner, in a glance, or in a simple shared moment.