Square Spotting: Paris’s Prettiest Squares for Summer

It’s finally summer and it seems that there is no respite from the sweltering weather. As you stroll around the city, you’ll discover some bookmark-worthy ideas and inspiration for exploring and seeking shade! We’ve been through the City of Light’s prettiest secret streets, so here are some of the most beautiful squares. They’ll take you all across Paris and into bucolic hidden corners that’ll make you forget you’re in the city.

Square Barye

You’ve probably been to the Île Saint-Louis. A stop at Berthillon for a cone on a humid summer day. Sunsets and people-watching at one of the brasseries.

While the western side of the island is always hopping (thanks to a bridge connecting it to Île de la Cité), walk to the eastern tip and you’ll find a delightful park. The tip of this square looks out onto the Viaduc d’Austerlitz and a nice view of the 12^th and 5^th arrondissements, which are, I believe, not as heavily favored as the beloved Tour Eiffel. Square Barye is lush in summer and abounds with blooms in the spring, while also offering plenty of cold winter sunshine.

Square Trousseau

Just around the corner from the Lédru Rollin stop on metro line 8 is Square Trousseau. It’s small and unassuming, with standard greenery for a Paris square, plus a playground.

The location, however, is what makes it stand out. It’s steps from the open-air market at Place Aligre, surrounded by cafés and bistrots, 10 minutes from the Promenade Planté (a raised walking path that’s part of the Coulée Verte, and the inspiration for the Highline in New York), and, most importantly, right in front of one of my favorite Paris boulangeries. Pop into Blé Sucré for a madeleine (and anything else, really). They are dense but soft and delicately glazed. A perfect afternoon snack enjoyed in the sunny square. 

Square Marie-Trintignant

I will wager that this is one of the least-known and best-kept secrets in the city. One day, I was walking along the Seine when I came across this little square. Honestly, at any other time of the year, there’s not much to see (although it’s shaded and thus perfect for an afternoon of reading). It happened to be April – and there was a cherry blossom explosion, and no competition for the photos. I came and it was empty. If you want the flowers all to yourself, mark this spot.  

Square Paul-Langevin

This is another cherry-blossom peeping spot in the Latin Quarter, by the École Polytechnique and a short walk from the Panthéon.

At the cross of rue Monge and rue des Écoles, branches of cherry blossoms spill onto the sidewalk as their petals sprinkle the benches. I’d personally hop off the metro at Maubert-Mutualié, grab a warm croissant from La Maison d’Isabelle (just outside the exit), and then walk to the square to enjoy the flowers. 

Place de Furstenberg

Technically not a square, but very Paris. Musée Eugène Delacroix sits here, under the shade of leafy trees. A beautiful and classic lamp post adorns the center, anchoring the little roundabout. You can exit in one of two directions: the Saint-Germain-des-Prés church, or via rue Jacob. Both are great, but rue Jacob is my favorite at sunset. The street just seems endless, the buildings leading you right to the pink and orange sky.