Street · Paris
Rue Mouffetard
Walk it downhill from Place de la Contrescarpe on a Tuesday–Saturday or Sunday morning, when the food shops at the bottom are open; come back in the evening only if you want cheap student bars and fondue restaurants.
Map to the start
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Length
600 m0.4 mi
approximate
Walk end to end
9 min
without stops
Traffic
Partly car-free
Best time
Tuesday–Saturday 09:00–12:30, or Sunday morning when the lower end is at its liveliestTuesday–Saturday 9:00 AM–12:30 PM, or Sunday morning when the lower end is at its liveliest
At a glance
- Area
- 5th arrondissement (Latin Quarter)
- Length
- 600 m0.4 mi
- Start
- Top end at Place de la Contrescarpe
- End
- Bottom end at Saint-Médard church
- Traffic
- Partly car-free
- Currency
- EUR
Decide
What the street is for, and when to be there
At a glance
One of the oldest streets in Paris: a narrow, sloping lane in the Latin Quarter with a morning food market at its lower end and budget restaurants and bars near Place de la Contrescarpe.
Getting there
Metro Place Monge (line 7) is 5 minutes from the top; Censier–Daubenton (line 7) is right by the bottom end at Saint-Médard. Bus 47 runs along Avenue des Gobelins nearby.
Traffic and walking hours
Partly car-free. Mostly pedestrian in practice: the lower market stretch is closed to general traffic and the upper lane is too narrow for much traffic, but delivery vans and residents' cars pass in the morning (check).
Hours change for events and holidays: check locally.
Morning, afternoon, night
Best time: Tuesday–Saturday 09:00–12:30, or Sunday morning when the lower end is at its liveliest
05:00–11:005:00 AM–11:00 AM local time
The lower half fills with greengrocers, fishmongers, cheese shops and bakeries setting out their stalls. Sunday mornings often bring music and dancing around Saint-Médard (check).
Best time: Tuesday–Saturday 09:00–12:30, or Sunday morning when the lower end is at its liveliest
See & do
The stops in walking order, then where to shop and what to eat
Walk this street
↓ about 3 min · 200 m0.1 mi
↓ about 4 min · 270 m0.2 mi
↓ about 2 min · 170 m0.1 mi
Minutes are walking time at an easy 5 km/h3 mph with a margin for crowds; add time for shops. The GPX opens in Organic Maps, OsmAnd or Google My Maps.
Where to shop and what it costs
- Fruit and vegetable stallsSeasonal produce spilling out onto the lower street€2–10 (≈ US$3–12) / kiloPrice check →
- Cheese shops and delisFrench cheeses, charcuterie and prepared dishes€4–40 (≈ US$5–50) / piecePrice check →
- BakeriesBaguettes, croissants and pastries€1.2–6 (≈ US$2–7) / itemPrice check →
- Wine shopsAffordable bottles for a picnic in the nearby Jardin des Plantes€7–40 (≈ US$9–50) / bottlePrice check →
Typical buys
- Crêpe from a street stand€4–9 (≈ US$5–11) / crepePrice check →
- Cheese for a picnic€4–12 (≈ US$5–14) / piecePrice check →
- Fondue or raclette dinner€20–32 (≈ US$25–40) / personPrice check →
- Beer at a bar near ContrescarpeCheaper during happy hour€5–9 (≈ US$6–11) / glassPrice check →
Ranges, not quotes: prices move with season and exchange rates; the equivalent in your currency is approximate. Checked Sep 2026.
Eat on or near it
- Crêpe standsSeveral on the upper half; a quick, cheap lunch while walking.
- Fondue and raclette restaurantsThe street is known for them; good value for a filling dinner, but book on weekend evenings.
Sights on the street
- Place de la ContrescarpeSmall square with a fountain and café terraces at the top of the street.
- Saint-Médard churchGothic church at the bottom, free to enter during opening hours.
- PanthéonAbout 5 minutes' walk north-west of Place de la Contrescarpe.
Practical
Getting a ride there, what goes wrong, and access
Show the driver
Show the driver
Pouvez-vous me déposer place de la Contrescarpe, en haut de la rue Mouffetard, s'il vous plaît ?
Could you drop me at Place de la Contrescarpe, at the top of Rue Mouffetard, please?
Safety, traffic and scams
Pickpockets in the Sunday market crowd low
Slippery cobblestones on the slope low
Scams and traps
- Restaurant touts on the upper half pushing set menus: check what is included and the drink prices before sitting down.
Accessibility
- Sloping, narrow and cobbled, with uneven paving; hard going for wheelchairs and strollers.
- Walking downhill from Contrescarpe is easier; Censier–Daubenton metro has stairs only.
Photo tips
- Shoot the fruit and fish stalls at the bottom in the morning; ask stallholders first.
- Look up above shop fronts for old painted signs, including the carved oak-tree sign at no. 69 (check).
A line of history
The street follows the route of an ancient Roman road heading south from Lutetia toward Italy, and was already a market street in the Middle Ages. Ernest Hemingway lived in the 1920s on nearby Rue du Cardinal-Lemoine, just off Place de la Contrescarpe.
Combine with
- Jardin des PlantesBotanical garden about 10 minutes east; good for a picnic after the market.
- Grande Mosquée de ParisTea and pastries in its courtyard café, about 10 minutes east of Saint-Médard.
More streets in Paris: Champs-Élysées · Rue Cler
Questions people ask
When is the market?
The food shops at the lower end trade Tuesday to Saturday with a lunch break, and Sunday morning; most are closed Monday and Sunday afternoon (check).
Is it good for dinner?
Yes for budget food (fondue, crêpes, Greek and Italian), no for fine dining; compare menus before you sit.
Deep dive
Sources; hours, rules and prices change, so check before you go