St Germain des Pres and the Latin Quarter of Paris are located in an area on the left bank of Paris around the Sorbonne and St Germain Church.
Known for its student life, lively atmosphere, restaurant, luxury art galleries and bistros, the area is the home to a number of higher education establishments besides the university itself, such as the École Normale Supérieure, the École des Mines de Paris, the Schola Cantorum, and the Jussieu university campus and also the former Polytechnique School.
The area gets its name from the Latin language, which was once widely spoken in and around the University since Latin was the international language of learning in the Middle Ages.