Having lived in Paris my entire life and learning the ins and outs of the city, I immediately became excited at the chance to share my knowledge of the world's best city with fellow traveling aficionados! Paris is known for many things, but there is actually so much more you probably don’t know about the city. Don’t worry; you’ll soon be acting like the locals with the help of one of our fantastic hosts.

I think that everyone who visits Paris has to stroll down Rue du Chat-qui-Pêche or "The Street of the Fishing Cat." The city is quite surprising to first-timers, so why not jump into the deep end with the narrowest street in Paris? You may be wondering about the name, which has many famous stories. But that is for your host to reveal… I don't want to spoil it.

Once you’ve learned the history and soaked up the atmosphere, take a short walk through the lively Rue de la Huchette, and soon enough, you’ll come to a stop at Shakespeare and Company. I always recommend this stop when friends or family come to visit. The atmosphere is enough to make it worth a trip, but it has an interesting history as well. I mean, unknown writers used to sleep between the bookshelves! It has become somewhat of a tradition now. Can you imagine having a legendary bookshop as a hotel? It’s worth taking some time to hear all these wonderful stories that live off of the bookshelves.

After that, you and your host will take a quick walk down the road to one of Paris’ oldest religious buildings. You don’t even have to be an architecture lover to appreciate Église Saint-Julien-le-Pauvre’s beauty. I always feel so in awe when I arrive here; it’s almost like a sense of calm washes over me. There are many legends contained within the building's history that I'm eager for you to hear. If you want to get even deeper into the city’s history, the park next to the church houses the oldest tree in Paris! You’ll probably leave feeling like you stepped out of the fountain of youth.

Speaking of fountains, head over to the Jardin des Plantes and ask your host to show you the hidden lion fountain. Just make sure you don’t accidentally get lost in the labyrinth! Seriously. Jardin des Plantes is my favorite garden in all of France because it has so much to offer, but I highly recommend you try to spend some time at the National Museum of Natural History. It is definitely something to write home about! 

After enjoying Jardin des Plantes, your host will take you on a short walk, and suddenly, you're at Paris' oldest mosque. It seems to arrive out of nowhere. The Grande Mosquée de Paris features breathtaking architecture and has everything you could want. It features prayer rooms, an outdoor garden, a small library, a gift shop, a cafe, and a restaurant!

While I never get tired of Paris, you may feel a bit tempted to escape to Italy. Not to worry! Your next stop is ancient Roman ruins! Arènes de Lutèce was once a theater that was also used to host gladiator battles. Talk about historical and interesting things, some amazing stories, and things to see here. That is exactly why there is a slice of Rome in Paris waiting for you to discover.

On the way to your next Latin Quarter treasure, you’ll have a chance to walk through the famous Rue Mouffetard while your host tells you all of this street’s stories as you pass so many restaurants, shops, and cafes that you might feel overwhelmed! My tip for this? Visit the ongoing market here; it has the freshest food in all of France, and it might be time for a snack anyway. It’s wonderful local fare.

Finally, the pièce de résistance. The Panthéon. Yes, we are going back to ancient Rome. It is the Latin quarter after all. The monument is truly breathtaking, and paired with such an interesting history (I’ll leave that to your host), it is one of the must-visit sites in Paris. For an extra fee, you can access the nave and the crypt. That is, if you dare - trust me though, muster your courage, it is seriously worth it. 

I’m positive that after this experience you will fall in love with Paris as much as I have. After discovering the Latin Quarter of Paris, you may feel like you’ve completed the hidden gems. But there are many more districts and gems to uncover. Paris is the city of hidden treasures, as we locals say.