Sorbonne University

If you want to savour some of the literary charm of Paris, you should pay a little visit to its pivotal site, the Sorbonne University, the most prestigious in France.

Founded in 1253 at the behest of Louis IX’s confessor as a college for theology students, it has undergone many transformations throughout history.

It was the birthplace of the French printing press, illustrious figures such as Giordano Bruno, H. Balzac, Giuseppe Ungaretti, Pierre and Marie Curie studied in its classrooms, it was closed during the Revolution because of its aversion to liberal philosophy, and its courtyards were the scene of the famous ’68, the student revolt and protest nicknamed the French May, which led to great social, cultural and political changes.

Today it consists of 13 autonomous faculties with as many as 35,500 students.

Of course, its lecture halls cannot be visited, but it is possible to mingle with students and professors and savour the university’s buzzing atmosphere in the many cafés that line the square in front of the main entrance.