A Moveable Feast · Place in the book
39 Rue Descartes
In the story · The early chapters: the rented room where he wrote
Needing somewhere to work away from the flat, Hemingway rented a room on the top floor of this building, the old hotel where the poet Paul Verlaine had died in 1896. He climbed up each morning to write, and the short, exact sentences he talks about in the book were worked out here.
Where to stay nearby
Stay a 1-min walk from hereMap with prices from several sites · distance: OpenStreetMap
or on Booking.com- With this place
- Day by day
- Free
Are you here?
More to do here
Things to do
A Moveable Feast: a tour linked to the story
Walk with an actor-guide · from 69 boulevard Saint-Michel · about 1 h 30 min · Guide in English or French
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More A Moveable Feast places nearby
74 Rue du Cardinal Lemoine80 m away · 1 min on foot
Place de la Contrescarpe (Café des Amateurs)90 m away · 1 min on foot
12 Rue de l'Odéon990 m away · 13 min on foot
Famous places nearby
Not places of the story, but worth the walk.
Jardin des Plantes
780 m away · 10 min on footThe city's botanical garden by the Seine, with flower beds, old trees and glasshouses.
Notre-Dame Cathedral
840 m away · 11 min on footLinked to the storyIn 'People of the Seine' Hemingway walks the quays with Notre-Dame and the Île de la Cité opposite.
Sainte-Chapelle
1.1 km away · 15 min on footA royal chapel whose upper level is walled almost entirely with stained glass.
Where to stand for the photo
From across the street, look up from the doorway to the top-floor windows; the plaque by the entrance completes the picture.
Getting there
- Address: 39 Rue Descartes, 75005 Paris
- Nearest metro: Cardinal Lemoine (L10)
- Access
- Private building, exterior only. People live here: keep your voice down and don't ring the bells.
Public sources (3)
Sources found on October 21, 2026.
Every place checked against public sources
Production · film commissions · tourist boards · guides
We always say if it is:
- The real filming location
- A place standing in for it
- Inspired by the story
From other stories, nearby
- Église Saint-Étienne-du-MontMidnight in Paris180 m away · 2 min on foot
- PanthéonEmily in Paris310 m away · 4 min on foot
- Café de la Nouvelle MairieEmily in Paris320 m away · 4 min on foot
- Place de l'EstrapadeEmily in Paris340 m away · 5 min on foot
Where to eat nearby
Les Pipos
230 m away · 3 min on footwine bistro€Latin Quarter wine bar serving traditional French plates, mains about €9–13
Café de la Nouvelle Mairie
320 m away · 4 min on footwine bar€€The café by Emily's square where she and Mindy meet for brunch and gossip in Emily in Paris (S1E5); open weekdays only
Terra Nera
360 m away · 5 min on footItalian€€The Italian restaurant on Place de l'Estrapade that plays Gabriel's restaurant in Emily in Paris; the menu has a set meal named after the show
Every place checked against public sources
Production · film commissions · tourist boards · guides
We always say if it is:
- The real filming location
- A place standing in for it
- Inspired by the story
Every place checked against public sources
Production · film commissions · tourist boards · guides
We always say if it is:
- The real filming location
- A place standing in for it
- Inspired by the story