Rue Mouffetard

You are walking along a path that dates back to the Roman era, when it served as a vital route connecting ancient Lutetia to the southern reaches of the empire. While much of Paris was transformed by wide boulevards during the nineteenth century, this street remained largely untouched because its narrow, winding layout and hillside position made it unsuitable for the grand redesign. Its unusual name likely stems from the old French word for skunk, which referenced the intense, foul odors that once drifted up from the nearby Bièvre River where skinners and tanners processed animal hides. The locals today affectionately call the street La Mouffe, preserving a connection to the gritty, industrious history that defined this neighborhood for centuries before it became the popular market thoroughfare you see today.