The passion for domes is evident across the city, but the most dazzling of all is that of the Panthéon, especially on the approach up rue Soufflot. It was commissioned by Louis XV as a basilica to Sainte Géneviève, the teenage Gallo-Roman queen who worked wonders with Parisians’ morale when Attila the Hun’s armies menaced the city. Thanks to events of 1789, the church has spent most of its life as a temple to the great (or what passed for it at the time). Overshadowed in its corner near Le Bombardier English pub stands the far older church of St-Étienne-sur-Mont, begun by François I. This is an area steeped in history. Nearby rue de Clovis reveals a chunk of Philippe-Auguste’s city fortifications. And rue Mouffetard probably takes its name from the stench of the Bièvre river, stoked up by the tanneries of les Gobelins. Lined with cheap tavernas and a lively tourist nightspot, this Roman road still has character to spare. At the top end, place de la Contrescarpe boasts two fetching cafes overlooking a pretty fountain. Don’t miss les Arènes de Lutèce, the impressive remains of the Roman arena, just over rue Monge.