The rue de Fürstenberg is one of Paris’ quiet surprises. Created in 1699 by the cardinal whose name it bears, this tiny street of tasteful galleries and apartments is tucked away behind St-Germain-des-Prés.

Neither an imposing monument, nor a sumptuous boulevard, Rue de Fürstenberg is instead a delicate gem, one of the nuanced brushstrokes which make Paris a canvas of infinite delight and discovery.

At a mere 82 metres long, Rue de Fürstenberg is easy to miss in the tangle of streets between the Boulevard St-Germain and the Seine. The purest way to experience this street is to stumble upon it. To walk the neighbourhood at random, especially in the late evening, and suddenly find oneself in the little square (Place Furstenberg) is to receive a real gift from the city. But Rue de Fürstenberg loses none of its charm if deliberately sought out.

From the northern end of the place St-Germain-des-Prés, turn east on the rue de l’Abbaye, and Rue Fürstenberg is the first left, running between Rue de l’Abbaye and Rue Jacob. Both ends of the street are very short, and in the center Rue de Fürstenberg opens up into a square.

On an island in the middle of the square is a group of paulownias, and at their centre is a five-globed, vintage streetlamp. In the spring, the trees bear delicate pyramids of purple flowers. In the summer, the heart-shaped leaves form a canopy over the square, and this is perhaps the best time to visit the area, especially after dark. Then, the soft light of the streetlamp is reflected by the leaves, suffusing the street with a shimmering white glow. It is not uncommon to find street musicians here, taking advantage of the atmosphere. The musicians, if present, are usually not the jazz combos that often play a few blocks away on the rue St-André-des-Arts, but rather solo balladeers in keeping with the quiet of the street. Whether or not there are performers, though, the nighttime atmosphere of Rue de Fürstenberg will move any romantic to tears.

I have always been struck by the area’s quiet. Though the bustling Boulevard St-Germain is only seconds away, the noise of the metropolis disappears the moment one arrives in the square. Calm descends, birdsong dominating instead of traffic. Rue de Fürstenberg is, in miniature, one of the innumerable instances of village life that co-exist with the cosmopolitan exuberance of the big city.

Painter Eugène Delacroix spent the last six years of his life (1857-63) at number 6, and it seems he called his Fürstenberg home his “retreat.” It is easy to see why.