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This section of our Paris
Travel Guide describes the best places to visit in the
Marais.
Click the links
below to go directly to a specific place or just continue reading to explore
this section of Paris.
The Marais
Les Halles
Pompidou Center
Hotel
de Ville
Place des Vosges
Musée Picasso
Musée Carnavalet
Place de la
Bastille
We provide brief descriptions of the leading
attractions and link these to detailed maps of the areas described. The blue
numbered location symbolized on
the maps are linked back to the descriptions of the attractions so you can
click them and return to the feature's description on this page.
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The Marais is one of the quieter areas of
Paris and one that commands exploration to reveal its true character
(and it is a character worth experiencing),
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You will find a number of great places to
eat in the Marais and surrounding areas, so take your time and find the
one that is right for you. Don't settle for fast food. Remember,
you are in Paris and food is considered a national treasure in France.
- In addition to our "print-style" maps of Paris, we have added a more
detailed version using Google maps. To see a satellite view of
the attractions click the airplane symbols that accompany most
attractions.
- The symbol looks like this
- You can also view
the map as a street map or as a terrain map by using the buttons at the
top right of the map display.
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In the description following the
name of each attraction, the first notation is the
arrondissement.
The second notation is R for Right Bank, L for Left Bank or
IC for Île De La Cité.
The "map symbol number" indicates the numeric "id' of the symbol
showing the location of the attraction on the map |
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| The Marais has long housed the Jewish
neighborhood of Paris. If you are looking for great
delicatessens, this may be the place for you. |
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We suggest you consider combining a lunch in
the Marais, perhaps at the Place des Vosges, with an afternoon at the Picasso Museum. |
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The Marais is a
neighborhood that invites you to walk and explore. It is not the most
picturesque section of Paris, but it is one the city's most interesting
neighborhoods. We think you will enjoy an afternoon wandering the areas'
streets. Of course, if you like art, the Pompidou Center and the
Picasso Museum are great places to while away the hours. If you
like shopping, there are many trendy boutiques in this area and a number
of stores focused on decorative items for the home (along the Rue
des Francs-Bourgeois). See this
site for more information on shopping
and other aspects of the Marais.
Les Halles
(1ém) (R)
- map symbol 8
Paris’s historic district
of markets is one of the most crowded areas of Paris. Although the “old markets”
have been replaced by a mall, the shopping and restaurants attract attention.
This is a place to meet, eat and enjoy city life, but it offers little in
the way of interesting attractions.
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Pompidou Center
(4ém) (R) - map symbol 9
 Once you have tired
of the Louvre, D’Orsay, the Orangerie, and the Marmottan, head for the Pompidou
Center. While the Center is a museum of
modern art, the building itself is an art form that should not be missed. The
area surrounding the Pompidou Center,
filled with skateboarders and street entertainers, is also worth seeing.
Closed Tuesdays.
Hotel de Ville
(4 ém) (R)
- map symbol 10
The City Hall of
Paris was rebuilt in the 19th century after the fire of May 1871. The building's
architecture is worthy of a walk-by for a picture.
Place des Vosges
(4 ém)(R) – map symbol 11
One of the "must see" locations in the Marais,
the Place des Vosges
is a delightful square created in the 17th century. The houses surrounding the
square have kept their original period look, one that appears unique to Paris.
- A
covered arcade runs along the first floor and contains several excellent
restaurants and upscale shops. These restaurants offer a delightful stop for an
afternoon snack.
- Although this is not a large square, it has the appearance and
ambience of the past and implies to the observer the nuances of upper class life
in historic Paris.
- Among other notables, Cardinal Richelieu and Victor Hugo once
lived in the Place Des Vosges.
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Musée Picasso
(3 ém) (R)
- map symbol 11a
The Musée Picasso is located in the L'hôtel Salé, a historic
building dating from the seventeenth century. The museum presents
Picasso's work in chronological order and includes an extensive display of
Picasso's paintings, statues (including a wonderful statue garden),
ceramics, and drawings. Closed Tuesday. (Musée National Picasso , Hôtel Salé
- 5, rue de Thorigny). The
Musée Picasso website, is only in
French, so if you do read/speak it, try using Google to translate.
Musée
Carnavalet
(3 ém) (R)
- map symbol 11b
The Carnavalet Museum (the Musée de L'Histoire de Paris) is a
delightful place to visit. The museum occupies two historic
mansions on Rue de Sévigné in the Marias and is named after the Hôtel de
Carnavalet (the former mansion of the writer Madame de Sevigné).
The Hôtel de Carnavalet was erected in the late 16th century and
is a treasure. The interior houses an incredible collection of
art, ranging from the fine to the decorative, that chronicles the
history of Paris, although its collections are focused on the Revolution
and, to a lesser extent, the 19th and 20th centuries. Closed
Mondays. (Hôtel Carnavalet - 23, rue de Sévigné)
The Place
de la Bastille
(intersection of 4 ém
/11 ém /12 ém) (R) - map symbol 12
The Place de la Bastille was of great importance to the French Revolution but the
Bastille itself was overrun and destroyed by the Parisians in 1789. The Colonne
de Juillet marks this spot and commemorates the victims of the July Days in 1830,
who are buried at the base of the monument. Although many tourists visit the
Place de la Bastille, it is not an interesting location. If you want to visit, combine
it with a walk through the Marais.
If you need information about another travel destination, try Googling our site or the Web
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