The Marais District for Beginners – A Walking Tour of the Main Attractions

Marais District Divided by Saint Antoine Street between the central Marais, which contains most of the Marais's well-known charm (Vosges Square, Carnival Museum etc.) and the lesser-known but no less charming southern Mara.

The goal of the route is to give you a taste of both parts of the Marais in one day, but it can by no means exhaust everything that this charming district contains, so it is definitely recommended to return, if only to Also travel to the northern partFrom my experience, this is a relatively intense route that can take you an entire day, and it is highly recommended to come with comfortable sneakers and incorporate several stops so as not to end the trip exhausted.

Marae itinerary map

To see the map in full screen, please click This linkWhile you are traveling, it is highly recommended to keep the article open so that you can peek occasionally and learn about the places you will visit.

Please note that the map contains additional places that do not appear on the route, in case you want to delve further into this charming neighborhood.

The Northern Mara

A walk along Saint-Antoine Street

Let's start at the square.Bastille And we will walk along the rue Saint-Antoine, until we reach the statue of Beaumarchais. Behind the statue is the precious patisserie Le Notre, which all lovers of sweets will be happy to take a look at. If you look across the road you will see a beautiful baroque church called Sainte-Marie-des-Anges (Sainte-Marie-des-Anges – Temple du Marais) where the famous French finance minister, Nicolas Fouquet, is buried. Today the church is used by the Protestant community of the Marais and as such is only open during prayer hours.

Continue along Rue Saint-Antoine and look towards the charming building at number 21. The building is called the Hotel de Mayenne, and was built mostly in the early 17th century, as you can tell by the red bricks that adorn it. This building has a bloody history, including the death of one of King Henry III's friends in it after being injured in a duel nearby (the king ordered the street to be covered with straw so that the noise of the carriages would not disturb him).

Today, the site is home to a school, and if you happen to be there in September, during Heritage Days, you’re in for a pleasant surprise. Schoolchildren dressed as if they’ve come straight from the 16th century will take you on a tour of the palace and tell you about its history.

Continue west on Rue Saint-Antoine until you reach Impasse Guéménée. Victor Hugo, the greatest French writer of the 19th century, who lived in the Place de la Vosges, used to use this alley to escape from his house without being noticed, and run to visit his beloved in the distance, Petit Musc, located across the Rue Saint-Antoine.

Continue in the same direction and you will see on your right the main entrance to the Place de Vosges, through which ambassadors and royal processions who stopped in the square on their way to the Louvre entered. However, I recommend that you continue on and first enter the Hotel de Sully, which is located at 62 rue Saint-Antoine (the history of the palace can be read HEREYou will see a charming courtyard and a souvenir shop with a ceiling from the time of Louis XIII.

The video was made using a computer game. Assassin's Creed UnityWant to watch more tours of 18th century Paris? Go toMy YouTube page.

Vosges Square (Place des Vosges)

From the courtyard of the Hôtel de Soleil, go towards Vosges Square And be impressed by the beauty of its buildings, which were built in the early 17th century. Stroll around the square and admire the boutiques, galleries and cafes located there. Pay particular attention to number 6, where you will find Victor Hugo's house containing a free museum about his life, and number 9, where you will find the famous gourmet restaurant l'Ambroisie. If you are lucky enough to have good weather, sit for a while in the charming garden, which is overlooked by a statue of Louis XIII.

The video was made using a computer game. Assassin's Creed UnityWant to watch more tours of 18th century Paris? Go toMy YouTube page.

Once you have finished admiring the Place de la Vosges, exit the square via Rue Francs Bourgeois and immediately turn left onto Rue Turenne. At number 14 of the street, behind the bars, you can see what the inner courtyards of the houses of Place de la Vosges look like, most of which are private and therefore not accessible to the general public.

Continue on and turn onto Jarente Street. There you can admire the charming fountain, which is located in the “fishmonger’s alley” (a reminder of the small market that used to be here). And speaking of the market, turn left on Jarente Street and enter the charming little square, Place Marche Sainte Catherine, enjoy the quiet and maybe have a cup of coffee (the square is especially charming at night).

The Carnival Museum and its surroundings

After visiting the square, go back to Jarente Street. Continue on, turn right on de Sevigne Street and continue until you reach the Carnival Museum that I wrote about. HEREI highly recommend entering the free museum and learning about the fascinating history of Paris (The visit lasts about an hour to an hour and a half, not including temporary exhibitions).

After you have finished visiting the Carnival Museum, continue west on Rue Francs Bourgeois, the main street of the Marais, and be impressed by both the boutiques scattered along it and the palaces, some of which you can peek into (for example, the Hotel Lamoignon, which once housed the Historical Library of Paris). As you walk along the street, there are several interesting places for which it is worth deviating from the main axis and returning to it later.

Culinary-wise, I recommend visiting The Flash of Genius, which is located at 14 rue Pavee and sells wonderful eclairs. For art lovers, I would recommend visiting the Cognac Jay Museum, which is located at 8 rue Elzevier and contains a wonderful collection of art from the 17th and 18th centuries. In addition, it is worth taking a look at a small alley called Impasse des Arbalétriers (Alley of the Crossbowmen), where, apparently, he was murdered. Louis of Orleans.

The Jewish Quarter in Paris – Rue de Rosier and the Place de la Cité

After you ate An eclair or two It’s time to head to rue des Rosiers, which is the main street of the Jewish quarter in Paris (it’s true that there are several Jewish quarters in the city, but this is the most famous of them). Jews arrived there during the 19th century and settled on this street and the surrounding streets, because at that time the Marais was considered a poor neighborhood and therefore housing there was cheap. In recent decades, rue des Rosiers has changed its face, the famous Goldenberg delicatessen was closed back in the 80s following a terrorist attack, and falafel shops, boutiques and of course the famous “Mezanun” restaurant have opened on the street. However, if you walk down the street near the late Goldenberg delicatessen and try hard enough, you might be able to see Louis des Pins dancing there as Rabbi Yaakov.

Hotel Rouen Soubise

I assume that if you started your trip in the morning, you are already hungry and will want to have lunch at one of the many restaurants in the area. My suggestion is to skip dessert and after you are done, go to 14 Rue Rambuteau and buy yourself a cake or two at one of the patisseries there. Then I recommend retracing your steps a little to Rue Francs Bourgeois at the corner of Rue des Archives and eat the cakes In the gardens of the Rouen-Sauvez palace, which recently opened to the general public.

The Southern Mara

Church of Saint-Gervais-Saint-Forte

After you've finished resting and admiring the gardens behind the Rouen Soubise Palace, it's time for the second half of the trip – The Southern Mara. Take the Rue des Archives and go south to the town hall. You are invited to admire the town hall, which was rebuilt after it burned down in 1871 and when you are finished, go to Place St. Gervais, which is east of the town hall and enter the church of St. Gervais St. Portais. This is a charming church, which began to be built in the late 15th century.

This is a lesser-known church than Notre Dame and Saint-Eustache, but beyond its beauty, it has great musical importance because the members of the Couperin dynasty, who became famous for the religious works they wrote, worked here for about 200 years. Here is an example of one of the heavenly works that François Couperin wrote:

Once you've finished admiring the church (and if you're lucky, you can listen to the 17th-century organ playing), exit the church's back entrance towards Rue des Barres. Here you can take photos of the Gothic parts of the church and even have a coffee in the charming, old square there.

François Miron Street and the South Marais

From Rue des Barres we looked towards Rue François Miron and headed east. On this street you can find some of the oldest houses in Paris, including the Hôtel de Beauvais, which belonged to the woman who took Louis XIV's virginity and about whom I wrote Previously.

From the Hôtel de Beauvais, head south and pass the Hôtel d'Aumont, a charming piece of Baroque architecture, located at 7 rue Jouy. The hotel was built by two of the most famous architects of the 17th century – le Vau and Mansart – and since it now houses a courthouse, it is not easy to get inside. However, its exterior beauty makes up for this and will keep camera fingers busy.

After you've finished taking photos, continue south to Rue Nonnains d'Hyeres to admire the charming garden of the Hôtel de Sens. From there, circle the garden and head to Rue Figuiers 2 to admire the 15th-century facade of the historic palace, one of the oldest in Paris. This palace was the site of a tragic romantic affair involving Queen Margot and two lovers. And I wrote about it before.

From the Hôtel de Sens, continue along Ave Maria and Saint Paul streets to Village St. Paul. This was once the palace where King Charles V moved to live during the 5th century, and today there are charming courtyards containing boutiques and cafes.

If your legs still carry you, you are welcome to continue from here and reach number 12, Rue Charles V. Behind the gate, which is usually locked, is the house of the Marquise de Brienvilliers, the great poisoner of the 17th century, about whom you can read HERE.

From Charles V Street, turn onto Petit Musc Street, whose name is a distortion of the saying Putes y Muse (loosely translated: “Here the whores hang out”, which alludes to what used to happen on the street). At number 26 you will find the bakery of Frédéric Follet, which has been here since 1844 and where Victor Hugo’s mistress worked. This is where the tour ends. Buy yourself a croissantYou earned it honestly.

Want to hear me tell you the secrets of the Marais district?

I have created a series of three lectures in which I talk about the history of the Mara and its most beautiful places. You can get information about each of these lectures and purchase the recording of each of them here: The secrets of the Mara.

Traveler information

I have compiled all the relevant information for you, including: Itineraries Additional, recommended hotels, apartments and restaurants and more. It can be found in the article Le Marais – The Complete Traveler's GuideIf you are looking for specific information about the neighborhood, you are welcome to take a look at the following articles (note that the light spans the third and fourth neighborhoods, so you will receive 2 articles on each topic).

Recommended hotels in Marais

The Marais is a wonderful district to live in, both because of its pleasant surroundings and its central location. If you are looking for recommended hotels in this district, you are welcome to visit the following articles:

• Hotels in the 3rd arrondissement (Northern Marais)
• Hotels in the 4th arrondissement (South Marais)

Holiday apartments in the Marais district

If you prefer vacation apartments, you are welcome to check out these articles:

• Apartments in the Third District (Northern Mara)
• Apartments in the Fourth District (Southern Mara)

Attractions in Marais

Although I mentioned several major attractions on this route, such as Place des Vosges, there are several other attractions that are included in the route and are definitely worth visiting. You can find these articles:

• Attractions in the Third District
• Attractions in the Fourth District