Rue de Turenne is one of the longest streets in the Marais (second in my opinion only to Rue de Temple). Although it has quite a few interesting places, most Israelis don't really know it, except perhaps a few foodies who come to visit Jacques Janin's famous shop.
Really? It's a shame, because you'll find here not only some important culinary shops, but also a church with a painting by Delacroix (Eugène Delacroix 1798-1863), quite a few interesting buildings, a hidden garden near the street, and a few other charming places.
During November 2023, I lived right near the end of this street (in Udi's apartment on Beranger Street), and so I got to walk quite a bit along the street, with almost every trip discovering some other charming place or historic building that I had somehow missed before.
I put the most interesting places in my opinion into one itinerary, which goes along Tourne Street and is a combination of history, cuisine, and art.
Before we begin the route, I want to tell you who that Toren was, after whom the street we will be walking today is named.
Secrets of Le Marais: A Journey into the Historic and Chic Heart of Paris
Join us on a virtual journey to the most fascinating district in Paris. Together we will discover hidden courtyards, French nobility, and the true stories behind the magnificent facades.
Who is Rue de Touraine named after?
Henri de La Tour d'Auvergne, Vicomte de Turenne (1611-1675), was one of the greatest French generals and was therefore admired by many, including Napoleon.
Henry had, as the Haredim say, quite a bit of “lineage.” On his father’s side, he was a descendant of the La Tour d’Auvergne dynasty, to which the Queen of France belonged. Catherine de Medici (His mother came from this family.) On his mother's side, he was of the House of Orange-Nassau and was the grandson of William “the Quiet” (1533-1584), a Protestant nobleman who led the rebellion against Spain and whose family would later become rulers of the Netherlands.
Although Henry would become one of the greatest field commanders in French history, he grew up a weak and sickly child, but his desire for a military career led him to spend many hours in physical training so that he could join the army. Indeed, in 1626 Henry joined the army of the Low Countries, under the command of his uncle, Frederick Henry, Prince d'Orange (1584-1647), which was fighting against the Spanish.
After several years fighting alongside the Prince of Orange, Henry decided to fight in the army of King France And there he achieved one of his first great victories by capturing the fortress of Breisach in 1638. Following the victories he achieved, Touraine received the rank of Marshal in 1643 and was one of those responsible, alongside Prince de Condé (Louis II de Bourbon, Prince de Condé 1621-1686), for France's victory in the Thirty Years' War (30-1618).
However, a bit like ours, when the external war ends, the internal war begins, and in France a civil war began, called La Fronde, after the slingshot (rogatekta in French) that the rebels used to smash windows.
This war was divided into two parts – the Fronde of the Parliament and then the Fronde of the Nobles – and while Touraine initially supported the rebels, later, when Spain tried to take advantage of the French civil war to take control of it, he switched sides and defeated Conde at the Battle of Faubourg Saint Antoine, which was fought east of where Paris is today. Bastille Square (About a 15-minute walk from where Tourne Street begins).
Following his victories in the Fronde War, Tourne was promoted to Marshal General by Louis XIV, the highest rank an officer could attain in the army. Throughout history, only a handful of officers have been awarded this honor. Tourne continued to fight for the King of France in the following years, even invading the Low Countries, where he began his military career.
In 1675, after a series of brilliant victories against the forces of the Holy Roman Empire in the region Alsace, Thorn was killed by a cannonball during the Battle of Salzbach. Thus ended a glorious military career. If you would like to lay a wreath on his grave, you can find it atPalais des Invalides, where he is buried next to Napoleon, who so admired him.
The street we will be walking on existed long before Tourne was born, and its origins lie in the sewage that flowed along the street. Because the smells bothered King Charles VI (reigned 6-1380), it was decided to cover the sewage, and thus the street we know began to take shape.
Torn himself lived in the mansion located at number 66-70, which no longer exists, unfortunately. This is the main reason why this street was named after the decorated officer, but it was not Louis XIV who decided this, but rather Napoleon III, who named the street after the general on October 3, 6.
Hiking trail along Torn Street
I recommend taking our trip on a non-rainy day. We will start at the end of the street and work our way to the beginning, and there is a reason for this – which you will understand later.
If you live in Audi's apartment on Rue Beranger, all you have to do is head to Rue de Turenne 134, where our tour begins. If you live elsewhere, you are welcome to head to the Place de la République metro station (lines 3,5,8,9 or 11). From the square, walk along Boulevard de Temple until you reach the corner where it intersects with Rue Charlot. Walk along the street until you reach our starting point (Rue de Turenne 134).
Have you arrived? Let's get going!
Itinerary map
Tout Autour du Pain and the Bouchera Fountain
The army marches on its stomach, so there's no reason why we shouldn't too. That's why we're starting our trip at the Tout Autour du Pain boulangerie, which won first place in the baguette competition and whose owner, Benjamin Turquier, also won the best croissant competition in France.
Beyond croissants and baguettes, you'll find a host of other pastries here. Lovers of choux au pomme will swear this is the best place in Paris to find this pastry.
Since I used to live not far from there, I can attest firsthand that the breads, which I would buy every morning, are truly excellent, so if you've come this far, I highly recommend you buy a pastry or a sandwich here. Don't worry, I have a great place to eat all of these later (the place is open every day from 06:00 AM to 19:30 PM, so I'm sure it will be open when you visit the area).
After leaving the boulangerie, you will probably notice that across from you, at the corner of Turenne and Charlot streets, there is a beautiful fountain. This is the Fontaine Boucherat, named after Louis Boucherat (1616-1699), who was the Minister of Justice of the Kingdom of France from 1685-1699.
From the text on the fountain, we can learn that its purpose, beyond supplying water to the neighborhood's residents, is to commemorate the Peace of Ryswyck, from 1697. Much to the Europeans' regret, this peace did not last long, and about 3 years later the War of the Spanish Succession broke out, causing the long reign of Louis XIV to end on a sour note.
Jacques Jeannin
Right next to the fountain at 133 Rue Turenne you will find the legendary chocolate shop of Jacques Genin.
For those who don't know, Jacques is an autodidact who began his career in a slaughterhouse and slowly managed to climb the chocolatier ladder, until he reached the highest ranks, which allowed him to become the main supplier of sweets to luxury hotels such as Le Meurice.
In 2008, Jacques Gennin opened his shop in the Marais, and he is considered a legend among all lovers of sweets. In the shop you can buy pralines and on weekends also cakes. Personally, I like his marmalade (Pâte de fruits) the most, which has nothing to do with what we are sold in Israel. Taste it and you will understand.
Either way, whether you like chocolate or marmalade, if you've come this far I highly recommend buying yourself something, despite the price, because it's not every day you come across a store as high-end as La Chocolaterie de Jacques Genin. Put what you bought in your bag, where the pastries or sandwiches you bought earlier are, and let's continue on our way.
The statue of Toren
Continue on the same side of the street until you reach number 111 (corner of Rue Normandie). There you will find a statue of a boy holding a sword in his hand, while his foot rests on a cannon.
This is no less than Tourne, after whom the street is named. The statue was created by Lucien Benoit Hercule (1846-1913), a French sculptor who created several works for Paris Municipality.
To me, there is something truly charming and surprising about this statue. Unlike statues of French heroes, which are usually found in the middle of a square or garden, this statue is on the sidewalk, close to the common people walking down the street, which gives it a certain degree of intimacy. Also, the fact that Tourn is not shown here as an adult, but as a boy with his whole future ahead of him, gives it a very strong human dimension, at least to me.
Galerie Perrotin
Cross the road and continue to number 76. There you will discover a municipal mansion, whose gate, facing the street, is wide open. Go inside and this is the view you will see.
This is the Perrotin Gallery, opened by Emanuel Perrotin, in an 18th-century townhouse. You'll find changing exhibitions of various modern artists, whose works Emanuel sells. I personally wasn't as impressed with what I saw inside, but I really liked the staircase, the statue with the lamps, and the two beautiful reliefs on the wall.
Église Saint Denys du Saint Sacrement
Right next to the gallery, at number 70, you will find the church Saint Denys du Saint Sacrement. This is the second, and lesser-known, church named after Saint Denis, the first bishop of Paris, who was beheaded in Montmartre and continued to walk around with his head cut off and preach (the more famous church is of course theBasilica of Saint-Denis(And in fact, it is not in Paris itself but in its suburbs.)
This church was built between 1826 and 1835 by the architect Étienne-Hippolyte Godde (1781-1869), on the site of a former 17th-century monastery.
The facade of the church is quite plain, and as a result, quite a few people pass by this church without taking a peek inside, which is a shame. You, of course, will not make this mistake and will go inside to enjoy the beautiful frescoes above the altar.
But the real “shoes” are hidden to your right (assuming you are standing with your back to the entrance). There you will find, no less, no more, an original painting by Eugène Delacroix (1798-1863), depicting the taking down of Christ from the cross.
This painting was painted in 17 days in 1844, and the great poet Baudelaire wrote about it, “This masterpiece that leaves a deep crack of melancholy in the mind.” Is that how you felt too? I would love to hear from you.
And one last thing before we continue: I remember that from time to time the Portuguese community here holds a kind of food fair for charity. If you get a chance to go there, don't miss the fried cod, one of the famous Portuguese dishes.
Le Bruyer's House and Magical Hidden Garden
After you've finished visiting the church, go to house number 68, which is next to it. There's no special architecture here, but Jean de La Bruyère (1645-1696) lived here.
Jean de la Briere, who served the Prince de Condé as a librarian and later worked at the king's court, was a very introverted man but with a very sharp eye.
His only book, Les Caractères, deals with life at the court of the King of France and dissects the various characters there with a scalpel. Although the characters are not mentioned by name, the courtiers quickly understood who was who, and the book became one of the most successful books of the 17th century (nine editions of the book were published during the author's lifetime, each one larger and more in-depth than the previous one).
Continue towards number 60, and you will find the Hôtel d'Ecquevilly, better known as the Hôtel du Grand Veneur. This palace was built for Boucheron, the same man who built the fountain we saw earlier, and during the 18th century it passed into the hands of the Duke of Ecquevilly (Hennequin duc d'Ecquevilly), who served as the head of the royal hunt (Venerie) and therefore the palace was called the Grand Veneur.
As a general rule, you cannot enter this palace, but you can and should visit its garden, which you will do now. Continue a little further and turn left onto Rue Villehardouin. At the end of this street, turn left again onto Rue Hesse and you are there!
The garden is called Saint Gilles – Grand Veneur, after the rue Saint Gilles and the palace of the royal gamekeeper, the back of which you can see there. If you come in spring, you will be amazed by the beautiful roses, but this garden is also worth visiting at other times of the year.
If you took my advice and bought yourself some delicious things at Tout Autour du Pain and Jacques Janin, this is the perfect place to sit and eat them. Bon appetit!
The best Beau Bourguignon in Paris and another lovely little fountain
After you have finished visiting the charming garden, you are welcome to retrace your steps, back to Torn Street and cross it, in order to reach its odd numbers.
If you are hungry, you are welcome to go to number 49, where you will find Café des Musées, a not-so-bad French restaurant that serves traditional, meticulous French food. If you like beef bourguignon, you absolutely must order this dish, as it is claimed to serve the best beef bourguignon in Paris.
I admit that I'm not a fan of this dish, so it was difficult for me to judge whether it was truly the best in Paris, but those who ate with me enjoyed it very much, and we both agreed that the mashed potatoes that accompanied it were simply excellent.
Whether you've eaten or not, you're welcome to continue on to number 41, where you'll find a cute fountain with a little boy standing on a clam in the center.
The fountain's name is Fontaine de Joyeuse and it was built in 1847. This fountain, built by the sculptor Isidore-Romain Boitel (1812-1860), replaced an older fountain from 1671, which itself was one of 15 fountains that Louis XIV scattered throughout the city, in order to provide its residents with clean water.
The little boy represents the waters of the Ourcq River, which the fountain uses, but I want to imagine that it is the even smaller Tourn, and that one day at the end of Tourn Street they will erect a statue of the rising Tourn.
What does Vosges Square look like from the inside?
We are nearing the end of our trip, but we still have two places to see. Continue south to number 23, where you will find the Hôtel de Colbert. This is not the palace of Louis XIV's famous finance minister (he lived north ofPalais Royal).
This is Édouard Colbert de Villacerf (1628-1699), who built himself an estate that remained in the Colbert family until 1755, and at its center is this charming fountain.
The fountain was renovated in 2011, and unfortunately you can only see it through the bars (unless you're lucky and the gate opens). Speaking of bars, cross to the other side of the street to number 14. There you can see through the bars one of the inner courtyards of Place de Vosges.
The truth is that in 2011, the same year that the fountain I mentioned in the previous paragraph was renovated, I happened to live in one of the apartments that had an entrance from this courtyard.
Yes, the location was just perfect and I had fun going into this lovely little garden whenever I wanted. However, the apartment itself was dirty and so small that the shower was above the toilet, which you had to sit on to take a shower. Horrible!
This is why you won't find this apartment inMy list of recommended apartments.
And so, with this magical sight, we end our walk along Torn Street. I really hope you enjoyed walking it, as much as I enjoyed writing about it.
Want to get more information about the Mara?
If you too have fallen in love with the Marais district and want to live there or learn about its history, I recommend you read the article. La Marais – The Complete Traveler's Guide.
If you are looking for more hiking trails in the Mara, here are some good options:
- A Marais itinerary that includes all the main attractions – If you only have time for one itinerary, then this is the one I recommend you do. The itinerary passes through the main attractions inThird Quarter וIn the fourth district And allows you to experience quite a bit of the magic of this neighborhood.
- A walking tour of the northern Marais district based on Nir Raczkowski's book "Daughter, Beloved" – This is a historical tour for advanced travelers that will allow you to discover lesser-known areas in the northern Marais and introduce you to the fascinating figure of Madame de Savigny.
- הMarais Occidental: A walking tour of the lesser-known part of my favorite Parisian district – The western part of the Marais, including the Pompidou Center area, is less known to most tourists. So if you consider yourself an “advanced Francophile,” I’m sure you’ll really like this itinerary.
- Culinary tour of the Marais district – After you’ve had your fill of the Marais’ history, it’s time to discover the great restaurants and other culinary delights. That’s exactly what Anton Chili does.
- Let them eat eclairs: a patisserie tour in the Marais – Another culinary itinerary in the Marais, this time with an emphasis on boulangerie and patisserie.
I also recommend visiting the synagogue on HaVeg Square and nearby on Nazareth Street (Nazareth), and not far away is the Art Nouveau synagogue by the designer Majorelle in the Art Nouveau style….
Is the hidden garden the garden of the Hotel de Soleil, behind the brown door on the Place de Vosges?
Absolutely not. This garden is not hidden and is located elsewhere.