The Marais Occidental: A walking tour of the lesser-known part of my favorite Parisian district

The Mara is a large neighborhood spread over two districts (theThird Quarter and some ofThe Fourth District), so it is very difficult to include this entire neighborhood in one route. If you have never visited the Marais, read the article The Marais District – A walking tour of the most charming district of Paris, where you will find most of the main attractions.

If you are looking for an advanced route, allow me to provide you with a route located in the western part of the Marais, the one bordering Beaubourg Street. Along the route, you will discover a number of charming places located west of this street, or east of it. Most of them, I believe, will be unfamiliar to you (except perhaps the Pompidou Center and the City of Paris), and I hope that this route will provide, especially for the advanced Francophiles among you, historical, architectural and culinary pleasure.

Itinerary map

The itinerary in the Western Mara

I created this route while I was living in Audi's apartment at 12 rue Simon Le Franc. It's a super recommended apartment both because of its central location and because of the amenities (air conditioners, super comfortable beds, etc.). Therefore, it's a great starting point. If you happen to be living there, all you have to do after you leave is walk to rue Beaubourg until you get to the Rambuteau metro station exit. Everyone else is welcome to get there by line 11.

Have you arrived? Let's start our trip!

The Shield of Time

Whether you live in the apartment I recommended or you arrive at the Rambuteau metro station, go to the street of the same name and cross the Rue Beaubourg. Continue a little further until you reach Rue Brantôme, named after the writer and adventurer who took his name from the charming town of Brantôme. Ignore the ugly houses, enter the street and walk a little further until you see this strange clock, called the “Shield of Time”.

It is a mechanical sculpture made of copper and steel. Three times a day the clock is activated and for about one minute a war takes place between the crab, dragon and bird that make up the clock, and symbolize the sea, earth and sky. If you like, the sculpture deals with the struggle of the protector fighting against the air, earth and water represented by wild animals.

If you are interested in reading more about this interesting watch, you are invited to visit Amiram Tzabari's excellent article. The Guardian of Time – a surprising attraction in an ugly district in central Paris.

Center Pompidou

Retrace your steps, and when you emerge onto Rue Rambuteau, you will see the Pompidou Center in all its glory (or ugliness). It is undoubtedly one of the most departmentalized buildings in Paris, but if you love modern art, you simply must visit it.

If you are less into the modern art genre, I recommend that you still enter the museum and go up to the restaurant on the top floor (there is no need to buy a ticket for this).

If you want to read more about the Pompidou Center, I highly recommend you read the article by Yoel Tamanlis and me: Pompidou Center – The Complete Guide for Anyone Who Loves the Place (and Anyone Who Doesn’t).

To buy an entrance ticket to the exhibitions on display at the Centre Pompidou, go toMuseums page.

The oldest fountain in Paris

Right opposite the entrance to the Pompidou Center, where Rue Saint Martin intersects with Rue de Venise, is a fountain called Fontaine Maubuée (Poor Laundry Fountain), and it is the oldest fountain in Paris that has survived to this day.

This fountain became legendary in the 15th century when it was mentioned in the poem by the poet François Villon (1431-1465), “The Great Testament.”

Saint Merri Church

After you've seen the ancient fountain (if you're lucky, it will also be working), head to Rue Saint Martin, one of Paris' oldest streets, dating back to Roman times, and go to number 78.

Welcome to the Church of Saint Merri, one of the most beautiful and unknown churches in Paris. Despite its Gothic structure, it is not a medieval church but rather a 16th-century one, and large parts of it, such as its magnificent entrance, are from the 19th century.

I highly recommend going inside the church and enjoying its beautiful stained glass windows, paintings and sculptures. Once you're done visiting it, head back to Rue Saint Martin and continue towards Rue de la Verrerie.

Glassworks Street

Another very old street that got its name (Glassworks Street) because the glass artisans who created the magnificent stained glass windows of Paris churches (including those of Sainte Chapelle וNotre Dame Church). The man who invented the card game in the 14th century lived on this street, and if you would like to read more about him, you are welcome to enter the article Among stained glass, cards, love letters and tilslams.

Saint Jacques Tower (Tour Saint Jacques)

Walk down Rue La Verrerie until you reach Rue Nicolas Flamel. The street is named after Nicolas Flamel (1330-1418), who made his fortune selling books and became one of the richest men in Paris. He invested this wealth in an intensive pursuit of alchemy and the attempt to find the Philosopher's Stone, but also in charity and donations.

If you look ahead, you can see a remnant of one of the projects financed by Nicolas Flamel, namely the Saint-Jacques Tower, the only surviving structure of the Église Saint-Jacques-la-Boucherie. If you would like to read a little more about this tower, you are welcome to visit Amiram Tsabari's article, Saint-Jacques Tower.

Before we continue our trip, if you want to find another relic of the activities of the same Nicolas Flamel, you can do so at 49 Rue de Montmorency, where the “House of Nicolas Flamel” is located. Despite its name, this is not the house where he lived (this house was probably located on the street named after him), but a shelter where the poor lived. Today, this house is considered the oldest house in Paris.

Rue Saint Bon – The Old Jewish Quarter

Retrace your steps to Rue de la Verrerie and continue east until you reach Rue Saint Bon.

This street entered history when in 1377 the servants of the Duke of Berry (Jean de Berry 1340-1416), known to us for his beautiful “Book of Hours,” arrived here. The Duke, who was not really able to maintain a balanced budget, was forced to pawn some of his silverware with the Jews who lived here and received a loan in return.

The Jews were expelled from France about 15 years later. Did they get to see the money they lent the Duke? That is unknown…

Hôtel de Ville and BHV

Walk to the end of Rue Saint-Bonne and you will reach Rue Rivoli. Turn left and soon you will see the Paris City Hall, aka the famous Hôtel de Ville.

The building you see was built in the 19th century, after the previous building was burned by the Commune in 1871. Both the building and the square next to it have a long and fascinating history, so I recommend that you stop right now and read the article. Hôtel de Ville – because the city of Paris also needs a palace.

Continue on Rue Rivoli and you will reach BHV, one of the most important department stores in Paris. Here is a short video that will show you what you can find there.

The truth is, beyond shopping and the fact that there is also Rooftop Great, this department store also has an interesting story. It all begins in 1856, when Empress Eugénie (Eugénie de Montijo 1826-1920), wife of Napoleon III, was driving in her decorated carriage along the eastern part of Rue de Rivoli, which her husband had paved.

Suddenly, one of the horses started to go wild and there was a danger that the Empress would fall from the carriage. This was a real danger to life because about 14 years earlier, something similar had happened to the eldest son of King Louis Philippe (reigned 1830-1848), resulting in his head hitting the pavement and he died.

Luckily, a Siddiqui peddler named Xavier Ruel (1822-1900), who was passing by, jumped at the empress's horse and managed to calm it down. The empress, whose life was saved, wanted to thank the brave peddler and declared that from now on she and her friends would only shop with him.

As a result, Casbia became a very wealthy man, and with the money he earned he opened a department store he called the Bazaar Napoleon (to thank the Empress for her generous support of his business). After the Second Empire fell in 1870, he changed the name of the store to BHV (abbreviation for Bazar de l'Hôtel de Ville), which is how we know it today.

The Church of the Billettes

From Rue Rivoli, turn onto Rue des Archives and continue to number 22. There, in 1290, stood the house of a Jew named Jonathan, who, like the Jews on Rue Saint Bon, also dealt in loans at interest and pawning. One woman, who pawned some of her clothes with him, claimed that in exchange for the clothes, he demanded that she bring him the Holy Bread she had received at the Church of Sainte-Marie.

According to her, Jonathan stabbed the Holy Bread with a knife until it bled and then threw it into a pot of boiling water. As a result, the Holy Bread began to rise into the air and the woman fled the house screaming in terror. Nathan the Jew was taken to a church tribunal and sentenced to die at the stake. His house was demolished and a small chapel called “La Chapelle des Miracles” was built in its place.

The church closed on time. French Revolution And later, when it reopened, it was transferred to Protestants and is now an Anglican church. When you pass by, take a peek inside and look for concert posters. If you're lucky, there might be a concert one of the next few days, and if so, I highly recommend buying a ticket, as the acoustics there are not bad at all.

Soubise Hotel

Continue north on Des Archives Street until you reach the intersection of Des Archives, Ramuteau and Francs Bourgeois Streets.

If you turn right onto Rue Francs Bourgeois and immediately turn left, to pass through the gate inside the wall, you will arrive at the Hôtel de Soubise, the most magnificent palace in the Marais, built in the early 18th century on the ruins of the Hôtel de Clisson.

This magnificent palace also has a fascinating story, which you should really get to know, so I recommend you read the article. Hôtel de Sauvage – When Lovers Began to Fly.

After visiting the palace and its gardens, head back to Rue Francs Bourgeois and walk to Rue Rambuteau.

Rambuteau Street

This street is named after Claude-Philibert Barthelot de Rambuteau (1781-1869), who was the director of the Seine department (i.e. mayor of Paris and the surrounding area) during the reign of King Louis Philippe. The street is one kilometer long, and it was the first street to be carved out of the alleys of old Paris (before Napoleon III and Baron Haussmann “patented it”).

We won't walk the entire length of the street, but only the part between Rue des Archives and Rue Beaubourg, because there you can find quite a few interesting culinary attractions. Here are some examples:

The Little Moss

An excellent seafood restaurant that looks like a fisherman's hut from the inside and makes you feel like you're on the seashore. You'll find platters of fresh seafood accompanied by wines selected by the restaurant owners.

Address: 9 Rue Rambuteau

Working days and hours: Tuesday to Friday from 17:00 PM to midnight. Saturday and Sunday from 12:00 PM to midnight. Closed on Monday.

Sugar bread

A long-standing and respected patisserie, which has been around since 2004 and produces wonderful cakes, but also excellent quiches, for those looking for something savory. If you are also looking for breads and pastries, you will be happy to know that right next door to the owner of Pain de Sucre is a bakery where you can find baguettes, Pain Au Chocolat and more.

There is no doubt that this is a very reputable and iconic place, and it is definitely worth trying one of the cakes in the window, but further down the street you will find another boulangerie/patisserie, which I personally really like. So I will leave it to you to decide whether to hold off and move on, or not :-).

Address: 14 Rue Rambuteau

Opening days and hours: Thursday-Monday 10:00-20:00. Closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Marais Truffle Artisan

This is a restaurant that specializes in dishes containing truffles, that divine mushroom that can enhance any dish. I had a chestnut cream soup with truffles there that was no less than divine, but the pasta dish that followed was mediocre.

The conclusion? Skip the pasta and just enjoy the soup, and since it's not the cheapest pleasure, I highly recommend using the app. the fork When making a reservation, because sometimes you can get up to 50% off the menu at lunchtime.

Address: 19 Rue Rambuteau

Opening days and hours: Sunday-Thursday 11:00-15:00 and 18:00-22:30. Friday-Saturday 11:00-23:00.

At Miller's

This is the patisserie/boulangerie where we used to buy our bread every morning and in my personal opinion it is one of the best in Paris (although to my surprise it received a score of 3 out of 5 on Google). In addition to wonderful baguettes, you will find a range of pastries here, including a particularly decadent pastry of croissant It was dipped in liquid chocolate and nuts, then allowed to cool to form a delicious crust.

In short: one of my warmest recommendations.

Address: 18 Rue Rambuteau

Opening Hours: Every day from 07:00-22:00.

Anna Franck Garden

Have you finished strolling down Rue Rambuteau and couldn’t resist the temptation to buy a few cakes and are now looking for a pastoral place to eat them? Continue down Rue Rambuteau to Rue Beaubourg (where the walk began) and head north. A few steps from there you will find on your right the entrance to the garden named after Anne Frank, that Jewish girl of Dutch origin, whose diary became one of the symbols of the Holocaust of European Jews.

There, next to a small apple orchard, several cherry trees, and the intimate beauty of Paris, I will leave you alone (with or without the cakes).

Looking for more information about the Mara?

If this itinerary makes you want to travel further in the Marais or perhaps live there, I highly recommend you read the article. La Marais – The Complete Traveler's GuideIn addition to information about the fascinating history of the district, you will find other hiking trails there, as well as hotels and apartments in the Marais. In short, everything that will help you get to know this charming district better.