Guide to Exploring Le Marais District in Paris

Explore Le Marais, Paris: 13 Things To Do | Ultimate Guide

When exploring le Marais district in Paris you’ll feel like you’re being pulled left and right. Shopping at high-end then smaller boutiques, eating famous French pastries then falafel and bagels, gazing over the Seine river for aperitif then ending up in an LGBT bar after hours. Here’s your guide to exploring le Marais district in Paris.
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When exploring le Marais district in Paris you’ll feel like you’re being pulled left and right. Shopping at high-end then smaller boutiques, eating famous French pastries then falafel and bagels, gazing over the Seine river for aperitif then ending up in an LGBT bar after hours. Here’s your guide to exploring le Marais district in Paris.

Welcome to Le Marais district in Paris, one of the most diverse and vibrant neighborhoods in the city. Le Marais district in Paris is probably one of the most diverse neighborhoods in Paris. It’s location spanning over the 3e and 4e arrondissements is packed with history that lives on to this day of the Jewish, Chinese, and LGBT communities (about 40% of LGBT business is currently in le Marais). As I strolled the streets of the Marais district, I couldn’t help but feel like I was back in New York as I walked by noodle joints, kosher bakeries, bagel shops, gay bars, and more, alongside fashion boutiques, both high and low, and art galleries. I would equate it to a Parisian West Village in my mind. Le Marais doesn’t have the same Haussaman architecture that the rest of Paris has, but feels more like a quaint French village. Join me as we take a reside, eat, see, do and shop the cobblestone streets of le Marais district in Paris.

Do you know what Le Marais is?

Le Marais was built on a marshland, hence the name marais which means marshland in French.

Where to Stay in Le Marais District: Hotel Pavillon de la Reine

Luxury Hotel in Marais Paris: Pavillon de le Reine

Live like royalty at Pavillon de la Reine. Stay at this remarkable luxury boutique hotel in Place des Vosges, deemed Paris’ most beautiful historic square. Step in to Pavillon de la Reine’s courtyard and you don’t hear a sound. It’s an oasis from Paris’ popular Marais neighborhood. Pavillon de la Reine only has 54 rooms, making it an intimate stay in a 17th century former mansion.

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What to Do in Le Marais District:

1. Les Places des Vosges

Place Des Vosges: The Most Beautiful Square in Paris

Just outside our stay at Pavillon de la Reine is Place des Vosges, the oldest planned square in Paris, also considered one of the most beautiful squares in Paris. It’s surrounded by 17th-century private mansions featuring large entrances from once horse-drawn carriages. Some of these houses are now considered monuments, others like Pavillon de la Reine have been turned into historic stays, while others remain local residences.

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2. Les Marché des Enfants Rouges

Best Markets in Paris: Marché des Enfants Rouges

Relive Paris’ oldest covered market rich in diverse food options at Marché des Enfants Rouges. This outdoor market is packed with vendors, food and flower stands, restaurants, and bars within a maze-like market pavilion.

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3. Rue des Rosiers

As we continued down this melting pot of a tour, we found ourselves at the heart of the pot at Rue des Rosiers. Although le Marais district in Paris was considered aristocratic prior to the French Revolution, as you may have noted in the grandeur of the palaces surrounding Places des Vosges, in the 17th and 18th century the district became a popular and active commercial area for the Jewish community who worked in the garment district. It became a quainter and smaller tightly knit community that is still very present to this day when walking around Rue des Rosiers. You see it in the Jewish events that take place, book stores, restaurants, multitude of kosher bakeries, bagel shops (I swear they have bagels!) and more.

If you’re still hungry from Marché des Enfants Rouges, and I’d be surprised if you are, Rue des Rosiers is the perfect place to find some different non-French delicacies. Here you can find anything from fallafel to pastrami sandwiches and burgers. One of the most famous places on Rue des Rosiers is L’As du Fallafel, which many claim is the best fallafel in all of Paris. There is always a line out the door, but it moves quickly and is worth the while.



Sundays roads are only for pedestrians

Sunday is the best time to visit because the cobblestone streets are closed off for cars and only accessible to pedestrians, so you can wander the streets in peace!

4. Rue des Barres and Église Saint-Gervais-et-Saint-Protais

Descending le Marais and right before reaching the Seine river, you walk down Rue des Barres. Rue des Barres got its name from the water-powered mills that once acted as defensive barriers that lay in front of the street on the Seine. The church located on Rue des Barres has been here since the 7th century! The current church you see today, Église Saint-Gervais-et-Saint-Protais, was built over the course of a 150 years ending in 1650. A very sad happening took place here at the church in 1918 that killed many people and wounded dozens more. Despite it’s morose history, it’s stained glass windows and ceiling nave are beautiful beyond belief.

5. Place de l’Hôtel-de-Ville, Esplanade de la Libération

Previously called Place de Grève until 1802. Faire la grève means to go on strike. It used to be used a meeting place for unemployed workers to look for jobs, hence it’s name. But this is not what it’s famous for, Place de l’Hôtel-de-Ville, Esplanade de la Libération, is known for the public executions, including guillotines and burnings. Quite gruesome I know…especially given its charm with the carousel, beautiful fountain, and occasional entertainer blowing bubbles, playing music, or dancing.



6. Le Centre Pompidou, Place Stravinsky

The first thing that will catch your attention as you walk into Place Stravinsky, aside from the name, is not the beautiful traditionally lined Parisian cafes surrounding the square. What will catch your eye is what the Parisian cafes are surrounding–Stravinsky fountain. Fontaine Stravinsky is unlike any other fountain you’ll ever see. It is made up of 16 works of art that float on top of it’s waters, moving and spraying water on occasion. The fountain was creating to represent the works of composer Igor Stravinsky, one of the most influential classical music composers of the 20th century. The works of art are definitely whimsical, just like his music, and include red lips, mermaids squirting water out of their breasts, and more.

Why dedicate a square to a Russian musical composer?

The modern offices of the IRCAM, a center for musical research, are located right near the fountain, so it made sense to create a fountain based on a musical theme. Who better than Igor Stravinsky?

Another reason why people visit Place Stravinsky is to visit Centre Pompidou, the leading modern art museum that includes a mix of film, theater, and dance. The outside is distinctive and modern, wrapped in tubes in various colors that each signify a different thing i.e. blue for air, green for water. Aside from the interesting art present within Centre Pompidou, it also has something to offer for those not interested in art. A heart-stopping view of Paris. For just €3 – €5, you can make your way to the sixth floor with what is known as the Panorama ticket and get jaw-dropping views of Paris for miles.

Where to Eat in Le Marais District:

1. Dinner at Gaspard de la Nuit

A 4.7 star rating on Google Maps in Paris is no laughing matter. And with Patrick being named a Google Local guide by Google, I know that his dinner recommendations can never go wrong. He recommended we eat at Gaspard de la Nuit our first night in Paris, just around the corner from our hotel in Marais, Pavillon de la Reine. The meal was like something I would find in my Grandmothers kitchen, and that is NOT a bad thing. It brought me back to the simple yet mouth watering meals my grandma used to make me as a kid. Patrick even says it may have been one of his favorite meals in Paris, even with its simplicity!

The price was spot on, nothing too crazy. The restaurant has a very intimate setting with few tables and only locals eating on either side of you. No tourists here. The locale can feel pretty quiet at times, but that’s just because unlike us Italians and Americans, the French speak much quieter at the dinner table.

2. Le Marché des Enfants Rouges

Best Markets in Paris: Marché des Enfants Rouges

As mentioned before, the market offers a variety of food options, not only French food, but Moroccan food, East Asian, American burgers (made with regional French ingredients), and more. It’s hard not to find something you want here. Pat and I decided to join a line that seemed to wrap around a stall. The stall was called Chez Alain Miam Miam, in English that translates to “With Alain Yum Yum”–and yum yum it was indeed.

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Where to Drink in Le Marais District:

1. Boot Cafe

This cyan blue speakeasy-like cafe, called Boot Cafe, is hard to find. It’s located in an old cordonnerie or cobbler shop now turned into a miniature cafe (or small shoe box as one would say!). The cafe was made for grab-and-go coffee and pastries. The place is tiny with only 2 tables. Because of its quiet location, on nice days small chairs and tables are set outside to make room for an additional 2 to 4 people. To uncover more cafes in Paris, take a look at my 17 favorite cafes in Paris.

2. Péniche Marcounet

Following Rue des Barres we wandered down by the Seine and began to walk over Pont Marie. When we looked down we caught sight of a barge and several wooden tables and outdoor seats with umbrellas down by the Seine river across from Ile St. Louis. It looked like a perfect spot for a drink, so we went down to take a look. Péniche Marcounet is an authentic barge built in 1925 that has been transformed into an aperitif, restaurant, and event space. Here you can enjoy a drink while watching the boats creating ripples on the river as they gently tap onto the barge, swaying it left and right. Green foliage curtains the barge offering it a pleasant shade and some privacy from passerbyers on Pont Marie and walking the Seine river.

The place offers both indoor and outdoor seating. From May to October, wooden pallets are stacked and used to create tables and chairs outdoors, making it a sustainable terrace with a collection of plants from the dune flora. If you don’t want to sit outdoors, you can enjoy a drink or dinner on the barge or inside the barge’s glass encased restaurant. There are concerts and musicians constantly at Péniche Marcounet making it a very lively atmosphere. The place even offers sustainable wines in sustainable glasses and a number of organic dishes. It’s the place to be if you want to make the least amount of impact while travelling and enjoying some of Paris’ finest music, wine, food, and sights.



Where to Shop in the Marais District:

Merci Cafe

Merci is a blend of a used book store/cafe/restaurant/clothing store in the Marais district. The entrance is lined with a wall of used books available for people to read.We sat in the back next to a cobblestone courtyard with outdoor tables and a small red Fiat parked in the center. It reminded me of my old car! (I used to own a red fiat). Merci café is part of the larger Merci building that includes a stylish apparel shop in the back with it’s own personal goods sold on 2 floors. It’s a great place to visit, especially on a rainy day. Here they sell vintage clothing, have occasional pop-up stores and host smaller, boutique brands, sell homegoods, gifts, stationery, and other small trinkets. It’s the perfect place to spend an afternoon lost among books, shopping, and coffee! For more on my experience at their cafe among others, read here.

Have More Time? Here’s More…

If you have more time on your hands, explore these other interesting places in the Marais district. I didn’t have the time to, but will certainly be visiting them on my next trip to Paris!

1. Pierre Hermé

Pierre Hermé is known as the Van Gogh or Picasso of pastries. With boutiques world-wide, he’s renowned in the haute patisserie industry and beyond. Pierre Hermé has always had a special connection with Japan since visiting back in 1987, and many of his new combinations and textures are inspired by Japanese culture. Think yuzu, wasabi, and sesame. He may very well be one of the most talked about pastry chefs in Paris and Tokyo at this point! Can’t miss items at his pastry store on 18 Rue Saint Croix de la Bretonnerie in Marais are:

  • Isaphan croissant or macaroon: Choose from either the buttery croissant filled with rose-flavored almond cream, drizzled with candied rose petals, and filled with raspberry-litchi pâte OR the macaroon sandwich with a fresh tart raspberry center and rose cream filling.
  • Mogador: A macaroon flavor famous in his story. It’s milk chocolate mixed with passion fruit juice. You really can’t go wrong with any macaroon of his, but this is a signature flavor and is quite unique. Other flavors include rose, of course, infinitement vanille, and more.
  • Cannelé: All you need to know is that these are crème brûlée in pastry form–enough said
  • Plein Soleil: His newest collection is a silky-smooth fro-yo or frozen yogurt mixed with ripe fruit, florals, and citrus
Why is it called Isaphan?

Isaphan is the name of an ancient city in Persia famous for its roses, which is what inspired Pierre Hermé’s obsession with roses in pastries.

2. Cour Damoye

https://www.instagram.com/p/BiUazaKg4vH/?hl=en

I was pretty upset I missed this small passage in Paris, but it’s only opened during the day and I had gotten there an hour too late. This small 18th century paved courtyard is a covered passage wrapped in ivory and shaded by plants. A mix of stores, workshops, a small coffee brewery, and residents line the street making it feel like your in Aix-en-Provence. It’s much smaller and quainter than the 9 secret passages that can be found throughout Paris and is a perfect hideaway from tourists.

3. Museums

There are plenty of museums in Marais, more than I can count. But some notable ones include the house of Victor Hugo, the Musée Carnavalet focused on the History of Paris, and the numerous exhibitions at the Hotel de Ville.

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