Strolling around Le Marais is one of the best ways to experience Paris. Enjoy the beautiful streets, restaurants, shops and secluded gardens.
Whether you are looking for fashion, art, museums, people-watching or great food, Le Marais is a wonderful place to spend a day or three. Cherished for its history, vibrant streets, stunning architecture, chic boutiques, and lively café culture, it is one of Paris’s most enchanting neighborhoods.
When to go
The area is stunning and can be a peaceful haven. However, it can also give you the opposite of tranquility. At least if you don’t have a plan for when to be there or where to go. Mornings, late afternoons and weekdays are the best if you prefer calm over crowd. As the trendy and historic area has become extremely popular, there are often a lot of foreign tourists walking around on Saturdays and Sundays, posing for Instagram at every corner.
The good news is that most of them tend to stay in the most famous streets and places, primarily in the southern parts of the neighbourhood. And Le Marais is big, stretching across the 3rd and 4th arrondissement. In other words, there is more than enough space for everyone, and something for every taste.
Le Marais falafels and enormous Lemon Merengue tarts
Le Marais is the Jewish quarter of Paris, every street is rich on history and culture. It is also famous for offering some of the best falafels in Europe, drawing both locals and tourists alike to its bustling eateries such as L’As du Falafel. However, if you actually want to taste it you should be prepared and patient; the popularity of this spot means you could be waiting in line for up to two hours.
Speaking of food, there are plenty of great places to eat in Le Marais. A few I would like to highlight, is:
Chez Janou – for its atmosphere, and for the fact that you can boy a big bowl of chocolate mousse to share for dessert. Perfect for a lunch or drink.
Le Loir dans la Théière – famous for its weekend brunches (make sure to be there early of you want to get in), finish off the meal with a piece of their enourmous, wonderful, lemon merengue tart. I promise you, you will be impressed.
Le Marché des Enfants Rouges – An indoor food and flower market where you can taste all kinds of fresh, locally sourced food. Have a glass of wine and some fresh oysters from Normandy while you take in all the wonderful smells and impressions.
Do you love food markets? Check out the one near Canal Saint-Martin as well.
Discovering tranquility
While the area buzzes with energy, Le Marais also offers hidden havens of tranquility. If you are near La Bastille, make sure not to miss the green lunge Le Passage de l’Ancre, which is considered as the oldest open-air passage in Paris. If you are looking for a quiet spot to sit down in the Temple area, I would recommend the little side street Rue Dupedit-Thouars, where locals enjoy their coffee or lunch in lush surroundings next to Le Carreau du Temple.
Place des Vosges is another nice place to relax. It was the home of Victor Hugo and is also known for its perfect symmetry and impressive architecture. In the middle you find a quiet park, surrounded by a number of galleries and restaurants. The ambiance here is noticeably calmer than in most of Le Marais.
The museums of Le Marais
In the heart of Le Marais you find one of Paris’s most renowned museums, Le Musée Picasso. But there are also several, lesser-known ones worth exploring for a dose of culture without the crowds. Le Musée des Archives National and Musée de Cognacq-Jay are both located in beautiful mansions, rich on history and art.
The Musée Carnavalet, dedicated to the history of Paris, has a comprehensive collection of paintings, furniture, and decorative arts that illustrate the evolution of Parisian style and taste. The rooms are meticulously arranged to reflect the interiors of typical Parisian homes from various eras, complete with original wall paneling and period furnishings.
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