Le Marais

The Marais is a neighborhood that offers many complementary yet contrasting experiences for visitors. It still sustains a considerable Jewish community with several of the oldest surviving synagogues in Paris. It is also home to a large gay community and serves as a fashion mecca. The neighborhood marries the old with the new. It is home to the first paved road in the city, rue du Pave as well as the Centre Pompidou, arguably the leading modern art museum in the world. The Marais also offers the culinary enthusiast everything from traditional French bistro fare to the latest in fusion cuisine. One can find excellent fellafel on rue du Rosiers, people watch at one of the many cafes on rue des Archives or take in the panoramic city views at Level 6, high atop the Centre Pompidou. Not be missed is the oldest square in Paris, Place des Vosges (above) now a lovely park surrounded by art galleries and several cafes including the Cafe Victor Hugo. For more information about Le Marais, follow the links below:

• "Marais, the Heart of the City of Light" from Go Nomad.com - alternative travel site with a worthwhile travelogue about the neighborhood
• Picasso.com - website devoted to the life and work of Pablo Picasso includes a comprehensive collection of digital reproductions

Related Links

Neighborhood Map

Jewish Life

Gay Life

Quartier

Centre Pompidou

Place des Vosges

Musee Picasso

Hotel Carnavalet

Maison de la Photographie