The district of Le Marais - located in the 3rd and 4th arrondissements - is arguably the best area to stay in Paris, France. The area that makes up Le Marais was previously a marshland - 'Marais' in French means marsh! The water was drained and the land was turned into a bustling district of Paris, which is now a great place to walk around, go shopping and eat incredible food. It is known as the cities Jewish quarter with lots of Kosher bakeries, and houses most of the cities gay-friendly venues. Le Marais is full of life and offers so much to do both during the day and at night - it is filled with shops and boutiques (vintage and high-end), bars, cafes, courtyards, restaurants and museums containing modern and contemporary art. The neighborhood has the most beautiful streets, full of cobblestone walkways and gorgeous historic architecture.
It is possible to walk to many popular tourist destinations from the Marais neighborhood. Of course all times will vary slightly depending on where exactly you are stying in Le Marais, but some estimates are:
17 min. walk to the Notre-Dame Cathedral
29 min. walk to the Pantheon
31 min. walk to the Louvre Museum
1 hr walk to Sacré-Cœur Basilica
1 hr 12 min. walk to the Eiffel tower
1 hr 14 min. walk to the Arc de Triomphe
Some of the longer walks are worth doing at least once; I enjoyed walking to the Eiffel tower from Le Marais since most of the walk was along the scenic Seine river and we stopped for a drink and some lunch along the way. However, when you don't feel like walking or it is too far to walk, the metro is an extremely affordable and easy option of transportation to get around Paris. With metros nearly every few blocks, taking one is always possible for wherever you'd like to go, and they only cost about 1.50 euro per person to ride on.
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There are countless retail spots for vintage and luxury shopping, a lot of wonderful museums, and both popular and quiet courtyards and squares.
Le Marais is one of the best shopping districts in Paris, making it the best area to stay in Paris, France! The neighborhood has shops selling everything from fashion clothing to accessories and fragrance. I highly recommend starting on one of the following streets and wandering around, letting the city guide you; The best streets to walk along for shopping are Rue Vieille du Temple and Rue des Francs Bourgeois. These streets have numerous trendy boutiques, shoe stores, jewelry shops and bakeries. Rue des Francs Bourgeois also houses the Musée Carnavalet, a must-see museum for anyone interested in the history of Paris. Some cute, smaller streets for retail shopping include Rue de Sévigné, Rue de Saintongue and Rue des Archives, which is home to the Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature - the nature and hunting museum - that examines the relationship between humans and nature.
Besides the Musée Carnavalet and Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature, my two absolute favorite museums in Le Marais to add to your list are Musée National Picasso-Paris and the Maison Européenne de la Photographie (European house of photography). Musée National Picasso-Paris is a brilliant art gallery located on Rue de Thorigny and holds the work of Spanish modernist Pablo Picasso. Found on Rue de Fourcy, Maison Européenne de la Photographie is an exhibition space that holds contemporary photographs.
There are some of the best courtyards to visit in Le Marais for having a nice picnic, relaxing after a long day of shopping and sight-seeing, or to get away from the crowds. My recommendation is to hang out at either the Place des Vosges - the oldest planned square in Paris - or Jardin Anne Frank, a more secluded and tranquil garden equipped with benches and a kids play area.
Some other activities include visiting Hôtel de Ville, the city hall of Paris. It houses the local government council, including the mayor of Paris. Here, you can observe its striking architecture designed in a neo-renaissance style, take a guided tour or catch free temporary exhibitions in the building occasionally throughout the year. The courtyard in front of the building is extremely spacious and often hosts seasonal activities. On the fringes of Le Marais, just a three minute walk from Hôtel de Ville, you can find St. Jacques Tower. The tower, designed in gothic architecture, is all that is left of a catholic church that was destroyed during the French revolution. Embellished with statues and gargoyles, it is a beautiful tower surrounded by a quiet park.
Food Suggestions
Le Marais has incredible and diverse options when it comes to food, which is another reason it is the best area to stay in Paris, France. Whatever you are craving - whether it be a casual bite to eat, middle eastern street food, pizza, pasta, pastries or sweet treats - there will be something for you nearly every block. Keep in mind that food service in France is different from that in some other countries; you usually don’t get seated - instead, you find a table and seat yourself and you’ll likely have to let a waiter/waitress know that you are there and ready to order. When you are ready to pay, ask for the check and they will bring the card reader over to your table (or of course you can pay with cash). Unlike America, waiters/waitresses never walk away with your card.
From hidden gems to popular spots with long lines all day, here are some of my favorites:
Breakfast:
Boulangerie Patisserie
Address: 32 Rue Vieille du Temple
For delicious cappuccinos and breakfast pastries in Le Marais, I would highly recommend this bakery. My favorites were their chocolate croissants and the tartelette framboise (a creamy raspberry pastry), though every item looked extremely appetizing. They offer a very wide selection of light but filling breakfast foods at an inexpensive cost. The most expensive pastry we bought was just 5 euros. We were staying right down the street from this shop, and ate breakfast here nearly every morning!
Lunch/Dinner:
Feria Café
Address: 4 Rue de Bourg Tibourg, 75004 Paris, France
Located in the 4th arrondissement of Le Marais, Feria Café has some of the best pizza we tasted in the area. It was also very inexpensive; we got a Margarita pizza, which was enough for two and was topped with the freshest basil leaves, for 10.50 euros; we also got a large glass of chardonnay for 4 euros during happy hour. Food here did not take long at all to come out, about 15 minutes, and all of the waiters/ waitresses we had at this restaurant were extremely kind.
L’as Du Fallafel
Address: 34 Rue des Rosiers, 75004 Paris, France
This street food restaurant has very long lines pretty much all day, from open until close. It was very worth waiting in the line, which goes faster than you'd think. The falafel is amazing! Falafels are fried chickpea patties with a variety of different toppings such as veggies, roasted aubergine, and extraordinary sauces. They also sell Shawarma (another popular middle eastern dish), which we also tried and it was delicious as well! Locals say it has the best falafels in the area, and some even say it's the best falafels in Paris! We received two falafels and two sodas, listed as ‘Boissons’ (French for beverages), for 21 euros total.
Bulle
Address: 19 Rue des Rosiers
For some delicious sushi or a quick stop for some bubble tea, Bulle is the spot for just that! There are not a lot of sushi spots around Le Marais, and Bulle is definitely one of the best. I stopped by to grab some bubble tea multiple times from this cute shop to take with me to go shopping. My favorite flavors were definitely the matcha latte and the love peach! It is the cutest shop on the inside and out, decorated with Japanese cherry blossoms and lots of greenery to fit the shops vibes. There is also some seating outside so you can sit back, breathe in the fresh air and people watch while enjoying your drink, meal or both!
Dessert:
Amorino
Address: 31 Rue Vieille du Temple
Amorino has multiple locations throughout Paris, but this location is the one I ate at! For delicious gelato with the options of chocolatey or fruity flavors, and the softest most creamy macaroons, I would highly recommend coming to this shop! We ordered one scoop of mango and one of strawberry and a cone with toffee flavored gelato. We each also tried chocolate and pistachio macaroons, both of which were incredible. These treats hit the spot when we were craving sweets.
Nightlife
There are plenty of bars all within walking distance of one another; Le Marais has great nightlife that seems to go on all night long! Rooftop bars, cocktail bars, lounges, gay bars - you name it, Le Marais has it! My favorites that had great vibes, music, ambiance and atmosphere include:
Le Perchoir Marais
Address: 33 Rue de la Verrerie, 75004 Paris, France
Located on the BHV Marais rooftop, 2 minutes away from Hôtel De Ville, Le Perchoir Marais is my favorite rooftop bar in the area. There are beautiful city and Eiffel tower views from the roof - with a cocktail, beer or glass of wine in your hand, you can catch the Eiffel tower lights show every hour once the sun goes down until it shuts off at 1am. There is house & EDM music and a bit of dancing, with plenty of room to lounge on the comfortable seating.
Bisou
Address: 15 Bd du Temple, 75003 Paris, France
My favorite location for cocktails in the area is Bisou. This neon-pink bar is not only great for atmosphere and music, but it is extremely unique - there is no menu; you tell the bartenders what flavors you like and they craft a drink special for you. Not only are the drinks gorgeous, but they are absolutely delicious!
Where to Stay:
We stayed in a small, charming airbnb on a narrow and popular street in Le Marais called Rue des Rosiers, which means "street of the rosebushes". The atmosphere and life is incredible; there no cars on this adorable, cobblestone street - it has many little shops and wonderful street food (it's located right next to L'as du Fallafel, and across the street from Bulle!). Rue des Rosiers was once the heart of the old jewish quarter before WWII, and it still has many Kosher shops! It is definitely the best area to stay in Paris, France! If size is a big concern for you, you should know that this rental is highly recommended for short-term stays or people with less luggage since it is pretty tiny. However, it is well-equipped and very clean, and above all the location is amazing - you step outside and are instantly met with a little slice of history & romance!
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