The marais
The Marais is a very old district of Paris, where Knights Templars settled at the time of the Crusades. Its name come from the fact that it was originally a marshland, meaning of the word in French.
Mainly famous for its historic events and mansions as the French artistocracy and royalty settled there very early, in the Middle Ages. Consequently, luxurious residences were constructed. Nowadays, they are mainly dating back to the 17th and 18th century.
It is a well preserved and fantastically well renovated part of the city, with many little hidden gardens behind mansions.
The Jewish Quarter although, limited to just a few streets nowadays, is full of wonderful shops, art galleries and trendy restaurants and is a fantastic place to stroll around. Once shabby, it was turned into a fashionable part of Paris few decades ago only.
Follow a guided tour in the district : the Highlights or Female Celebrities.
For more information click on the pictures below.
Information
Guided tour around the quarter for approximately 2 hours.
Highlights
Highlihts of the quarter including the famous Place des Vosges, the Hôtel de Sully, the jewish district, church Saint Paul Saint Louis and the Hotel de Sens.
Ladies of the Marais
Tour about women who lived in this prestigious area : queens, courtisans, writers… See more women-focused tours.
My favorite walking tours
Join me on one of my favourite walking tours around the Marais quarter and its amazing old mansions. The Place des Vosges is undoubtedly the most magnificent square of Paris to me.
The covered passages of Paris with its old fashioned shops and architecture dating back to the 19th century show reminiscence of French writers like Maupassant, Proust or Colette.
