The Hip and Chic – Why The Marais Reigns

Written by Jade Maitre for Gadabout Paris

Heard of the Marais? If not, we’re about to let you in on a secret: you’d be mad to miss this corner of the world. It’s the Paris you imagine, with all the funkiness, modernity and shopping (oh, yes!) you’d never expect.

The Marais is an area steeped in tradition- it first started being built up around the 12th century, when the population of Paris began looking for places to spread, outside of its famous “two isles”. The name “Marais” refers to swamps, because the land was originally marsh – not necessarily your first obvious choice for building lasting structures! Nonetheless, desperation – or else a sense of adventure – spurred great beauty (and luckily for us, longevity too!), as in the corresponding centuries, streets were formed, buildings elaborately constructed, religious wars fought, love affairs painstakingly and dramatically played out, royalty housed, refugees welcomed, and artists inspired, with each event being recorded in the quaint names of its streets, the songs of its time or the works of its inhabitants, including Victor Hugo and Alphonse Daudet.

Along with the gorgeous meandering streets, pre-Haussmann style stone buildings, squares and private gardens, a huge highlight of the area is the Place des Vosges – a beautiful and unique square that began its life as Henry IV’s Place Royale. The Place housed the French royalty until Louis XIV decided to relocate to Versailles in 1682, and consequently helmed the usual decline – boon cycle that is common to so many parts of Paris throughout the ages. Renamed the Place des Vosges in 1799, it soon once again regained its former glory as the residence of Ministers, poets and aristocracy, went shabby in the first half of the 20th century, and nowadays is the stunning jewel in the Marais crown, housing a museum of Victor Hugo’s residence, art galleries, the Musee Carnavalet, buskers, a school, and perhaps the most picturesque square in Paris.

And while we’re mentioning jewels, the Marais has also managed to score itself the most vibrant gay community in Paris. Moreover, lest you think the region were stereotyped, you’ll also find one of Europe’s most flourishing Jewish quarters. Both co-habitate side-by-side with the art galleries, exquisite homeware shops, cutting edge boutiques and design stores that characterise Paris’ most unique and special shopping.

So whether you’d like to eat fresh bagels while searching out vinyl hotpants, funky fashion or exquisite homewares; would like to chill out in a range of Paris’ most locally-frequented hip cafes; or simply prefer the idea of munching on a cheese and ham baguette and listening to classical music in the sunny square of the Places des Vosges; the Marais has something for everyone. And what’s even better? It’s still somewhat of a secret for non-locals – so don’t expect to find the hordes you’d see in Montmartre or St Germain des Pres. In the Marais, you’ll get people, but it’s more of an active streetlife buzz.

The Marais is definitely on the hip side of Paris happenings. Go there and lap it up.

Gadabout’s most popular audio tour is the Cheap and Chic Guide to the Marais. Complete with maps, language guide and exhaustive historical info on the Marais throughout the ages, it gives you an A-Z of all the cheapest and chic-est shopping in the area – a fantastic way to spend hours or a day! For the price of a coca cola, you can’t get better value – just click here if you’d like to download.