In 15 steps, Linternaute.com invites you to discover the Marais, between mansions and old churches. A walk of about 2 hours.
1 – The Parvis of Notre Dame
This walk in Marsh begins on the forecourt of Notre-Dame de Paris, and that’s quite normal since that’s where the zero kilometer of Paris is, that is to say the exact point from which all the distances are calculated by relation to the capital. To find it, stand in the middle of the facade of the cathedral about 25 m from it. He is represented by a medallion inlaid on the ground. It is also a very good point of view to admire the Gothic facade of the cathedral.
As you walk towards the flower market, you can see on the ground that the alleys that existed before Baron Hausmann had them razed are inscribed on the ground. Already a trace of medieval Paris.
Move away from the cathedral, go up the rue de la Cité towards the north and turn immediately on your left. You arrive at the flower market.
2 – The Flower Market
This flower market has been established on this square for two centuries. Open Monday to Sunday inclusive, from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., it offers all kinds of plants, from the simplest to the most exotic (including the famous carnivorous plants). On Sundays, it also turns into a bird market. This is the meeting place for enthusiasts and children.
Continue along rue de Lutèce which borders the flower market on its south side and join the famous boulevard du Palais. You can see the spire of the Sainte Chapelle.
3 – The Sainte Chapelle, the Palace of Justice and the Conciergerie
Here you are on perhaps the oldest location in Paris, in the heart of the Ile de la Cité. It is here that the kings of France established their first royal palace, which later became the Conciergerie because it was inhabited by the “Concierge” (meaning the equivalent of the current mayor of Paris). Today stands the Sainte Chapelle, often considered the jewel of flamboyant Gothic art. The crown of Christ is said to be kept within it. After serving as a prison for years after the Revolution, the Conciergerie became a museum. He visits daily.
Continue north on Boulevard du Palais and cross the Seine on the Pont au Change. On your right is one of the most beautiful views of Paris over the Hôtel de Ville. You arrive at the Place du Châtelet.
4 – Place du Châtelet and its two theaters
Place du Châtelet owes its name to an old small castle that guarded this part of the Seine against attacks that could come from the river. It did not resist the modernization of Paris carried out by Napoleon in 1802 and the engravings that we have left make us regret it bitterly. In its place stands a fountain in the center and two theaters on the sides built by Davioud between 1860 and 1862 on the orders of Baron Hausmann. The one located to the east is the Théâtre de la Ville, formerly the Théâtre Sarah Bernhard, which enjoyed a triumph there and in which you can visit her dressing room.
Continue on your way towards the North by taking Boulevard de Sébastopol. On your right appears the huge Tour Saint Jacques.
5 – Saint-Jacques Tower
This tower looks very unusual to be alone in the middle of its park. This has not always been the case: it was the bell tower of the Saint-Jacques-de-la-Boucherie church built at the beginning of the 15th century and destroyed after the Revolution. The Tower had a strange use at the beginning of the 19th century since a founder used it to make bullets by dropping molten lead from its top into a tub of water placed at its base.
Opposite the tower, to the north, take rue Nicolas Flamel (named after the alchemist), cross rue Pernelle (wife of Nicolas Flamel!), then turn right into rue des Lombards and immediately left St. Martin Street. You can see the Saint-Merri church.
6 – Saint-Merri church
This church owes its name Mérédicus, abbot of Saint-Martin who was chosen as patron saint of the right bank of the Seine in 884. The current building was built during the first half of the 16th century in a Gothic style on the model of Notre Dame . Today, Saint-Merri wants to be a musical parish by regularly giving free concerts.
Extend your way in the rue Saint-Martin (the north-south axis of Paris dating from Roman times), you arrive on the Parvis de Beaubourg.
7 – The Beaubourg Center
After old Paris, here is one of the most famous expressions of Paris at the end of the 20th century. Built on the initiative of President Georges Pompidou, this huge building aims to be a temple of contemporary art. The view from the terrace of its panoramic restaurant is extraordinary for discovering the South, West and North of the capital.
Take the street bordering the south face of the Center Pompidou, enjoy the refreshing fountain Niki de Saint-Phalle always in motion, cross the rue du Renard, you enter the rue Saint Merri then Sainte-Croix-de-la-Bretonnerie .
8 – Rue Sainte-Croix-de-la-Bretonnerie
This street, whose existence has been proven since 1232, owes its name to the convent of the Brothers of the Holy Cross. This was precisely located on the site of the current square Sainte-Croix de la Bretonnerie. It was destroyed after the “moral relaxation” of its monks in the 18th century. It is today the stronghold of the homosexual community of Paris.
Take rue des Archives on the right for a few meters. You discover the Billettes cloister.
9 – The Billettes cloister
It is one of the last cloisters preserved in good condition in the center of Paris. It is Gothic. As you go around, you will discover slabs of different colors from the others. Don’t be surprised, this is the tomb of one of his father-abbots. It is said that in 1290, a poor woman could not repay theusurer Jew Jonathan. He offered to erase his debt in exchange for a consecrated host. When she brought it to him, he pierced her with a knife and she began to bleed. He threw her into boiling water, and the cauldron began to overflow with blood. Unmasked, the Jew Jonathan was burned alive. His property was confiscated for the benefit of Philippe-le-Bel who had an expiatory chapel built on the site of the residence.
Take rue Sainte-Croix de la Bretonnerie on your right then turn left into rue Aubriot. You discover the church of the Blancs-Manteaux.
10 – The Church of the White Coats
Neighboring the famous Mont-de-Piété, the church of the Blancs-Manteaux (monks wearing a white coat) installed here in 1258 by Saint Louis, offers visitors to the marsh a welcome haven of rest after the trepidation of nearby shopping.
Continue along rue des Blancs-Manteaux on your right as far as rue Vieille-du-Temple, go up it to the north then immediately turn right into rue des Francs-Bourgeois. On your left, a small cul-de-sac: this is the Impasse des Crossbowmen.
11 – Crossbowmen’s Impasse
So named because it previously served as a shooting range for crossbowmen, this impasse draws its originality above all from the fact that it has very well preserved its medieval appearance and why not, let’s dream a little, the appearance it had when Jean -Sans-Peur had his cousin and rival Louis d’Orléans, brother of the king, assassinated there, and by this act relaunched the Hundred Years’ War. (Read our article)
Continue on rue des Francs-Bourgeois for a few meters, then turn right into rue des Hospitalières-Saint-Gervais. This takes you to rue des Rosiers.
12 – Rue des Rosiers
It is the most famous street in the Jewish Marais. You can discover there everything that makes the specificity of Jewish culture: synagogue, specialized bookstores, but especially food shops with the famous sign “Chez Marianne” or the butcher-caterer “Goldenberg”. It is here that you are most likely to come across Jews in traditional costume with twists and yarmulkes. Many commemorative plaques recall the persecutions suffered during the 1940s.
Continue on rue des Rosiers then take rue Pavée to the left. Pass in front of number 17, you will discover inside what seems to be an old barn a huge bookstore. At the corner of rue Pavée and rue des Francs-Bourgeois is the library of the City of Paris.
13 – Hôtel de Lamoignon / Library of the City of Paris
The Hôtel de Lamoignon, now the historic library of the City of Paris, is one of the oldest hotels in the Marais. It was built for Diane de France in 1584. She died there at the age of 81 after having known seven kings of France. His son, Charles de Valois, died in 1650 and his wife, Françoise de Nargonne, survived him by 63 years. She therefore disappeared in 1713, 139 years after her father-in-law, King Charles IX!
Take the rue des Francs-Bourgeois, mirroring the library, you will discover a huge private mansion: it is the Hôtel Carnavalet.
14 – The Hotel Carnavalet
This Renaissance-style hotel was acquired in 1880 by the City of Paris to set up its historical museum there. In the center of its gardens stands a famous pedestrian statue of Louis XIV. As the Hôtel Carnavalet is now a museum, you can visit it for free during regular opening hours.
Continue along rue des Francs-Bourgeois: you are now at the entrance to place des Vosges.
15 – Place des Vosges
Begun in 1605 under the reign of Henri IV, the construction of this square, on the site of a former palace of Catherine de Medici, was completed in 1612. It is famous for the symmetry and order of the facades which border it. These are indeed all identical but the houses behind them are not! And if you dream of visiting one of them, know that it is possible since the one located in the south-west corner was inhabited by Victor Hugo and is now a museum dedicated to him. So enjoy your visit!
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