perfect day in the Marais

The Marais neighbourhood is where I live in Paris and it is such a charming area in the 4th arrondissement with so much to see and do! Here are some of my favourites if you are looking for a walking itinerary on your next visit!

Start off your day at the Pont Marie bridge or Pont Marie metro stop and walk over to the château-like Bibliothèque Forney {which is actually a library} and then meander through the enchanting courtyards of the charming Village Saint Paul filled with artisans and cafes, and you will see the backside of Eglise Saint-Paul {church}. From there walk over to busy Rue St-Antoine where you will find the Hôtel de Sully {which is not a hotel but a historic building with pretty gardens} and in the back corner of the garden is a hidden passage that leads through to the beautiful Place des Vosges park {which is the oldest planned square in Paris}.

By this point you may be wanting a coffee to go {called ‘emporter’ in French} and you can grab one at the Yellow Tucan coffee shop on Rue des Tournelles, and then make your way over to the Bastille monument where the French Revolution started. If it’s a Thursday or Sunday the Marché Bastille outdoor food market while be there on Rue Richard Lenoir and you can peruse the stalls & pick up some French treats!

After seeing all this food you might be hungry and I recommend trying to get in for lunch at the popular Chez Janou restaurant that serves delicious Provencal cuisine and has the best chocolate mousse {you could stop by after the Yellow Tucan to make a reservation in person as it’s quite close}. Afterwards you can stroll down one of the best shopping streets in the Marais called Rue des Francs-Bourgeois. A few blocks down is where you will find the Musée Carnavalet ~ which is free and you can learn all about the history of Paris while overlooking stunning courtyard gardens. Last but not least you can walk back towards the Seine river and finish your day close to where you started ~ by having an apéro cocktail or beer on the sunny patio of Le Louis Philippe restaurant!

To see the reel I made that shows all of these places you can go to my instagram and look for ‘perfect day in Marais’ post which I have linked here.

Here are the addresses of the itinerary to help find your way with website & instagram links:

» Pont Marie ~ bridge or metro station

» Bibliothèque Forney ~ 1 Rue du Figuier {@bibforney}

» Village Saint-Paul ~ Rue des Jardins Saint-Paul {@villagesaintpaulparis}

» Hôtel de Sully ~ 62 Rue St-Antoine {@librairie_de_sully}

» Place des Vosges ~ 9 Place des Vosges {@parisjetaime}

» Yellow Tucan ~ 20 Rue des Tournelles {@yellowtucan}

» Marché Bastille ~ 13–21 Boulevard Richard Lenoir {@parismaville}

» Chez Janou ~ 2 Rue Roger Verlomme {@chezjanou} 

» Musée Carnavalet ~ 16 Rue des Francs-Bourgeois {@museecarnavalet}

» Le Louis Philippe ~ 66 Quai de l'Hôtel de Ville {@lelouisphilippeparis}