Summary
- I’ve lived in the Marais for nine years and recommend this neighborhood as the best place to stay in Paris.
- Friends and family members of all ages and abilities have all loved their visits to the Marais.
- What sets the Marais apart from other Paris neighborhoods is its charm, history, practicality, luxury, and wonderful gastronomy.
One of the questions I get asked most often as a Paris local is where to stay in the city. I wrote an entire guide on the subject, and there are a few neighborhoods I continuously recommend. For example, parts of the 7th arrondissement (district) are beautiful and convenient for first-time visitors.
But the place I recommend most is the Marais.
The Marais is a historically Jewish neighborhood in the 3rd and 4th arrondissements of Paris. Today, it’s full of art galleries, parks, and restaurants. Its cobblestoned streets are full of charm.
I’ve lived in the Marais for nine out of my 10 years in France. You may think this makes me biased, but it’s actually proof: this is the best place to stay in the city!
Incredible Attractions Nearby
The Marais is incredibly charming. But the main reason I love living here is a practical one: the Marais is centrally located.
It’s not as full of monuments as the 1st arrondissement is, for example. But I’m able to walk to many Paris attractions from my house. Walking from the Marais can even be quicker than taking the Métro!
Getting around Paris can be tricky, and I love living in a place where I don’t have to rely on taxis or rideshares. Plus, Paris traffic frustrates me a ton!
One of my favorite walks from the Marais is down the Seine River to the Louvre Museum. Walking on the cobblestone banks of the river, I’ve seen everything from enthusiastic border collies to bikers racing each other. Meanwhile, I get to pass historic monuments like Notre Dame Cathedral on my way.
Charming Cobblestone Streets & Beautiful Architectural Details
I love the charm of the Marais’s architecture. From the pink façades of the townhouses at the Place des Vosges to the everyday warm-gold brick along other streets, the Marais is beautiful.
Even after nine years, I’m always finding new architectural details to marvel at. A tiny cobblestone passage I didn’t know existed. Street lamps in unexpected locations. Even historic buildings with markers I never noticed before.
These, combined with the narrow streets and cobblestones, make the Marais a cozy place to stay. No, it’s not as grand as the big Haussman boulevards near the Arc de Triomphe, but it does feel so much more like home.
During a brief time when I lived in the neighboring 11th arrondissement, a friend came to visit me. On our first day, we wandered through the Marais together. I told her that its name means “swamp” because it used to be boggy land. After that, she kept asking if we could go back to the “swamp” because it was so beautiful!
Rich French History & Culture at Every Turn
My next novel centers around Parisian art, so I’m still discovering tons of small museums in the Marais as I research. The 1st arrondissement is home to the Louvre Museum, the largest museum in the world. And Paris museums are great overall. But the Marais has an incredible mixture of museums within a small area.
Among other museums, the Marais is home to the Picasso Museum. I saw an incredible exhibition of contemporary artist Sophie Calle’s work here on my birthday last year. There’s also Victor Hugo’s House, which may not seem interesting unless you’re a writing buff. But I love it not just because of the writer but also for its well-preserved historical furnishings!
I recommend every visitor start their trip at the Musée Carnavalet (the Museum of the City of Paris) if they visit the Marais. I still come here all the time to visit their permanent collection, which is free. I’m fascinated by the old street signs that hang in the first gallery.
Additionally, the Museum of Hunting and Nature is one of my favorite odd museums in the city. I’ll admit, the (sometimes hidden) taxidermy can make me jump! But its specialized subject and beautiful building always make me glad I’ve come.
Tons of Hidden Green Spaces
The museums aren’t the only thing that makes the Marais a great place to stay. There are tons of green spaces. You may not see them immediately when looking at a map. It’s actually taken me years to discover some of them!
Parks in the Marais are not as big as the Luxembourg or Tuileries Gardens. But there are hidden green spaces all around.
The least hidden of these is the most popular: the Square Louis XIII at the Place des Vosges. I used this as the setting for an important scene in my first novel. (The main character lives in the southwest building on this square.)
There are plenty of other places to sit in nature! The Rosiers Joseph Migneret Garden has wonderful hidden corners. I like to sit on the bench in front of its fig tree and write on sunny days. This is also a great place to relax if you love to see passing dogs, like me.
The Perfect Place for Finding Paris Souvenirs
Some of my favorite stores are in the Marais. You can find Victor Hugo’s apothecary, Officine Universelle Buly 1803, in the northern Marais. This is my favorite place to buy presents to take back to the U.S. Their items are pricey but worth it. A tube of their hand cream lasts me almost a year!
Stop by Ladurée for some macarons. But don’t make the mistake I did and try to take a box back internationally. They’re only good for a few days, and mine had collapsed before I was off the plane. However, you can get some at the Ladurée shop at Charles de Gaulle airport for a less charming but more practical gift.
The triangle of streets in this area also offers a ton of unique boutiques and spas. I like to go to Gloss’up Beauty Bar for a manicure when I’m treating myself.
A lot of guides will tell you to check out the stores on the Rue de Francs-Bourgeois. I don’t usually recommend this. There are lots of chain shops like Kiehls and Petit Bateau that you can find around the world. But if you’re in the area, there are some great French perfume shops that I like to take visitors to here, including Frédéric Malle.
The Best of French Cuisine
In my opinion, the Marais has some of the city’s best restaurants.
These include the deliciously cheap and portable falafel at L’As du Fallafel on the Rue des Rosiers. A friend and I often meet up for lunch and take these to the fig tree in the Rosiers Joseph Migneret Garden for great food and nature.
I’ve been able to find restaurants for every kind of visitor in my neighborhood. There’s vegetarian food at Le Petit Italien. I love taking vegetarians to this place for two reasons. First, I eat meat, and they also have meat dishes. Second, it’s hard to find 100% vegetarian restaurants in Paris. Le Petit Italien is great for a wide selection of main courses.
If I want live music after my meal, I head to Le Serpent à Plume for great fusion food.
And when British visitors crave a real British breakfast, I take them to the Alice-in-Wonderland-inspired T’Cup! I’ve had many “scones” in Paris, but only T’Cup has truly mastered them.
Transport Links Can Be Found Everywhere
Okay, so transportation might not be the most glamorous reason to love a neighborhood. But it’s one of the main reasons I’ve lived here so long. At the Marais’ borders, you can access Métro Lines 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, and 11.
Admittedly, the middle of the Marais isn’t great for Métro connections. However, bus services do run through the neighborhood. I had mobility issues last year and found that I could still get around via bus service to most places.
The bus I use most often is the 29. This goes right to the Musée Carnavalet and the Place des Vosges, and runs west into the 1st arrondissement and beyond.
The Downsides of the Marais Neighborhood
With all of this said, I recognize that the Marais isn’t the best neighborhood for everyone.
Living or staying here requires a lot of walking or short cab rides. This can make it challenging if you have mobility issues. I realized this when I had my own issues last year.
My advice? Be sure to look out for squares where you can sit down on extended walks, as they can be hard to see. The cobblestoned pedestrian areas can also be hard if you use a walking device.
The streets are very narrow here as well. This makes it hard to drive and even harder to find street parking. I often get annoyed when driving in the Marais, let alone using a rideshare or taxi service.
For example, if I get stuck behind a garbage truck while driving, I just know I’ll be moving at the same speed as that garbage truck until the next intersection.
Finally, it’s worth noting that the Marais is a popular area.
This means that more well-known attractions and restaurants can get incredibly crowded. This is particularly true in peak seasons. However, the narrow streets have helped me escape packed boulevards during the summer!
Final Thoughts…
I love the Marais, and it’s the perfect home base for most visitors. But is it the only Parisian neighborhood you should consider? Absolutely not! I’ve also lived in the 8th and the 11th, and they both had their pros and cons, too.
For a more detailed comparison, including specific hotel suggestions, check out my full guide to where to stay in Paris.
But if you’re looking for charm, history, luxury, and gastronomy? The Marais is the first place I’d recommend!
