For me the Marais, also known as “Old Paris” is the perfect place to stay when you are in Paris as a couple or with the family. Our apartment was 2 blocks of of the Bastille Monument and close to the subway.
This neighborhood had it’s hay day in the 1700’s and contains some of the oldest buildings in Paris. During this time the Marais was the French nobility’s favorite place of residence where they would build their urban mansions.
This is the the view from the apartment balcony where we were staying.
Today it’s a hip and lively neighborhood filled with art galleries, boutiques and cafés. We ventured out and found adorable shops and unique stores. We walked around the Place des Vosgest where many people were out having picnics and lounging.
There are so many bakeries and places to grab a baguette which is what we did on most days along with fresh fruit. I really enjoy staying in apartments verses a hotel. It gets you out into the markets and stores and you get so much more of the culture this way.
We would also try as many pastries as we could. The tiny treat trays were perfect to get a taste of everything!
The Picasso Museum is also located here although we didn’t get to visit. There is just so much to see and do and you only have so much time.
We enjoyed our stroll through the Bastille Market on Sunday and picked up odds and ends there. They had everything from produce to fish and cheese as well as clothes and scarves. We bought a couple of crepes for breakfast and began our culinary tour of the market.
Down the street from us was also a cute carnival ride that the kids begged us to go on. It was the perfect place to stop, pull up a chair, let the kids go in circles and chat with the other parents that were doing the same.
The flower shops were bursting with color and creativity.
The streets of the Marais are filled with cafés, flower shops, chocolate shops, cheese shops, wine shops, and tons of bakeries. It’s a neighborhood and community and I loved being apart of it during our stay.
2 Comments
Vedure
August 30, 2011 at 5:13 amThe flowers and cakes look absolutely devine – we love this area of Paris and often go there for inspiration.
Carrie Pacini
August 31, 2011 at 4:22 pm@Vedure The Marais is very inspiring. So much culture going on there that is truly unique. I really enjoyed getting to know the area. I think it will be my go to spot in Paris now.