Le Marais

La Place des Vosges

Now home to expensive, chic boutiques and restaurants, the Marais (which means “marshes” in English) was first built at the end of the 16th century and quickly filled with many aristocratic private residences (des “hôtels”), which still exist now because that area was largely unaffected by Haussmann's plans for the reconstruction of Paris. Most of these “hôtels” have now been turned into museums or apartment buildings. For a large part of the 19th century, the area was populated by immigrants from Eastern Europe. Still home to a large Jewish community, this vibrant area of town hosts some of the best restaurants for Israeli/Jewish food in Paris. La Place des Vosges, Paris' oldest square, is found in the Marais, and all its original buildings are still standing today.

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Louis XIII statue, at the heart of La Place des Vosges