The Marais, on Foot
A self-guided walk in Paris.
2h30. 1.7 miles. From Place des Vosges to Village Saint-Paul.
The Marais is the best walking neighborhood in Paris: grand squares, free museums, the old Jewish quarter, and some of the city's best quick lunches, all in a few compact blocks. This is a half-day at an easy pace, built to end with lunch.
The local move
Do it on a Sunday. The Marais is one of the only parts of Paris where the shops open, so the streets are alive when the rest of the city is shut.
Best time to go
Late morning start, so you reach rue Charlot for lunch. Wednesday to Sunday, when the lunch stop and the museums are open.
When to avoid it
Monday and Tuesday: the lunch stop and several museums are closed. On Saturday, Miznon is closed.
The stops
Merci Concept Store
A three-floor concept store in an old fabric factory, with the little red Fiat parked out front. Design, homeware, clothes.
Tip: You don't have to buy a thing. The used-book cafe downstairs is a lovely quiet coffee stop mid-walk.
Chez Alain Miam Miam
A cult sandwich and crêpe counter on rue Charlot, everything made to order with good bread and serious cheese.
Tip: This is your lunch stop. Share a sandwich, they are big. Open Wednesday to Sunday, 9am to 5pm. Busiest around 1pm.
Musee Picasso
The world's largest Picasso collection, in the beautiful Hotel Sale. Worth it even if Picasso isn't your thing, for the building alone.
Tip: Book the timed ticket online the night before. Walk-ups wait; booked visitors skip the line.
Rue des Francs-Bourgeois
The Marais shopping spine. Independent boutiques, a few chains, and beautiful old facades above the shop windows.
Tip: Look up. The best details are on the first floor and roofline, not in the windows. This is one of the rare Paris streets where shops open on Sunday.
Rue des Rosiers
The heart of the historic Jewish quarter, narrow and lively, half old bakeries and half fashion now.
Tip: Save room after lunch. The pitas and falafel here are the reason half of Paris walks over on a Sunday.
Miznon
Eyal Shani's pita bar, a few steps from rue des Rosiers. Warm pitas stuffed to order and a whole roasted cauliflower with its own fan club.
Tip: Order at the counter and help yourself to the tahini. Closed Saturdays and from mid-afternoon on Fridays.
Musee Carnavalet
The museum of the history of Paris, set in two Marais mansions. Free, and one of the most underrated stops in the city.
Tip: It's free, so dip in for even twenty minutes. The Proust bedroom and the old shop signs are the parts people remember.
Place des Vosges
The oldest planned square in Paris, from 1612. Thirty-six matching pink-brick pavilions around a quiet garden of lime trees.
Tip: Walk the vaulted arcades all the way around before you sit. Victor Hugo's house is at No. 6, corner right, and it's free to visit.
Hotel de Sully
A grand private mansion from the reign of Henri IV. Most people miss that it connects straight through to Place des Vosges.
Tip: Cut through the two courtyards and the little door in the far corner. It pops you onto rue Saint-Antoine without backtracking.
Village Saint-Paul
A cluster of hidden courtyards linked by passages, full of antique and vintage dealers. Most tourists walk right past the doorways.
Tip: Enter from rue Saint-Paul and just wander the linked courtyards. It's calm, and it's the perfect slow end before the metro at Saint-Paul.
About these walks
Explore our self-guided routes by city, with useful stops and practical notes from Chic Trip. Explore the destinations we plan.
