Le Marais Walking Guide: A Local Itinerary for a Perfect Afternoon
By Hafid Assaoui · 2026-06-20
A licensed Paris guide shares a walking itinerary through Le Marais — Place des Vosges, Musée Carnavalet, Rue des Rosiers, and the small courtyards visitors miss.
Le Marais is where medieval Paris survived. The Revolution flattened much of the city; the Marais escaped by being unfashionable at the right moment. Today it is fashionable again — but the 17th-century mansions, the Jewish quarter, and the small courtyards remain. Here is the walk we use to introduce it. Start: Place des Vosges The oldest planned square in Paris, built by Henri IV in 1612. Enter from the north-west corner, walk under the arca…