The Marais quarter corresponds broadly to the fourth arrondissement. During the last 30 years a costly restoration program has saved a whole chapter in the history of Paris.
The Marais, with the Place des Vosges as its finest example of urban planning, was the birthplace of the hôtel, the magnificent town mansion of a family of the country nobility.
The heyday of these aristocratic palaces (though under the Ancien Régime the term "palace" was applied only to a royal residence) was in the 16th and 17th centuries, when Paris had become the brilliant metropolis of Europe and fashionable society met in the mansions of the Marais. The hôtels of this period typically have a courtyard (the cour d'honneur) opening on to the street, the main range of buildings flanked by side wings, and a terrace and garden to the rear. Towards the end of the 17th century the quarter lost its attraction for the aristocracy and well-to-do middle classes, who followed the court to Versailles or moved to the Faubourg Saint- Germain.
Then craftsmen and small traders moved into the quarter. The Revolution left terrible scars on the Marais, the mansions fell into ruin or were pulled down to make way for new housing, and the occasional attempts at restoration in the 19th century made little difference.
It was only in 1962 that the Ministry of Culture, then headed by André Malraux, began to tackle the urgent task of conserving this historic quarter, rediscovering in the process the almost forgotten hôtels. Although the restoration and redevelopment of the Marais may have brought in the speculators, the traditional atmosphere of the Marais has been preserved. It has now become an "in" part of the city in which modern boutiques rub shoulders with old craftsmen's workshops and chic designer shops, temples of gastronomy, luxury hotels and small art galleries have been established. In a stroll through the narrow streets you will sense the "discreet charm of the bourgeoisie" and be struck by the successful combination of a medieval setting and a modern way of life.
The Hôtel de Donon in Marais, built for Médéric de Donon in the 16th C, was completely renovated in 1991 and now accommodates the Musée Cognacq-Jay, which until 1989 was on the Boulevard des Capucines. The valuable Cognacq- Jay collection, assembled by the businessman Ernest Cognacq and his wife Louise Jay and bequeathed to the city in 1928, displays artistic masterpieces of the siècle des lumières (18th C), including works by Fragonard, Boucher and Watteau.
Address: Musée Cognacq-Jay, Hôtel de Donon 8 rue Elzévir, F-75003 Paris, France
Hours:
10am-6pm; Closed: Mon
Tips: Group visit reserves 5 days in advance and guide tour reserves one day in advance.
Last admission at 5:30 p.m.
Photography prohibited.
Guides: Guided tour included with admission.
Facilities: Gift shop
Transit: Metro line 1,8,11 : St-Paul, Chemin Vert, Rambuteau
The Hôtel Lamoignon (by Jean-Baptiste Androuet du Cerceau, 1584) now houses the Library on the History of Paris.
Address: Hôtel Lamoignon / Bibliothèque Historique, 24 rue Pavée, F-75004 Paris, France
Hours:
9:30am-6pm; Closed: Sun
Always closed on: New Year's Day (January 1), 1945 Victory Day (May 8), May Day / Labor Day (May 1), Bastille Day - France (July 14), Assumption Day - Christian (August 15), All Saints' Day - Christian (November 1), Remembrance Day / 1918 Armistice Day (November 11), Christmas - Christian (December 25), Pentecost Monday (Whit Monday) - Christian, Ascension Thursday - Christian
Tips: Photography prohibited.
Closed during Aug. 1 - 15.
The Marais Hôtel d'Aumont, built between 1630 and 1650 by Louis Le Vau and altered in 1656 by François Mansart, is now occupied by the Paris Administrative Tribunal.
Address: Hôtel d'Aumont, 7 rue de Jouy, F-75004 Paris, France
The Hôtel Guénégaud, built by François Mansart in 1651 in Marais for the royal treasurer François de Guénégaud, is now occupied by the Museum of Hunting and Nature. The nucleus of the museum was the collection assembled by the industrialist François Sommer, a keen sportsman. The exhibits include old guns, hunting knives, trophies, animal studies by François Desportes (1661-1743) and hunting scenes by Lucas Cranach, Pieter Breughel the Elder, Rubens, Chardin and Oudre.
Address: Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature, Hotel de Guénégaud des Brosses 60 rue des Archives, F-75003 Marais, France
Hours:
11am-6pm; Closed: Mon
Always closed on: New Year's Day (January 1), 1945 Victory Day (May 8), May Day / Labor Day (May 1), Bastille Day - France (July 14), Assumption Day - Christian (August 15), All Saints' Day - Christian (November 1), Remembrance Day / 1918 Armistice Day (November 11), Christmas - Christian (December 25), Pentecost Monday (Whit Monday) - Christian, Ascension Thursday - Christian
The Hôtel Libéral Bruand in Marais was built by the architect of that name in 1685 for his own occupation. It is now occupied by the Musée Bricard, which contains an extensive collection of material on the locksmith's craft from Roman times to the present day.
Address: Hôtel Libéral Bruand Musée Bricard, Hôtel Libéral Bruand 1 rue de la Perle, F-75003 Marais, France
Hours:
10am-12pm, 2pm-5pm; Closed: Sun, Sat
Always closed on: New Year's Day (January 1), 1945 Victory Day (May 8), May Day / Labor Day (May 1), Bastille Day - France (July 14), Assumption Day - Christian (August 15), All Saints' Day - Christian (November 1), Remembrance Day / 1918 Armistice Day (November 11), Christmas - Christian (December 25), Pentecost Monday (Whit Monday) - Christian, Ascension Thursday - Christian
Tips: Group visit reserve one month in advance.
Closed in August.
The Hôtel d'Hallwyll in Marais, built in 1765 by Claude- Nicolas Ledoux, was the residence of Louis XVI's minister Jacques Necker and his daughter Madame de Staël.
The Hôtel de Rohan-Strasbourg in Marais, designed by Delamair, contains notarial records. The only rooms open to the public are those in which the Archives put on special exhibitions.
In the second courtyard is a lively high-relief by Robert Le Lorrain (18th century), "Apollo's Horses of the Sun".
The Hôtel de Sens, built between 1475 and 1607 by the archbishops of Sens, is one of the oldest houses in Paris. It now houses the Forney Library, which contains important material on art and industrial technology.
Address: Hôtel de Sens Bibliothèque Forney, 1 rue du Figuier, F-75004 Marais, France
Hours:
1:30pm-8pm; Sat:10am-8:30pm; Closed: Mon
Always closed on: New Year's Day (January 1), 1945 Victory Day (May 8), May Day / Labor Day (May 1), Bastille Day - France (July 14), Assumption Day - Christian (August 15), All Saints' Day - Christian (November 1), Remembrance Day / 1918 Armistice Day (November 11), Christmas - Christian (December 25), Pentecost Monday (Whit Monday) - Christian, Ascension Thursday - Christian
The Hôtel de Béthune-Sully (by Jean Androuet du Cerceau, 1624) a sumptuous mansion, was the town house of Henri IV's minister Maximilien de Béthune. The courtyard and the sculptural decoration on the garden front are particularly fine. It is now occupied by the Caisse Nationale des Monuments Historiques et des Sites, the body concerned with the protection of historic monuments and sites.
Address: Hôtel de Sully de Béthune, 62 rue Saint-Antoine, F-75004 Marais, France
Hours:
10am-6pm; Sun:10am-5pm; Sat:10am-5pm; Closed: Mon
Always closed on: New Year's Day (January 1), May Day / Labor Day (May 1), All Saints' Day - Christian (November 1), Remembrance Day / 1918 Armistice Day (November 11), Christmas - Christian (December 25)
Museum of Judaic Art and History is the is the successor to the Musée d'art juif de Paris. This museum covers the history of Jewish communities from the middle ages to the present day. The collections include Jewish art and cultural goods. Many of the items were redistributed after the Nazis looting.
Address: Musée d'Art et d'Histoire du Judaïsme, Hôtel de Saint-Aignan 71 rue du Temple, F-75003 Paris, France
The Musée de la Curiosite et De La Magie in Paris contains optical illusions, automatons, interactive games for children. There is demonstration of magic tricks.
Address: Musée de la Curiosite et De La Magie, Ecole de Magie 11 rue St Paul, F-75004 Paris, France
Hours:
2pm-7pm; Closed: Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri
Tips: Group visit reserves one day in advance.
Guided tour reserves one month in advance.
Guides: Guided tour included with admission.
Facilities: Gift shop
Transit: Metro: Saint Paul; Buses: 67, 69, 76, 96.
The "Au Petit Monde Ancien" presents a collection of over 500 China dolls and French babies from 1860 to present day. The museum is geared to families to enjoy workshops, storytelling, and tours.
Address: Musée de la Poupée, Impasse Berthaud Au niveau du 22 rue Beaubourg, F-75003 Paris, France
Hours:
10am-6pm; Closed: Mon
Tips: Group visit reserves one day in advance.
Guided tour reserves one week in advance.
Disability Access: Full facilities for persons with disabilities.
This exhibition obtains history from 1802 to present day. The collections include arms, musical instruments, models, etc. Every first Thursday of each month, there will be a special demonstrations of the Garde Républicaine.
Address: Salle de Traditions de la Garde Republicaine, 18 boulevard Henri IV, F-75004 Paris, France
Hours:
8am-12pm, 2pm-6pm; Closed: Sun, Sat
Tips: Group visit reserves 15 days in advance.
Disability Access: Full facilities for persons with disabilities.
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Entry courtyard of Musee Carnavalet in Paris.
Architecture detail of the Bastille Opera in Paris.
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Inside the Picasso Museum in Paris.
