Guided walking tour of the Marais neighborhood

Ask any Parisian for their favorite neighborhood and it won’t be long before you hear it: Le Marais! And for good reason—there’s an awful lot to love. From award-winning baguettes and rare architecture to secret gardens and chic boutiques, the Marais encapsulates Paris’s ability to be both a center of historical importance and also remain at the cutting edge of culture, gastronomy, and fashion.

Your trip through the heart of the historic Marais will begin at the Hotel de Ville and the esplanade which was the site of public executions back in the day. Then it’ll be time to delve further into the Marais to the see original wood-framed domestic medieval architecture, a truly rare find. There will be time for a sobering reflection during a stop at the Holocaust memorial, which commemorates the death of 6 million Jewish people at the hands of the Nazis. The Marais was once a substantially Jewish neighborhood, making this memorial all the more poignant and significant. This tour also takes you into the courtyards and gardens of some of the finest examples in the area.

The Carnavalet Museum is next on the itinerary, emblematic of the sort of private townhouse that appeared in the area during the 17th century. A trip along the charmingly medieval Rue des Rosiers will then reveal an animated and fashionable street at the heart of the Jewish quarter.

To complete the experience we’ll throw in a free drink at a classic Parisian café so you can really soak up the charms of the Marais lifestyle.