Discover Paris
Focus on the
4th arrondissement
The Marais is one of the oldest neighbourhoods in Paris. It has become a much-desired address in recent years, and remains the home of a long established Jewish community around rue des Rosiers and has now also become the centre of Paris’s gay community.
It is a charming area with lots of lively bars, restaurants, boutiques, galleries and beautiful squares such as the famous Place des Vosges to the East. To the West lies the distinctive modern art museum, the Beaubourg/Pompidou Centre, with its street artists and colourful sculptures and fountains.
To the south is the Hotel de Ville - Paris’ central city hall - and the rue de Rivoli with its shops, cafes and restaurants. The bank of the Seine overlooks the two islands of St Louis and La Cité, which are also in the 4th arrondissement.
Properties
Property is very sought-after in the Marais and prices are very expensive, especially around Place des Vosges. Apartments here are usually very charming and range from the ultra-chic, to the quaintly medieval with beams, low ceilings and courtyards. This area is bustling both day and night and a favourite strolling place for Parisians at weekends.
Larger apartments can be found on, and south of, the rue de Rivoli and towards the east, around Bastille. La Cite and St Louis are amongst the most sought-after - and expensive - residential areas of Paris. With Notre Dame Cathedral on the east end of Ile de la Cite, these islands can be constantly overflowing with tourists throughout the summer months.
Ten things you should do in the 4th Arrondissement
- Visit Berthillon for the best ice cream in France! With no preservatives or added coloring, the ice creams and sorbets are au naturelle.
- Take the large escalator to the top of the Pompidou Center, a building that is literally inside out. Soak up one of the best views in Paris while drinking champagne at the George.
- Try the Finkelstein bakery where the braided bun of Shabbat, Hallot, is worth the wait. Take a leisurely walk through the streets of Pletzle, Paris’s old Jewish quarter.
- Step into the Brancusi Atelier on rue Rambuteau and see where the man made his refined masterpieces. They also host small instillations of related artists.
- Hotel de Ville, the beautiful mansion overlooking the Seine, houses the city of Paris’s administration. Look for the statue of Etienne Marcel, the most famous mayor of Paris.
- Take your time to devour the delicious French crepes at Le Sarrasin and Le Froment located on Ile Saint Louis. Your taste buds will thank you!
- Stop by Notre Dame Cathedral around noon to listen to the daily mass in Latin, and then climb the stairs to see Paris from the gargoyles point of view.
- Enter the Conciergerie, a former royal palace and prison in Paris, and walk under the vaulted ceilings where Queen Marie Antoinette was held prisoner before her dealt at the gallows.
- Visit the Basilica of Saint Denis, a beautiful gothic church which is the burial site for almost all of the French monarchs dating back to Clovis I (465-511).
- Stay in one of these hôtels particuliers: the Hôtel de Lauzun or its rival Hôtel Lambert, both adorned with rich carvings, paintings, and mirrors in the gilded interiors of Louis XIV.
