Stories
4th: Marais, Ile-St-Louis
The 4th arrondissement has one of Paris's must-see jewels and, because of its Jewish historic past, contains many shops and cafés open on Sundays, which makes this quartier especially popular with visitors. Linger at the charmingly gorgeous square at Place des Vosges, a former palace. Grab a fresh baguette, your favorite cheese, sliced saucisson, et voila, a Paris picnic on a budget. The 4th is also the heart of the Marais, known for its gay community, the Mariage Freres tea salon, the crazily designed modern art museum Centre Pompidou, the bizarre (and must-eat-a-sandwich-at) Igor Stravinsky Fountain, rue Croix de la Bretonnerie, and some of the cutest little shops you've ever seen.
Two of the busiest streets in the Marais are the rue Vieille du Temple, a main nightlife artery of bars, cafés, and restaurants, and the rue St. Croix de la Bretonnerie, with its eateries, clothing shops, bookstores, and theaters. This famous intersection marks the liveliest gay and lesbian scene in Paris. Rue des Francs Bourgeois is one of the most fashionable shopping streets in the Marais, and one of its longest. Rue des Rosiers and rue Pavée are the crossroads of Paris’s world famous Jewish Quarter.
The 4th is also includes Paris's two islands: Île St Louis, where you'll find the scrumptious Berthillon ice cream, and Île de la Cité, where you'll find the gothic Notre-Dame de Paris. Other finds: the glorious stained glass inside La Sainte Chapelle; the mayor's house, Hôtel de Ville; Tour St Jacques; Le Mémorial de la Shoah (The Holocaust Memorial); Maison de Victor Hugo and much more. Paris Tourism 101 requires at least a day in the 4th; and you won't want to miss it!
Destinations in the 4th: Marais, Ile-St-Louis
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Centre Pompidou: Pompidou Modern Art Museum
(Pompidou Centre)
Named for Georges Pompidou, President of France from 1969 to 1974, who commissioned its creation, Centre Pompidou was officially opened in January 1977 by President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing. The overpowering industrial-looking exterior dwarfs its surroundings, and is famous for its brightly colored exterior pipes, ducts, and other exposed services.
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L'As du Fallafel
Just ask any random individual walking through the 3rd or 4th quartiers where the best place to grab a delicious falafel sandwich is, and they will tell you L’As du Fallafel, a haven for Middle Eastern food situated in the heart of Le Marais’s Jewish community. People from all over the world—Easterners and Westerners alike, the famous (Kristen Dunst, Lenny Kravitz)—have hailed their sandwiches.
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Les Mots a la Bouche
Paris’s premiere gay- and lesbian-themed bookstore.
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Les Piétons Tapas Bar
Located at the corner of the Rue Quincampoix and Rue des Lombards in the lively Beaubourg neighborhood, this charming, atmospheric tapas bar serves up excellent tortilla espagnola, passable sangria and delicious tapas. Its setting is festive and almost sunny enough to cause you to forget the somber weather when Paris is grey and rainy. -
Maison Européenne de la Photographie
For photography lovers, this place is a must. This museum showcases the flexibility of photography as artistic media.
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Marché aux Fleurs
(The Flower Market)
Come enjoy the greenery and flowers of the Marché aux Fleurs, located just blocks away from Notre Dame de Paris on the Île de la Cité. The last of its kind in Paris, the market is a pleasant surprise for those with green thumbs and flower lovers.
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Musee de la Curiosite et de la Magie
(Museum of Curiosity and Magic)
Situated in the heart of Paris, the Musée de la Curiosité et de la Magie offers a comprehensive look at magic and illusions from the 18th century to the present.
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Notre-Dame Cathedral
(Notre Dame de Paris)
It was here that 11-month-old Henry VI of England was crowned King of France in 1422, where the Wolves of Paris were trapped and killed in 1450, where Mary Queen of Scotland married the French Dauphin in 1558, where the 1804 coronation ceremony of Napoléon and Joséphine took place, where in the 1830s Victor Hugo was inspired to write about his famous hunchback, where in 1909 Joan of Arc was first beatified and canonized a year later, and where thousands upon thousands of visitors come each year to marvel at the architecture, take in a service or stand outside at "point zero," the reference point for distances along all the French highways‑because everything begins and ends in Paris. -
Tour St-Jacques
Saint Jacques Tower (Tour St. Jacques) is all that remains from the 16th century church St. Jacques de la Boucherie.
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The Gallerie St. Paul..
Not everyone knows about this square that houses a lot of "antique" stores and you may find something that catches your eye. It's fun shopping there even if you come away empty-handed. Stop and look in some of the stores' windows. A lot of art stores and trendy boutiques have sprung up like mushrooms in recent years.
