Tag Archives: Marais

The History of Paris at the Musee Carnavalet

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The Musee Carnavalet chronicles the history of Paris from its founding in 250 B.C. to today’s 21st century center of business, art and culture. The collection is massive, and only a fraction is on display in the museum’s nearly 100 rooms. The museum houses 2,600 paintings, 20,000 drawings, 300,000 engravings, 150,000 photos, 2,000 sculptures and countless other items of historical significance. Continue Reading →

Sunday at the Bastille Farmer’s Market

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There are dozens of farmer’s markets in Paris, at least two per each of the city’s 20 districts called arrondissements. The largest and arguably the best is the fantastic Richard Lenoir Market (more commonly called the Bastille market), held Thursdays and Sundays from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. along the grand Boulevard Richard Lenoir, just north of the Place de la Bastille.

You can find ANYTHING here … Continue Reading →

Saint Gilles Garden Offers Total Serenity

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One of my favorite green spaces in the Marais is the tranquil Jardin Saint Gilles Grand Veneur-Pauline Roland, a roughly 1,000-square-meter park that is among the most secluded spots in the City of Light, mostly because the park is nearly impossible to find. The garden, particularly enjoyable in late spring when the hundreds of pink, red and white rose bushes and covered trellises are in full bloom, is tucked into a hidden courtyard between several large stone buildings, including the Hotel Grand Veneur mansion built in 1637 for the captain of the king’s huntsmen. Continue Reading →

Pampered Pooches at Moustaches in the Marais

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No one pampers their pets more than gay men and lesbians, and Paris’s LGBT animal lovers make a beeline for Moustaches, a large dog- and cat-specific emporium offering everything imaginable to spoil Fido or Fluffy. Sure, the boutique carries the basics, but with more than 3,000 items available, you’ll find plenty of fun merchandise—including hundreds of toys—that make fantastic gifts for your furry family members. Continue Reading →

Breakfast in America. In Paris. Seriously

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I’m not a fan of going to a foreign country and seeking out the same foods you can eat at home. However, for travelers who enjoy a full breakfast (called English or American breakfast), there’s a dearth of options in the City of Light. So, if you’re hankerin’ for anything more substantial than croissants and coffee, head to Breakfast in America, which operates two restaurants—one on the Left and one on the Right bank. The best part? They offer the city’s only bottomless cup o’ Joe. Continue Reading →

Desserts Rule at Le Loir dans la Theiere in the Marais

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The amazing Le Loir dans la Theiere in the Marais is among my very favorite dessert spots in all of the City of Light. This funky, gay-friendly tea room offers a daily changing menu of homemade tarts and cakes, usually with five or six choices available for €8.50 and discounted to just €6.50 after 4 p.m.—if any are left. There’s usually at least a couple of desserts remaining, but if you don’t want to take a chance on missing out, show up around lunchtime when the selection is abundant. Delicious! Continue Reading →

Hotel de Sully: A Mansion in the Heart of LGBT Paris

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Paris’s Marais district, and in particular the areas around the Metro stations Hotel de Ville and Saint-Paul, is the heart of the City of Light’s thriving lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. And while there are plenty of LGBT shops, bars, restaurants and sight-seeing destinations in this neighborhood, it’s also home to more than a dozen 17th and 18th century mansions, called Hotels de Particuliers, that once served as single-family homes to France’s wealthy aristocrats who wished to live near Continue Reading →

Gorgeous Churches: Eglise Saint-Paul–Saint-Louis

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As a lover of Paris, and particularly the Marais neighborhood, I’m always awed by the gorgeous Saint Paul-Saint Louis church on the Rue Saint-Antoine. One of the main draws inside (aside from the gorgeous white marble altar and impressive pipe organ) is the Delacroix painting “Christ In Agony on the Mount of Olives,” which was commissioned specifically to hang in this Parisian house of worship. Continue Reading →

Marais Mansions: 18th Century Hotel de Rohan

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Another of the gorgeous 300-year-old mansions in Paris’s Marais district is the massive Hotel de Rohan, officially named the Hotel de Rohan Strasbourg as it was built in 1705 for the bishop of Strasbourg, Francois-Armand-August de Rohan-Soubise. This 18th century mansion was designed by architect Pierre Alexis-Delamair as the sister to the nearby Hotel de Soubise estate, Today, both manors are owned by the French government, and serve as the location for France’s national archives and the Musee de l’Histoire de France. Continue Reading →

Cost-Cutting in One of the Most Expensive Cities

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According to a new Economist Intelligence Unit Worldwide Cost of Living Survey, Paris is the second most-expensive city in the world in which to live. There’s no doubt that Paris isn’t cheap. But the City of Light can be much more affordable if you know where to shop, when to dine, which museums to visit, and so on. Here are 10 tips you, as visitors to the City of Light, can embrace to lower your expenditures while still enjoying a full, fantastic Parisian experience. Continue Reading →