Paris IV · The Marais

The Marais

A district once home to the nobility, now one of the liveliest and most singular areas in Paris.

The Marais

Living in the Marais,
if only for a few days

No Haussmannian boulevards, no sweeping perspectives — only paved streets, hidden courtyards and 17th-century façades standing alongside contemporary art galleries. A district that has remained true to itself through the centuries.

The history of the Marais

A district
shaped by centuries

From medieval marshland to contemporary art galleries, the Marais has preserved much of its historic fabric.

I

Nobility,
and private mansions

Once an area of marshland from which it takes its name, the Marais became, from the 15th century onwards, one of the preferred residential districts of the Parisian nobility. The Place des Vosges, the capital’s first royal square, and the many private mansions built in the 17th century — many of which still stand today — form an exceptional heritage.

Beaumarchais lived in the district. It is this spirit of the Enlightenment that the hotel seeks to prolong.

16th – 17th century

II

Decline,
and the artisans

From the mid-18th century onwards, the district was gradually abandoned by the Parisian elite in favour of the Faubourg Saint-Germain and the Faubourg Saint-Honoré, which offered more space. The French Revolution completed the departure of its wealthy owners.

The district was then occupied by a population of artisans and workers, who moved into the former mansions and built workshops in the inner courtyards.

18th – 19th century

III

Revival,
and the Malraux Law

The Marais regained its splendour thanks to the Malraux Law, which made it the first protected historic district in France. Its private mansions were restored and transformed into museums: Musée Carnavalet, Musée Picasso, Musée Cognacq-Jay, Musée de la Chasse.

Since the 2000s, the Marais has become one of Paris’s leading districts for contemporary art, home to internationally renowned galleries.

1962 – today

Living the Marais

Several districts,
one address

The Marais brings together several communities and identities. The Jewish quarter, established around Rue des Rosiers since the late 19th century — known as the Pletzl — with its shops, bookshops and restaurants. Engraved plaques on the façades recall the heavy toll paid by the community during the Second World War.

Since the 1980s, the district has also become the heart of Paris’s gay community, centred around Rue Sainte-Croix-de-la-Bretonnerie. Rue du Temple and Rue des Archives are known for their jewellery and leather goods shops. It is also a historic district of watchmakers.

Since the 2000s, the Marais has concentrated much of Paris’s contemporary art scene — internationally renowned galleries, trendsetting boutiques and luxury houses such as Chanel and John Galliano.

Around the hotel

The Marais
on foot

Place des Vosges

12 min

Rue des Rosiers

5 min

Hôtel de Sully

9 min

Picasso Museum

10 min

Carnavalet Museum

8 min

Cognacq-Jay Museum

7 min

Mémorial de la Shoah

3 min

Centre Pompidou

8 min

Île Saint-Louis

11 min

Notre-Dame

10 min

12 Rue Vieille-du-Temple · 75004 Paris

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Stay
in the Marais

19 rooms in an 18th-century townhouse. One of the district’s most singular addresses, just moments from everything that makes Paris unforgettable.

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The Hotel