We spent some time walking mourned the Marais, exploring this charming and historic area. The Marais covers the 3rd & 4th Arrondissements and is an easy place to walk around and discover narrow cobblestone streets with eclectic shops and boutiques, old aristocratic mansions, cafes and lovely architecture..
The highlights were the Place des Vosges, two free museums and the best ever croque monsieur at a little wine-bar.
We took the following route:
i) We started from Notre Dame and strolled along the Seine, past the Ile St Louis (the less famous of Paris’ two small islands).
ii) Along the way, we stopped to browse at the ‘bouquinistes’, the vintage book and poster sellers who unpack their stalls every day from the little green boxes that sit along the walls of the Seine River. Fortunately they were not moved on for the Olympics.
iii) From there, we made our way to the Place de la Bastille
iv) Next we walked to the Place des Vosges, often said to be the prettiest square in Paris.
v) Nearby is a hidden gem - the Victor Hugo Museum. Stepping into his house was like stepping into a time warp. The lavish 19th century furnishings, as well as ceramics, sculptures, manuscripts, photographs, letters, and paintings have been preserved as a small museum. Entry is free.
vi) We stopped for a light lunch and a glass of wine at Vins des Pyrenees where we sat outside the sun (this is where we discovered the croque monsieur)
vii) Our final stop was the Carnavalet, another free museum. It was excellent and we could have easily spent a couple of hours but we had limited time and in just one hour, we barely scratched the surface.