Schmap Paris The Marais and the Bastille

Paris - The Marais and the Bastille
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This tour concentrates on a relatively small area of Paris where there is a lot to see and do.

Start at Hotel de Ville (metro lines 1 & 11), Paris' City Hall. The intricately decorated facade is exquisite but guided tours are rather complicated to organise, so simply linger a while and enjoy the splendour of the outside.

From Hotel de Ville, head 200m north up the Rue du Renard, to the multi-coloured, Pompidou Centre, also called Beaubourg. There may be an exhibition you're interested in, but even if there isn't, take the escalators up to the roof for the view and maybe a coffee. Outside, groups of musicians and artists will entertain you at all times of day and night, and the neighbouring streets are great for souvenir hunting.

On the northern side of Beaubourg, go east along Rue Rambuteau. This is a typical Parisian market street where you can buy food for a picnic, or stop at one of the cafes or wine bars - but be careful; the food shops close between 1 and 3.30pm. This road will lead you to the Rue de Francs Bourgeois and the heart of the Marais district, famous for its large, mansion-like "Hotels particuliers" and museums, including the Musee Picasso and the Carnavalet (fascinating history of Paris). If you don't fancy a museum, just take your time looking at the ancient buildings and interesting side streets. The Rue des Francs Bourgeois will lead you to the Place des Vosges, a perfectly preserved example of seventeenth-century Parisian architecture, where Victor Hugo once lived. Walk around this elegant square, which is now home to luxury hotels, restaurants, art galleries and boutiques, to get a feel of regal life long ago.

From royalty to revolution, the tour now heads for the Bastille. Rue de Birague on the south side of the Place will take you into Rue Saint Antoine. Turn left here and walk a few hundred yards to the Place de la Bastille, site of the famous storming and commemorated by a column representing freedom. From Rue Saint Antoine, cross over towards your right to the large concrete and glass Opera Bastille, and have a quick look at the boats moored in the Port de l'Arsenal. You can visit the foyer of the opera house but you have to book a place on a guided tour to see the rest, unless you have tickets for a performance. The Bastille area, especially Rue de la Roquette and Rue de Lappe, is an excellent place for dinner as there is a vast choice of bars and restaurants. So get yourself a glass of wine, sit back and soak up the atmosphere of one of the youngest and liveliest parts of Paris.

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Bastille Opera

Ballet and opera performances

120 Place de la Bastille
Paris 75012
+33 1 4343 9696
http://www.opera-de-paris.fr

A relatively recent addition to the city of Paris (it opened in 1989), the Opéra Bastille is a round building, located right on the Place de la Bastille. It is one of the most modern buildings in Europe. Originally created to make opera more accessible to the masses, the Opéra Bastille holds both ballet and opera performances. Operas are in French as well as in other languages. The building has a bar and a restaurant, where you can have a drink or grab a bite.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Photo: Julie Kertesz

Photo: Paul Moffatt

Photo: James Boak

Photo: Charity Lu

Photo: Erik Larsson

Photo: CBastida

Bastille Opera photo by Guillaume Bouvier

Photo: Guillaume Bouvier

Photo: david daniell

Bastille Opera photo by Fernando Levy Hara

Photo: Fernando Levy Hara

Photo: Sarah Rich

Photo: photo-spastic

Beaubourg Pompidou Center

Avant-garde cultural centre Place Georges Pompidou
Paris 75004
+33 (0)1 4478 1233
http://www.centrepompidou.fr/
tourisme@centrepompidou.fr Commonly known as the Beaubourg, this distinctive building was commissioned in 1968 by the then President Georges Pompidou, and opened in 1977. Most Parisians were initially shocked by its unconventional 'inside out' architectural style: air conditioning, escalators and lifts are all on the outside, giving the interior unparalleled freedom. Extensively refurbished in the late 1990s, the centre is home to the Musée National d'Art Moderne and the Bibliothèque Publique d'Information (BPI) as well as temporary exhibitions, cinemas, and other attractions. All-inclusive museum admission: EUR10 Adults; EUR8 Reduced. Hours vary for individual attractions.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Photo: Kelly Steenlandt
Photo: Cameron Parkins
Photo: s.j. mcdonough
Photo: Rob Adams
Photo: Carl Palmer
Photo: Craig Wyzik
Photo: Simon Crubellier
Photo: Fred Benenson

Photo: Travis Crawford
Photo: ThÃ©rÃ¨se-Marie BLAZEK
Photo: Richard Barry
Photo: John Cohen
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Photo: Stefano Deiana
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Photo: Vanessa Tan

Photo: Soloman Lam
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Photo: Jeri and Tim
Photo: Beverly Falley
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Photo: Andrea Szyper

Hôtel de Ville

Paris' Town Hall 4 Place de l'Hôtel-de-Ville
Paris 75004
+33 (0)1 4952 5354 (L'Information De touristes) This splendid neo-Renaissance-style building is just minutes from the Seine and right in the heart of the capital. In 1260, Louis IX decided to endow Paris with the means of organizing its own affairs. Situated in Place de Grève (meaning "strike", the square gets its name from discontented workers who often demonstrated here!), the building was used as the seat of government during the French Revolution, when a guillotine stood imposingly in front of its windows. Burnt to the ground during a working-class uprising in 1871, it was rebuilt 11 years later and became the current Town Hall. Crystal chandeliers, beautiful paintings and vast function rooms are all part of its sumptuous interior.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Photo: Clark Gregor
Photo: Julie Kertesz
Photo: Scott Rettberg
Photo: Christoph Turba
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Photo: Picture4fun
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Place de la Bastille

A symbol of the French Revolution Place de la Bastille
Paris 75004
+33 1 4742 9056 (Ministry of Tourism)
info@visitluxembourg.org The storming of the Bastille on July 14th 1789, signalled the beginning of the French Revolution. It was a highly symbolic event: the prison only held seven prisoners. Once the building had been demolished, the stones were used to build the Pont de la Concorde (Concorde bridge). The signs of this turbulent part of history are engraved on the square. The paving stones of the Boulevard Henri-IV follow the former walls of the prison, and the July Column in the centre commemorates the Parisians killed during the uprisings of 1830 and 1848. This former harbourer of violence and crime is now home to trendy bars and cafes, and a modern opera house. A ball, held on the night before July 14th's public holiday, marks the anniversary of the Revolution.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Photo: dyslexik
Photo: Luigi Anzivino
Photo: Mark and Allegra Jaroski-Biava
Photo: Julie Kertesz
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Place des Vosges

Pistols at dawn Quai du Marche Neuf
(Quai de L'horloge)
Paris 75004
Surrounded by shady arcades that shelter beautiful boutiques, this square, situated in the heart of the Marais, is one of Paris' unmissable sights. The square is perfectly symmetrical, measuring 140 metres by 127. Stone and brick houses, whose almost identical façades are all crowned by steep slate rooves, border its quasi-rectangular shape. Designed by Henri IV, it used to be the favoured sight for duels. Famous people also lived in the area, including the Cardinal de Richelieu and the writer Victor Hugo. Admission is free.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Photo: Christophe ALARY
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Photo: Julie Kertesz
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The Bastille (11th Arrond.)

One of the most historically connected districts, the Bastille district now plays host to an entirely different scene: that of Paris' young and trendy in-crowd. Slightly less touristic than other districts, Rue du Faubourg-St-Antoine has seen many a restaurant and nightspot spring up and flourish. Neighboring Rue de Lappe is probably the place to be seen of an evening, while others prefer the buzz of Rue Oberkampf a little further north. The Bastille is a lively district that offers a bit of everything.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Photo: Julie Kertesz
Photo: Salim Virji
Photo: Win Liu
Photo: Paul Caparotta
Photo: Alf. GarcÃa Moreno
Photo: Alastair McAskill
Photo: Sunil Abraham
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Photo: Allison Jirsa

The Marais (3rd Arrond.)

The Marais ("swamp" or "marsh") district prides itself on being one of the oldest and best-preserved in Paris. In keeping with this yearning for yesteryear, a museum charting the history of the capital (Musée Carnavalet) can also be found here. Scattered with trendy bars, cafés, and stylish boutiques, the Marais has also become the mecca of gay nightlife in Paris. The Marais is sometimes considered the historical heart of Paris, as its houses and hôtels were built mostly in the 16th and 17th centuries and are now under governmental protection.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Photo: Pierre Metivier
Photo: Hughes Leglise-Bataille
Photo: Julie Kertesz
Photo: Guerretto
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Photo: David Megginson

Photo: Dave Coombs
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