Within the triangle formed by the Hotel de Ville, Place de la Bastille and Place de la République is the historic Marais neighborhood. In the 12th century, members of the Temple religious order began to clear these marshy lands under the rule of Phillipe August. In 1385, Charles V began the construction of l’Hotel Saint-Pol. The Place des Vosges, known as Place Royale at the time, was created by Henri VI in 1605 to serve as the center of the aristocracy. During the reign of Louis VIV, the Marais began to lose its status as high society began to favor the outlying areas of Saint-Germain and Saint-Honoré.
From the golden age to today, many of the former hôtel particuliers or private mansions of this neighborhood have been transformed into museums. These include the Hotel Carnavalet, Hotel Sully and the Picasso Museum. There are a number of picturesque squares from the quaint Place Ste-Catherine to the grandiose Place des Vosges. Just a few steps to the west is the Pompidou Center/Museum of Modern Art, Rogers and Piano’s architectural masterpiece which provides a stunning architectural contrast and dominates the landscape of central Paris.
The Marais is the center of the Parisian gay activity. A number of bars (Open Café, Cox, les Marroniers, l’Amnesia and Les Scandaleuses for girls), restaurants (le 3, la Maison Rouge, le Gai Moulin, Au Tibourg, le Saint-Merri), boutiques (Boy’s Bazar, les Mots à la Bouche, Dom, Bô), sex clubs (the famous Dépôt) and even a sauna make this one of the most popular meeting places for gays and lesbians.
The choices are endless, but here are some of our suggestions. As far as restaurants are concerned, b4 tops our list for its cuisine, chic decoration and Jean-Jacque’s warm welcome. Georges offers a stunning night time view of Paris and is famous for its high-profile clientele including Madonna when she’s in town. Going shopping? Don’t miss the boutique Bô for its exquisite collection of home objéts and Mariage Frères for its internationally renowned selection of over 500 teas.
