Guided tour in the Marais, the historic and cultural district par excellence
The districts blessed by the gods are not lacking in Paris. But there are some which, in addition to combining all the attractions of a city of art and history, have something indefinable and which carries you away, an atmosphere of joyful freedom. Le Marais is one of them. The Marais is THE historical and cultural district par excellence! A "must", or a must, in good French! It is also the only district that spills over into two boroughs, each of them concentrating a majority of architectural gems of incredible diversity. And to think that until the Middle Ages, there were only swamps there, which had to be drained, then subdivided! This was the mission of religious institutions, very present from the 13th century until the Revolution, then that of the aristocrats, who, to get closer to their king, settled in sumptuous mansions, between courtyard and garden, where they could dazzle their hosts, and which have come down to us. To walk in this district is therefore to discover these splendid residences, as well as the royal squares. Henri IV, the "builder king" has something to do with it...
