Le Chic En Rose

I’ve explored the charming Parisian right bank neighbourhood of Le Marais on previous visits to the French capital, but always rather fleetingly en route somewhere else. This historic part of Paris is brimming with history, bustling streets, quaint buildings and charming cafes. Spanning parts of the 3rd and 4th arrondissements, it’s really worthwhile spending a couple of hours or more here.

Le Marais actually means “marsh” in English and was originally an area of swampy land situated on a tributary of the River Seine. In 1240, the Knights Templar built a fortified church just outside the walls of Paris. This area in the north of Le Marais became known as the Temple Quarter and many religious institutions grew up nearby. The Knights and monks from the Abbey of Saint-Martin-des-Champs played big roles in draining the marshes and making the area suitable for settlement. From its marshy beginnings, it later became associated with kings and nobility. In 1361, King Charles V of France, for example built a mansion called Hôtel Saint-Pol, which became the seat of the Royal Court. Later in the 17th century when Henri IV designed the Palais Royale (now the Place des Vosges), Le Marais became the favoured place of residence for the French nobility. There is so much history in this district of Paris that I couldn’t possibly write it all down here, so if interested please follow the links that I’ve highlighted.

Going back to May 2024, crossing the Pont d’Arcole from Notre Dame Square we headed over the Seine, which marks the entrance point to the fascinating Le Marais locality.

I was retracing my steps. Whilst visiting Paris with my daughter Mlle in 2022, we had wandered up Rue St Martin as I have a family connection with the area (see here for that post). My 3rd great grandfather’s family had a family transportation business in the 1820s and 1830s. Hamberg-Levistal operated out of Number 51 Rue St Martin in Le Marais but we couldn’t quite find the exact location on our last visit. This time Monsieur and I (after checking out several buildings) realised that number 51 has been demolished (most probably in the Baron Haussmann era) and would now stand where the Rue St Martin intersects with the Rue des Lombards.

Wandering a bit further up the Rue St Martin, we came across a beautiful old church, L’Eglise Saint-Merry. Like so many other old churches in Paris, it has a fascinating history. Its name comes from Saint Mederic who was buried on the site about 700 AD but had originally come from Autun in Burgundy. In 884 he was chosen as the patron saint of the Right Bank of Paris. The church of Saint-Merry (sometimes spelt Merri) has been rebuilt at least a couple of times with the current building dating from 1520 (finished in 1560) and built in the “Flamboyant” or late Gothic style. It certainly lives up to its architectural name and also contains some poignant memorials to victims of the French Revolution in the late 18th century.

I feel Le Marais deserves another post as there is too much to cover here, so next week we’ll wander further into this beautiful area including a visit to the Place des Vosges and some well deserved refreshments – à bientôt!

Copyright © 2025 Rosemary Thomas Le Chic En Rose