Image by Frédéric Moussaïan

Between Bastille and the Île Saint-Louis, in the Eastern Marais, the Pavillon de l’Arsenal is a nice modern space run by Paris municipality, dedicated to Paris’s modern and historical urban history.

A very good counterpart of Musée Carnavalet (see the Musée Carnavalet article), which tells the history of Paris through art works, Pavillon de l’Arsenal is more an educational cultural centre, and explains the history of urbanization in a more scientific way.

The ground floor is the most interesting space for the average visitor. It illustrates Paris’s growth from Middle Age until today, with different resources such as texts (French and English), chronological tables, old maps showing the expansion of Paris’s walls, models, screens for pictures and videos, and fairly comfortable pouffes to seat while reading or watching the screens. This section is followed by an overview of significant recent architectural projects in Paris, which also questions contemporary urban issues in Paris and its suburbs.

First and second floors are dedicated to temporary exhibitions, and will interest mostly professional architects, designers or urban planners, though some are really accessible to most public.

A documentation centre with books, journals, papers etc. is also open from Tuesday to Friday (14:00 – 18:15, 14:00 – 17:15 on Fridays).

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Pavillon de l’Arsenal | Art & culture, Relaxing | Free
21 Boulevard Morland | Marais/Bastille | +33142763397
Tue – Sat 10:30 – 18:30, Sun 11:00 – 19:00

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Image by Frédéric Moussaïan

With its two screens showing only “Latin” films (ie films from Spain, Portugal, Italy, Latin America, and more rarely Romania), and its dance-floor upstairs hosting latin dances classes, Le Latina cinema has become over the years an inevitable place for latin cultures’ enthusiasts wishing to watch an Almodovar film downstairs while hearing the noise of High Heels on the floor above…

In 2009, Le Latina was slightly renamed in Le Nouveau Latina (The New Latina), and it slightly changed too, even if it keeps its strong Latin identity. Most of the films are still from Latin countries, but the programming is broader now, and also includes international auteur cinema (with a preference for films about homosexuality: we’re in the deep heart of the Marais), midday thematic cycles, and midnight cult films on Saturdays (very rare in Paris).

The first floor has been renovated and is now Le Salon Rouge, a very cosy tea salon (open from 14:00 to 21:00) which also hosts a small store selling DVDs, film posters and books about cinema. If you add photography / drawing exhibitions and tango classes on Monday evenings (beginner / intermediate / free practise), it makes Le Nouveau Latina the perfect multidisciplinary space for modern “Latin lovers”…

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Le Nouveau Latina | Art & culture, Cinemas, Coffee & tea, Snacks
20 rue du Temple | Marais/Bastille | +33142466271
11:30 – 00:00 daily

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Image by Pierre BISMUTH

From Place de La Bastille, named after the Bastille Prison which was taken by the people of Paris on July, the 14th 1789, you can follow Rue Saint Antoine and Rue de Birague, which leads to the most beautiful place in Paris, Place des Vosges, known in the whole world and not just because of the House of Victor Hugo or the 3 michelin star restaurant L’Ambroisie or the magnificent hotel “Le Pavilion de la Reine”, but also because of the renowned art galleries

This spot, called Place Royale before 1800, was renamed in honor of Les Vosges County, which was the first to pay taxes after the Revolution, and is the “sister” of the Place Ducale in Charleville-Mézières.

Between the numbers 21 and 24 lie at least six art galleries, which onstitue an open-air museum, dedicated to the contemporary art and procures a panorama of the vitality of this discipline. You have also lots of galleries around and just near the place, 

At number 21, and 24, you’ll find the two art symbol galleries, run by the same family, and which organizes varnishing around their artists like Chinikov, Micha Tauber, or photographer Lirone (you can see their work on the web).

At number 28, you can enter the Vivendi Gallery, where you currently can admire some Andy Warhol reproductions, and also some paintings from Arnaud or Lee Kui Dae.

To complete the panel, I can also cite Galerie 26, and Galerie Modus which presents also very contemporary works. Feel free to enter !

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Galleries of Place des Vosges | Art & culture
24, Place des Vosges | Marais/Bastille
Mon – Sun 12:00 – 20:00

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Image by Pierre BISMUTH

There is a walk I like the most in Paris, it is the one from Bastille, the site of the former prison took by the people of Paris in 1789, to the City Hall (Hotel de Ville of Paris) by passing through the quarter of Le Marais. This quarter is called the marsh because it was a real swamp at the beginning of the IXth century before being used as pasture in the XIIth century.

So, from Bastille, you can easily walk on the Beaumarchais Boulevard, and then turn left on the Rue du Pas de la Mule and arrive at the Place des Vosges, the most beautiful place in Paris. Passing by the art galleries, you reach on your left the Rue de Turenne, where you will find lots of clothes shops, with prices you never imagine in Paris. Indeed, there are lots of manufacturers in this district of Paris.

At number 41 in the same street, there is the Bernard Garbo Shop, that you have to know if you are looking for suits at €150 or very trendy shirts at €95 for 3. The prices are quite low because they are manufactured and they sell the same merchandise to other shops.

On sale, you can take €50 off on every suits or jackets (but not on shirts or ties). Go there if you want to mix a wonderful promenade with fashionable shopping!

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Bernard Garbo | Relaxing, Shopping
41, rue de Turenne | Marais/Bastille | +33142720967
10:00 – 19:00 daily

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Image by Pierre BISMUTH

As normal parents whose children are on vacation at their Grandparents’, we are rushing to the theater or cinema, as soon as we are alone in Paris.

So last august, as we had family on visit, we went out and see a show at the point virgule, a very tiny theater of 110 seats located in the gay district of Paris, just nearby the City Hall.

In this theater, you can see future comic stars of the french scene, like Walter we saw taht night for his first show, and who is now on Europe 1, a famous french radio.

You have between 4 and 5 artists by night and the shows lasts around 1 hour. You can of course check the program ont he internet : all you have to do is to type www.lepointvirgule.com.

By the way, after the spectacle, do not hesitate to go and eat at Sancho (see critic on that blog)

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Le Point Virgule | Theaters | Show € 20
7, rue Sainte Croix de la Bretonnerie | Marais/Bastille | +33142786703
From 17:30 or 19:00 daily (see website)

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Image by Pierre BISMUTH

Sancho is a restaurant I discovered when we went to the Point Virgule Café Theâtre (check the Point Virgule article), because I wanted to go and have dinner with my wife after the show. And, when I want to try a new restaurant, I always go to www.lafourchette.com and research a restaurant which offers big discounts (this one, 40%) so we can try better places for less money. So I decided to choose Sancho, which was very close to the theater.

If you want to go there, you can obviously walk from the Cityhall, one of my favorite buildings in the city from the architects Theodore Ballu and Etienne Delperthes, inspired by the Italian artist from the Renaissance Boccador. Take the Rue du Temple, get lost in the incredibly well preserved from the Baron Haussmann destruction lanes, and finally arrive at Rue François Miron for dinner at Sancho.

This restaurant opened 1 year ago, but let’s first talk about the wine we ordered : for €18.50 a bottle, you can have a wine produced by a winegrower we met this summer during our holidays in Amboise, and that wine means quality (we brought 18 bottles back from this man).

For food, we ordered excellent shrimp tempura and unknown soft shell crabs, perfect salmon with amazing spinach puree (I have to cook that !) and a real fresh fruit salad: honestly, it was really good, and we enjoyed it a lot. 

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Sancho | Restaurants (Gastronomic japanese) | Full meal € 30
7, rue François Miron | Marais/Bastille | +33144611350
Mon – Sat 12:00 – 15:00 1& 19:00 – 22:30

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Image by Tamara Mesarić

In Paris it’s often a hard decision what to see in a cinema, theatre, or where to go out. There are so many things going on in the same time.

Pariscope can’t help you, but will provide you with the information of time and places of your dilemmas.

Availabale at every newsstand on Wednesdays from 1965, it gives a really exhaustive list of theatre plays, films, festivals, concerts, expositions, all sorted by arrondissements. You can also check what specific promenades and guided mini tours are organised and where to go if with kids.

Near Parisian suburbs are as well included.

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Pariscope | Art & culture | Pariscope € 0.40
All newsstands | Marais/Bastille
Wednesdays

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Image by Tamara Mesaric

Though museums usually aren’t a hidden spot, known only to residents in Paris, as there is hundreds of museums, it seems worth accentuating this one. Besides Jeu de Paumme, Maison Européene de la Photographie is the most important exclusively photo museum where exhibitions change approximately every 2 months. Located over 3 floors there are 3-5 separate exhibitions, mostly contemporary artists. Rarely too crowded it is intimate enough and not too vast.

You can also join the group visit organised by the MEP or participate at the lectures given in the auditorium. The MEP has a library dedicated to photography and it’s unique in the quantity of works about the topic.

Furthermore there are 5 video terminals where you can check one of 700 films, photographs, interviews or portraits of the artists. The works in the MEP are often very high quality art, if sometimes not, they will surely be intriguing, poignant and won’t let you walk untouched.

MEP is an extraordinary place which would be a pity to miss while in Paris, for student’s it is even more approachable, equalling the entrance fee with one coffee.

Situated in a 18th century “hôtel particulier”, the way to the museum via Rue Saint Paul makes it all a very pleasant experience .

Tip: Wednesday after 17:00 entrance is free.

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MEP | Art & culture | Entrance € 6.50
5/7 rue de Fourcy | Marais/Bastille | +33144787500
Wed – Sun 11:00 – 20:00

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Image by Tamara Mesaric

Situated on the second and the third level of the Pompidou centre, the Public Information Library (Bibliotèque publique d’information) or BPI is one of the best public libraries in Paris.

It offers an exceptional collection of books that can be consulted only on-site; free admission; the possibility of 30-40 minutes of surfing (registration near the entrance to the library, from Rue Beaubourg) as well as using audio and video records. You can also watch a variety of TV programs or view archive materials.

Not only are the sources rich at BPI but it is an exceptional feeling to take a break overlooking Beaubourg or the place in front of the Centre with the usual grabbag collection of street artists. And in case you’re looking for art of a different sort, of course, the upper floors house one of the world’s most important modern art collections.

Since it’s the only library in Paris open Sundays, Sundays are crowded and the line is usually 15 minutes long. But once inside, you’ll have to admit that nowhere else can you can sit in a library and glance up at the Niki de Sainte Phalle and Jean Tinguely fountain a few meters away.

The whole experience is a real pleasure. In a single venue, you will find stunning museum, exemplary architecture, a huge reading corpus, a bookshop and cinema with auteur’s films.

My fascination with the whole Pompidou Centre never stops.

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BPI | Art & culture, Cinemas | Free
Place Georges Pompidou | Marais/Bastille
Mon & Wed – Fri 12:00 – 21:45, Sat – Sun 11:00 – 21:45

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Image by Tamara Mesaric

La Promenade plantée is the only elevated park in the world. Situated on the top of an ancient viaduct it connects Bastille Square with the Periphery Boulevard. It is a nice, not too long walk (4.5 km) through the middle of the 12 arrondisement.

The experience is certainly atypical, as you walk on the approximately 9 meters high viaduct straight ahead, surrounded by different more or less exotic plants and trees and at the same time you are in the middle of the city. All around, you see the diverse architecture styles emerging and changing- great all in one, somehow surrealistic setting.

On the lower level there is a place for cyclists; it is a rare privilege not to cycle “with the cars”. Down, on the street level, in the arcades there are about 50 arts and crafts ateliers, which are the pride of the arrondisement and are really interesting to explore if you like that way of art/craft expression.

La Promenade plantée is usually not too crowded and it can also have a intimate atmosphere. With its intervention of plant and landscape art created by Vergely and Mathieux in the urban milieu this park deserves to be included in 7,8 days visit plan.

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La Promenade plantée | Relaxing | Free
Blv Picpus till Bastille | Marais/Bastille
Mon – Fri 08:00 – 21:00, Sat – Sun 09:00 – 21:00

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