Le Marais

Le Marais is a Parisian district covering most of the 3rd and 4th arrondissements of Paris, on the Right Bank of the Seine. Like the Montmartre district, the Marais has no precise geographical boundaries today: it is a 'historic' Parisian district rather than an 'administrative' one.

The Marais was once a marshy area. From the 12th century, its northern part comprised lands belonging to the feudal estates of religious orders, among them the Order of the Temple and the abbey of Saint-Martin-des-Champs, which settled there and divided up former farmland on their estates over the centuries. The fortified Wall of Charles V, built from 1356 to 1358, marked its limit to the north-east and east. In the 17th century, the district became the preferred residence of the nobility and the wealthy upper middle class of Paris, who commissioned mansions, many of which survive today. From the mid-18th century onwards, the district was gradually abandoned by the Parisian elite in favour of the Faubourg Saint-Honoré and the faubourg Saint-Germain, which were closer to the court at Versailles and offered more space. The French Revolution completed the departure of the wealthy owners. The district was then occupied by a population of craftsmen and workers, who lived in the former mansions and built workshops in the old inner courtyards.

The major 19th-century redevelopment works carried out across Paris had little impact on the district, which kept its narrow streets, but many fine buildings were gradually demolished. In the 1960s, under the impetus of André Malraux, a programme to safeguard and preserve the district was launched; at the time, it was dilapidated and neglected by Parisians. Thanks to its handsome buildings, the preserved district is now frequented by tourists and sought after by affluent residents. In the 21st century, it has become one of the most sought-after and most expensive districts in Paris. Numerous museums are housed there.

Several communities formed there over the years: Ashkenazi Jews at the end of the 19th century, Chinese after the First World War, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

The area is served by the metro stations Arts et Métiers, Chemin Vert, Filles du Calvaire, Hôtel de Ville, Rambuteau, Saint-Paul, Pont Marie, Saint-Sébastien - Froissart and Temple.