Where Paris - 01 December 2017

The apartment of Victor Hugo at La Maison de Victor Hugo Photo © Pierre Antoine; The Cafe Marlette in the BHV Marais; The Comptoir (counter) at Officine Universelle Buly Photo © Alexandre Guirkinger; Caviar at Kaviari Photo © Nicolas Izarm

The BHV Marais by night; Bodum Coffee Maker at the BHV Marais

The Marais, too, offers a journey into a host of remarkable private mansions,

many of which today house fascinating and unique museums. The vast

Aubert de Fontenay manor house in the Marais was built between 1656

and 1660 by the architect Jean Boulier de Bourges. Its nickname, Hôtel

Salé, meaning salty in French, comes from the name of the man who

commissioned it, Pierre Aubert who was in charge of collecting the salt tax.

Today the magnificent structure houses the Picasso museum.

The Hôtel de Saint-Aignan was built in the 17th century for the diplomat

Claude de Mesmes who participated in the negotiations for the Peace

of Westphalia. Today, the mansion houses the Musée d’Art et d’Histoire

du Judaisme, devoted to the art and history of Judaism, and which hosts

temporary exhibitions and workshops.

On a purely historical level, the Hôtel de Beauvais, which is a listed historic

monument, is a marvel of 17th century architecture, of particular note is its

imposing balcony from which Anne of Austria watched her son Louis XIV

make his triumphal entrance into Paris with his bride Marie-Thérèse in 1660.

Mozart when he came to Paris in 1763 at the age of seven gave concerts in

the mansion, which was then the home of the ambassador of Bavaria.

The Hôtel de Rohan Guéménée on the Place des Vosges was once home

to the French statesman, writer and artist Victor Hugo and today houses a

museum, La Maison de Victor Hugo, dedicated to him. Created in 1902, to

mark the centenary of Hugo’s death, it

would become the city’s first literary

museum. Today, it possesses

hundreds of his drawings and

houses a collection of paintings

and sculptures paying tribute

to Hugo as well as manuscripts,

engravings, caricatures, old editions,

photographs and furnishings. Hugo’s

apartment, where he wrote the major

part of Les Misérables is on the second

floor while the first floor plays host to

temporary exhibitions.

ADDRESS Book

BHV MARAiS

52 rue de Rivoli (4th), 09 77 40 14 00

FoR LE PERcHoiR MARAiS

37 rue de la Verrerie

Open from Wednesday to Saturday, 8:15pm to 1:30am

HôtEL DE BEAuVAiS

68 rue François-Miron (4th), 01 58 28 90 00

Only the exterior can be visited

kAViARi LA MAnuFActuRE

13 rue de l’Arsenal (4th), 01 44 78 90 52

LA MAiSon DE VictoR Hugo

6 Place des Vosges (4th), 01 42 72 10 16

LouiS QuAtoRzE

106 rue Vieille du Temple (3rd), 01 42 72 94 43

MuSéE D’ARt Et D’HiStoiRE Du JuDAÏSME

71 rue du Temple (3rd), 01 53 01 86 53 (3rd)

MuSéE nAtionAL PicASSo-PARiS

5 rue de Thorigny (3rd), 01 85 56 00 36

oFFicinE uniVERSELLE BuLy

45 rue de Saintonge (3rd), 01 42 72 28 92

Clockwise from top left: The apartment of Victor Hugo at La Maison de Victor Hugo, The Cafe

Marlette in the BHV Marais, The Café Tortoni at Officine Universelle Buly and caviar from Kaviari

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