Marais is in many ways the unique and most interesting part of Paris - if you only have a certain amount of time to spend in the city, you should definitely make sure you don't miss this quarter.

This tour has been designed so that you can approach this unique quarter from all of its important aspects - in terms of its scenic pre 19th Century architecture, fascinating history, and its vibrant and exciting present. Marais is both a traditional area for the Jewish community in Paris and a chic, gentrified centre of Parisian hipster culture.

On this tour, you follow different threads of Marais' history and bind them together, to weave an image of a truly exceptional quarter. You start with the Medieval period and the famous proto-mayor of Paris, Etienne Marcel. You move on through the Medieval period, addressing the history of the Knights Templar and their headquarters; through to the Renaissance and the Enlightenment era, that saw Marais become a prestigious site filled with many elegant aristocratic villas. You then learn how after the Revolution, its stature fell considerably, almost becoming a slum - all the way to the contemporary era, when it was being gentrified and reborn as the most chic and hip area of Paris, if not the world. You will then bring together all of these important historical events to gain an overall sense of this unforgettable area.