Walk down Rue Saint-Paul and you could easily miss it: small archways lead from the street into the Village Saint-Paul, a network of interconnected courtyards created when this corner of the Marais was restored in the 1970s. Today they shelter antique dealers, vintage and design shops, small galleries and cafés, with benches under the trees.
The area around it is one of the oldest in Paris. On Rue des Jardins-Saint-Paul stands the longest surviving section of the wall of Philippe Auguste, built around 1200, with two of its towers. Nearby rise the domed Jesuit church of Saint-Paul-Saint-Louis and the late-medieval Hôtel de Sens, one of the few Gothic mansions left in the city.
Top things to do at Village Saint-Paul
Browse the courtyards
Each courtyard has its own character: antique furniture, old posters, vintage clothes, ceramics. Many shops keep irregular hours and some close early in the week; weekends are liveliest, and occasional flea-market days fill the courtyards with stalls.
Touch the medieval wall
Next to the sports ground on Rue des Jardins-Saint-Paul, the remains of Philippe Auguste’s wall run for dozens of metres — a reminder that this was once the edge of Paris.
Step into Saint-Paul-Saint-Louis
The Jesuits’ great church, built in the 1620s–1640s, has a Delacroix painting and two shell-shaped holy-water stoups presented by Victor Hugo. Entry is free.
Admire the Hôtel de Sens
Built around 1500 for the archbishops of Sens, the turreted mansion now houses the Bibliothèque Forney, a library of decorative arts, and its formal garden is open to the public.
How to get to Village Saint-Paul
- Métro: Saint-Paul (line 1) or Pont Marie (line 7), each about three to five minutes’ walk.
- From the Place des Vosges, walk through the Hôtel de Sully to Rue Saint-Antoine, cross over and take Rue Saint-Paul — about eight minutes.
Insider tips
- Many dealers open from late morning; come after 11:00.
- Continue south across the Pont Marie to the Île Saint-Louis — one of the best short walks in Paris.
- Rue Saint-Paul and Rue Charlemagne have good cafés and bakeries for a break.
Best tours & tickets for Village Saint-Paul
These top-rated experiences pair well with a visit to Village Saint-Paul:
Food tour from €140 Le Marais: Pastry and Chocolate Food Tour
A sweet-toothed walk around some of the best pastry shops and chocolate makers in the Marais, with tastings at each stop and the stories behind the craft. More expensive than other food tours but an indulgent treat.
- Top pâtissiers and chocolatiers of the Marais
- Macarons, viennoiseries and bonbons
- The craft behind French pastry
Walking tour from €33 Paris: Le Marais District Walking Tour with Small Tastings
A friendly two-hour walk that mixes the history of the Marais — royal squares, aristocratic mansions, the Revolution and the district’s rebirth — with small tastings along the way. A good middle ground between a pure history walk and a full food tour.
- History, architecture and local life
- Small tastings along the way
- Relaxed two-hour format
