Le Marais

Today we will take a walk on the Right Bank of Seine and visit the district called le Marais. Let's start at the Paris City Hall.

I really liked this architechtural style a lot - it is called French Renaissance.

The City Hall houses also a very nice post office - friends Postcrossers, I did not forget about you, as always.

On the square in front of the City Hall there is a nice old-fashioned carousel.

Originally I planned to visite les Halles but they are under reconstruction now. So I only glimpsed at the Fontaine des Innocents.  It was built in 1549 to commemorate the entry of King Henry II into Paris. It used to stand near an old cementary that was moved outside the city walls in the nineteenth century and today the fountain is in the middle of a square between nice residential buildings.

A few steps from the fountain you will find the Centre Georges Pompidou, the largest museum for modern art in Europe. Looking at it I am sure you have guessed it will not exhibit Roman scupltures or impressionist paintings.

Next to it there is another fountain, more modern. Unfortunately it was not working when I came there.

I am not a huge fan of modern art so I walked away to another museum in the near-by. Unfortunately it was closed as well. Definitely not my lucky day today.

Finally, I decided then to take some rest on Place des Vosges. It was opened back in 1612, to celebrate the marriage of Louis XIII. It was then called Place Royal. It was renamed in 1800 to honour the first region to pay taxes supporting a campaign of the Revolutionary army.

The king Louis XIII and his horse are commemorated here.

Many people take advantage of the nice weather and enjoy the sunlight.

Another few steps from here is the Place de la Bastille. Bastille was a royal prison. Its destruction on 14 July 1789 was the beggining of the French Revolution and ultimately the end of the French Monarchy (with a few hiccups of course).

The column in the middle is called the July Column. But it is not here to commemorate the 14 July but another revolution in 1830 during which king Charles X was replaced by king Louis-Philippe. The column is topped by the 'Spirit of Liberty' statue.

The modern building next to the column is the new Bastille Opera house. It was opened on July 14, 1989 during the bicentennial celebrations of the French revolution. Honestly, I still prefer the old Opera Garnier. But it is of course a matter of taste.