Place des Vosges
Paris, France
Place des Vosges
The Place des Vosges (French pronunciation: [plas de voʒ]), originally Place Royale, is the oldest planned square in Paris, France. It is located in the Marais district, and it straddles the dividing-line between the 3rd and 4th arrondissements of Paris. It was a fashionable and expensive square to live in during the 17th and 18th centuries, and one of the main reasons for the chic nature of Le Marais among the Parisian nobility.
Originally known as Place Royale, Place des Vosges was built by Henri IV from 1605 to 1612. A true square (140 m × 140 m), it embodied one of the first European programs of royal city planning (The Plaza Mayor in Madrid -begun in 1590 - precedes it). It was built on the site of the Hôtel des Tournelles and its gardens: at a tournament at the Tournelles, a royal residence, Henri II was wounded and died. Catherine de' Medici had the Gothic complex demolished, and she moved to the Louvre Palace.
Accommodations near Place des Vosges
Cour des Vosges
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Nearby Tours & Activities
Guests' reviews
A great park for people watching. The park itself is normal but the surrounding building (or the area itself is historic). Maybe a little bit hard to find as you need to go through other building to get to the park (Hotel Sully which has become the headquarter for French Monument establishment)
Great place with amazing pictures to take. The stores all around are really nice. But the entrance can be hard to find.
A must see in Paris. The perfect place to take a break from the city. Really nice park surrounded with lots of Cafés and galleries.
Our favorite park! Amazing place for picnics. Surrounded by fine dining art museums gelato tea and perfumeries. The vegan cafe is wonderful.
The first park I visited in Paris. It's a nice small park to sit, relax and people watch. I want to go back soon.
Beautiful park in a wonderful part of Paris. Many restaurants and ice cream shops nearby, perfect to enjoy delicious food in a soothing location. Worth the detour while visiting the Marais.
It is an amazing place to be, the view you get of the old architecture is incredible and the park inside if just beautiful, it is not crowdy beacause there is a lot of space to be an admire this "Place des Vosges".
Gorgeous park for a quick lunch break. Make sure to stop at Au Sanglier for a delicious snack first!
Really nice and quiet park. Great spot to relax on a sunny day.
Lovely colonnaded square with gardens in the middle and galleries/restaurants round the outside. Lovely to walk around.
Had a very nice ice cream there from a shop around the corner. A beautiful spot.
A bit small in comparison to other 'jardins' but great place to go jogging or to have a walk
How not to get conned by restaurants in le Marais. Housed in old buildings, they may look authentic, but the sign of traps are: 1) No sticker of bar license on the front: Bar-restaurants in Paris must pay for the red and blue plate with the roman number IV displayed. There is a legal loop hole around it, but the ones with the license have a better collection of wines that are more honestly priced than those restaurants without. 2) Opening hours not indicated clearly: It is not very known but the restaurants in Paris are obliged to stop making any noise after 22:30. An expensive license is required to open later, thus those dodgy ones without the license tend to announce their late closing time on their homepages, but not on the front of the restaurant in hope to avoid inspection. Sometimes you will see policemen walking in after some neighbors reported the illegal hours’ activities. The exceptions are the ones with the license to operate 'Service Continue.' They are legally allowed to operate non-stop and it states clearly so on their facade. 4) You will see many recommendation stickers from local critics on the restaurants, but locals know which restaurants acquired recommendation through connection. Despite the sour grape criticism by its competitors, Michelin is still the revered food guidance because their reviewers dine anonymously and check the facilities. Decent eateries rent the floor above so as to shield the neighbors from their noise. Such consideration will be extended to the clients as well. 5) I'd be suspicious of 5 stars reviews written in French, the lovers of criticism. The French generally would not give higher than 3.5. 6) Locals go to the ones that offer lunch menu for under 16 euros for either entry + main, or main+ desert. Any higher is audacious, to think that outside le Marais you can lunch from 18 euros at Michelin starred restaurants. The ones that offer ‘Service Continu’ must charge more for hiring staffs for longer hours. 6) For fusion food, go to more competitive areas like the rising 11th or the 1st district where stars are. Japanese chefs are in demand in Paris, which attracts both the gem and the pebbles. The gem chefs that offer a great marriage of French and Japanese food are in the 16th district (where a large Japanese community is) and the creative 5th district. FOR YOUR INFORMATION THAT MAY SPARE YOU OF BAD EXPERIENCE, I here list the places I actually have repeatedly paid to dine myself. CHEZ MADEMOISELLE at 16 rue Charlemagne, 75004: A local hangout behind the Villa Saint Paul where it is serene and historic. Their 16 euros Lunch menu includes seasonal dish like rabbit, the lapin dishes. LE TEMPS DES CERISES at 31 rue de la Cerises 75004. A bistro oozing with Parisian ambiance and history. French comfort food with a slight modern twist to entice regulars. L' AUBERGE DES DEUX PONTS at 7 rue de 2 ponts on the island of Ils St. Louis. For 18.50 E you will get a steak with generous portions of fois gras and the dessert to die for, custard cream with sugar caramelized by the chef at the table before your eyes. PAMELA POPO at 15 rue Francois Miron, 75004. The properties near Hotel de Ville receive subsidy for their residential tax. Thus the restaurants nearby can use high quality ingredients without passing the expenses onto their clients. The savvy locals flock to the eateries in this small pocket of Paris. This blue restaurant next to the historical old house is a stand out of such gems. VINGT VINS D'ART 16 rue de Jouy, 75004. Always packed with local Japanese clients who trust the hygiene state of their raw cuisine and tasty French food with a Japanese twist. The only Japanese chef eatery I would recommend in 75004 district. CAMILLE at 24 rue des Francs Bourgeois, 75003. Service Continu bistro that even the locals dine despite the price. It has saved many tourists by serving genuine Auberge cuisine outside the dining hours. Their grilled duck is yummy. The legendary Berthillon allows CAMILLE to serve their ice creams too.
Lovely square with nice greenery and fountain to have a break and enjoy some peaceful time. Very nice park for picnic surrounded by many restaurants and affordable shops in Jewish Marais area. One of the greatest French novelist Victor Hugo lived in Place des Vosges. His house is a museum well worth to visit to see where this great writer lived and died. It’s nice to walk around this beautiful park imagining this great man walking around and getting inspirations for his fabulous books that will be timeless forever just like beautiful Place des Vosges.
One of my favorite spots in the city. It us a respectively quiet location. The park gives a nice resting opportunity.
Very peaceful park with fewer tourists (time of visit: 12:30pm) than other parts of Le Marais district, close to Place de la Bastille (also, the metro stop: Bastille). Perfect location to have a small picnic in the afternoon. The surrounding red bricked house-fronts give it a beautiful, royal feel!
A small, cozy park with a fountain and grassy areas to sit on. Lots of people reading, resting, having a picnic. The park's perimeter is treed, and beyond the park is stunning architecture from the 1600s.
This a very interesting and photogenic place to visit. The park in the middle has a statue of a horse and rider and there are also 4 fountains(only 2 were working). Walk around the arches.
Early in the morning, for the jogging. Nowadays, it is usual. A few years earlier, it was still bad seen. On Saturday morning in summer, there is the yoga. And it is a revolution in La Bastille, This old quarter of drunkers...
Nice, but a bit worn out park. Reputation is better than reality. Benches are old and bent. You'll find lots of shadow from the big trees surrounding the inner park, though. Les Miserables author Victor Hugo lived here and woke up to this park view every morning.
Beautiful historic square. I always visit it when I am in Paris. I recommend staying at the nearby Pavillon de la Reine which is the best hotel at this part of the city and actually unique in Paris.
