Walking route Nature Walk in the Marais

Start: Metro St-Sébastien-Froissart
End: Metro St-Sébastien-Froissart
Distance: 2.3 km
Duration: 1.5 hours
Last update: November 3, 2022

Overview

Route Information

1. Head south on Boulevard Filles du Calvaire and turn right onto Rue St-Claude.

The boulevards were built on the old wall of Charles V. In 1665, the city of Paris leased the inner moat to gardeners under the condition that they could only grow flowers and herbs there. The moat, which could be flooded, had previously been used as a sewer. It was located on the site of an old, dried-up branch of the Seine, which was still affected by high water levels for a long time.

2. Turn left onto Rue des Arquebusiers, then right onto Rue du Grand-Veneur.

At the end of the passage, you’ll find the small classical garden St-Gilles-Grand-Veneur, featuring climbing and shrub roses surrounded by boxwood, field maples, and hornbeams. From the benches, you have a view of the Hôtel du Grand-Veneur.

3. Take Rue de Hesse (where a young honey locust tree stands) and turn right onto Rue Villehardouin. At the end, turn left onto Rue de Turenne and follow it to No. 41.

Behind a green gate stands the Fontaine de Joyeuse or Fontaine de Turenne, dating from 1847. The grotto is decorated with aquatic plants (cattails and broadleaf arrowhead) and animals (swans, herons, pigeons, frogs, and snakes).

4. Turn right onto Rue du Parc-Royal, where Square Léopold-Achille is on the left.

In this aristocratic district, Parc Royal was once the garden of the royal residence Hôtel des Tournelles, home to many French kings. From the 14th century onward, wealthy Parisians began building country homes and ornamental gardens in the Marais, shaping its distinguished character that still remains today.

The square contains several rare tree species. Besides an impressive Caucasian wingnut tree, you’ll find mahonia shrubs near the right-hand fence by the sandbox. The name Mahonia means “fragrant plant” in Greek, referring to its scented flowers. Its leaves resemble holly or evergreen oak. Next to it stands a Judas tree, an uncommon variety with white flowers that bloom in spring before the leaves appear. On the other side of the square, there’s a uniquely shaped Prunus persica, whose twisting trunk produces branches at the top. In April, it is covered in double pink blossoms but bears no fruit. Along the wall, there are two balsam poplars, whose buds are coated in fragrant resin loved by ants.

5. Exit the garden and turn onto Rue de Sévigné.

You’ll arrive at the Musée Carnavalet, one of the oldest monuments in Paris, dating back to 1545. In summer, its courtyard at 23 Rue de Sévigné is adorned with potted laurel trees pruned into spheres and cones. The formal French garden features beautifully trimmed boxwood hedges and standard roses.

6. Turn right onto Rue des Francs-Bourgeois.

At No. 16, the museum’s garden is designed with boxwood shrubs. Its layout is inspired by the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.

7. Turn right onto Rue Payenne until you reach Square Georges-Cain.

Georges Cain was the curator of the Musée Carnavalet until 1914. The garden serves as a storage area for the museum, with remnants of vanished monuments covered in ivy and Virginia creeper. Among these old stones, you’ll find column bases from the Église des Bernardins (5th arrondissement), made from limestone quarried in Paris. At the far left, the old orangery is recognizable by its arched windows. To the right of the building, a 20-foot-tall fig tree stands. The square also features a weeping birch, a honey locust, a maple tree, and several common lindens.

8. At the end of Rue Payenne, turn left onto Rue du Parc-Royal, continue straight via Rue de la Perle and Rue des 4 Fils, then turn right onto Rue Charlot.

Behind the gate on the left at No. 3, you can see the entrance to the now-closed Ruelle Sourdis, dating from 1626. The original cobblestone pavement remains, with a central drainage channel and raised pedestrian paths protecting walkers from carriage traffic. Also visible is an Ailanthus altissima (Tree of Heaven), originally from China, introduced to Europe in the 17th century. It thrives even in the smallest crevices, tolerates poor soil, and grows rapidly.

9. Take the first right onto Rue du Perche.

The courtyard on the corner is planted with plane trees. At No. 9, a magnolia with large flowers grows. This plant, discovered in Louisiana, belongs to a group of Tertiary-era plants whose flowers were among the first on Earth. Across Rue Perche, you can glimpse the garden of the Hôtel Salé, now the Musée Picasso. Only the lower section is publicly accessible, enclosed by yew hedges. A water feature decorates the garden’s center.

10. Cross Rue Vieille du Temple to Rue des Coutures-Saint-Gervais.

The name of this street is a corruption of Cultures-Saint-Gervais, referencing the area’s historical agricultural use. By the late 9th century, the marshes of the Seine’s former branch became pastures and later farmland. The term Marais refers to land cultivated with vegetables and aromatic plants. By the late Middle Ages, some of these fields were converted into orchards.

11. Cross Rue de Thorigny onto Rue Sainte-Anastase, then turn left onto Rue de Turenne. Take the second right onto Rue du Pont aux Choux. At the end, you’ll find Saint-Sébastien-Froissart metro station.