around Place des Vosges 22Musée Cognacq-Jay – Le Goût duxviiie Husband and wife Cognacq-Jay, founders of La Samaritaine department store and keen art lovers, bequeathed their collections to the City of Paris in 1928. Visitors can discover an exceptional ensemble of works from the 18th century in a stunning 16th-century mansion. Paintings by Boucher and Fragonard may Place be admired alongside drawings by Watteau,furniture and precious objectssculptures, des Vosges (jewellery, snuff boxes and Dresden china).8 rue Elzévir (3rd).M Saint-Paul.o The veritable jewel of the Marais district, an 01 40 27 07 21. Daily: 10am-6pm, except area not lacking in attractions! The Place Mon and on certain public holidays. Permanent des Vosges is one of the oldest squares in collections free. Charge for temporary Paris and also one of the most beautiful. exhibitions. www.museecognacqjay.paris.fr Visitors can stroll under its arcades or along 23Musée National Picasso – Paris the pathways of its central garden and The Hôtel Salé, a 17th-century mansion sit- admire the superb red brick facades of the uated in the Marais, is a fine setting for the town houses that surround it. Shops, open collections of the Musée Picasso Paris. The on Sundays, contribute to the lively atmos- refurbishment of the spaces, by the architect phere. The square is also the ideal starting Jean-François Bodin, facilitates the circula- point for a stroll in the Marais, one of the tion of visitors in a historic setting with pared capital’s most charming historic quarters down interiors, beautifully showcasing the for its rich heritage and atmosphere. Many prolific work of Picasso: sculpture, ceramics, private mansions from the 17th and 18th photographs and, of course, paintings. centuries have been transformed into 5 rue de Thorigny (3rd). M Saint-Paul.o internationally-famous museums: Musée 01 85 56 00 36. Daily, except Mon, 1 Jan, National Picasso – Paris, Victor Hugo’s 1 May and 25 Dec. Tues to Fri: 10.30am-6pm. house … The Rue des Rosiers, the epicentre Sat, Sun, school holidays (Paris zone) and public of Paris’s Jewish community, is also worth holidays: 9.30am-6pm. Full rate: €14. visiting for its atmosphere, boutiques and www.museepicassoparis.fr restaurants. Countless bars and clubs have made the Marais the biggest gay district in France. 4th. M Bastille.o DID YOU KNOW? The oldest graffiti in Paris can be found in Place des Vosges! The writer Nicolas 24Musée d’Art et d’Histoire Edme Restif de la Bretonne carved his du Judaïsme first name and the date (1764) on one of The museum presents the evolution of the the pillars of the arcades, at no. 11. Jewish communities through their some- times tragic history, their cultural heritage and ancestral traditions, with an impor- tant focus on the history of Jews in France. 26 HISTORIC HEART