Place Des Vosges: Understated Elegance, Full of History, Inspirational, Relaxing

Property description

Are you looking for a place with understated elegance, clean and complete with all amenities to quietly and safely enjoy your stay in Paris? As you step out of the gate of the building of our apartment onto the Rue de Birague with a book or a laptop you are entering the historic Place des Vosges (gardens are wifi served) in the heart of the Marais. Imagine Victor Hugo stepping out of the shadows! Yes, he lived there when he wrote Les Miserables in #6 Place des Vosges (now a museum), just around the corner from our apartment. What an inspiring moment! Just look at the archival photo of the street in the 1800s.

Built in the 1600’s, the Place des Vosges is the most beautiful square in Paris, if not all of Europe. It is full of history, with former residents ranging from cardinals to writers to artists.

Today, the square is full of Parisians. School children play on the grass while their parents sit nearby, chatting or just enjoying the sun and the beauty of the square and its elegant architecture. The shops in the covered arcades include art galleries, elegant clothing boutiques, and, of course, many places to eat, including the upscale bistro, Ma Bourgogne, the beautiful L'Ambroisie restaurant with its 3-star Michelin rating, and the elegant Carette tea house and its unbelievable pastries.

Our pleasantly sunny apartment is on the 2nd floor and looks out over Rue de Birague and the entry to the Place des Vosges. It has a master bedroom and a smaller bedroom (each with its own sparkling bright bathroom), a full kitchen, a sitting and dining area, and a quiet study at the back with an open beam ceiling and antique furniture. The room invites you to sit and relax after a day of shopping or sight seeing, or to spend time reading Les Miserables, with a pot of tea or a glass of wine purchased at our neighborhood wine shop. On Sundays, just open a window to listen to, and see, a harpist playing beautiful music at the entrance to the Place des Vosges. Do not miss the fabulous concerts at the neighborhood churches!

There is air conditioning for the summer, and plenty of heat in the winter. For those who want to cook, we have a kitchen with built-in microwave, spacious refrigerator, electric oven, induction cook top, dishwasher, coffee maker, toaster, electric teapot and all of the cooking utensils that you will need. Fresh fruits and vegetables can be purchased a few steps from our building. At the end of the street on Rue Saint-Antoine, the extension of the prestigious Rue de Rivoli, is a traditional charcuterie (delicatessen) with everything needed to make a French meal for those times when you want to eat in but do not have the time or the inclination to cook a meal. Small traditional food stores are a few steps away, including patisserie/ boulangerie stores (artisanal breads and pastries), a chocolaterie (chocolate store) and a fromagerie (cheese store). Small restaurants can be found on every block.

Our apartment is ideally located for your stay in Paris. Most of the important sights and shopping streets of Paris are within walking distance of or just a short metro ride away. The Rue des Francs-Bourgeois with its high-end, trendy clothing stores is a few steps away, as are the Musée Carnavalet, which focuses on the history of Paris, the Hôtel de Sully, a beautiful private mansion from the 1600’s that is now a public monument, and the Musée Picasso. A pleasant stroll takes you to the Hôtel de Ville, the mayory of Paris, and then to the Île de la Cité with the monumental Notre Dame Cathedral and the delicate, gothic Sainte-Chapelle, the royal chapel of Louis IX, with beautiful stained-glass windows dominating its walls. Cross the Seine on the medieval Pont Saint-Michel and you are now in the Latin Quarter.

In the other direction, a few minutes walk takes you to the revolutionary days of Paris and the Place de la Bastille. If you are there on a Thursday or Sunday, stop at the large, open-air market Marché Bastille to get a sense of everyday life in Paris. A few steps further is the Canal Saint-Martin. You can take a leisurely, 3 mile canal boat ride to Parc de la Villete (City of Science).

From the nearby metro stations (Bastille and Saint Paul) you can reach all parts of Paris. Take Line 1 to visit the Louvre, the Orangerie and the Jeu de Paume art museums, the Place de la Concorde the Avenue des Champs Elysée, and the Etoile with the Arc de Triomphe at its center.

History is everywhere around you in Paris and our building is part of that history. Every effort was made to reveal the architectural details and its beautiful, dark oak parquet floor. Modern bathrooms appropriate for the 21st century replace the original fixtures. The spacious master bathroom has a full-size tub and shower, toilet and a sink. The other bathroom has a stall shower, toilet, sink and heated towel rack.

The master bedroom, with an extremely comfortable queen-size bed, is furnished with antique furniture and has a closet for hanging your clothes and shelves for your belongings. The second bedroom has two twin beds and a modern armoire for hanging clothes.

We have cable TV (including CNN and BBC), a DVD player, WiFi Internet access, free phone calls to North America and Europe, and a Miele, top-of-the-line washing machine and dryer. A professional cleaners is located across the street. A Monoprix store is a block away and has everything you might need. The large department store, BNP, is within walking distance.

All expenses (including concierge, cleaning and maid service) are included in the rental price. Our representative meets you at the apartment when you arrive, and is available at other times should you have any questions.

Keywords: Marais, 4th arrondissement, Place des Vosges, 2nd floor, luxury, designer, central, shopping, apartment, restaurants, accessible, Rue de Birague, Rue de Rivoli, Rue St. Antoine, Rue des Francs-Bourgeois, flat, charm, Musee Picasso, Ile St. Louis, Notre Dame, Ste. Chapelle, Musee Carnavalet, Place de la Bastille