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Rue Vieille-du-Temple and rue St. Croix de la Bretonnerie
With its many cafes, restaurants, clubs, fashion boutiques and
“maisons et objects” stores, it is the center of Paris’s
vibrant gay community. Shops are open on Sunday when most other
parts of Paris are closed. On rue St. Crois de la Bretonnerie is
the gay bookstore ‘Les Mots a la Bouche, and a nice salon for
tea is ‘Mariage Freres’, 30-32 rue du Bourg-Tibourg, which
sells 450 varieties of tea.
A noticeable landmark is the Gothic Hotel Herouet and its turret
built in 1528 at the corner of rue des Frances-Bourgeois and rue
Vieille-du-Temple.
Place des Vosges
Place des Vosges, built by Henri IV and completed in 1612, it
is known as the most beautiful square in Europe. It is noted for
its picturesque streets, boutiques, galleries, and beautifully restored
16th & 18th century "hôtels particuliers". Madam
de Seveigne was born at #1 bis, #21 is where Richelieu lived and
#6 was Victor Hugo’s residence, now a museum to him
Oberkampf
The Bastille area around Rues de Charonne, d'Oberkampf and de la
Roquette have numerous atmospheric bars and small restaurants and
on Rues de Charonne and d'Oberkampf there are a number of bars appealing
to those who like rock music, motorbikes and leather jackets. The
rue du Faubourg St. Antoine has always been a center for furniture
makers but there are picturesque little alleys and streets in the
area. Rue de Lappe typifies the rejuvenation of the Bastille area.
There are still traces of it being part of the "Gay Paris"of
the 1930's,with its "bals musettes", or dance halls,
frequented between the wars by Piaf, Jean Gabin and Rita Hayworth.
"The Balajo" Dance Hall is still in existence.
The Bastille
Built around 1370, was once part of the defenses of Paris. Louis
XIV had the wall demolished but left the Bastille, which later became
a luxury prison for aristocratic and notable people who could have
goods and services sent in. The Marquis de Sade was a prisoner here
as were Mirabeau and Voltaire. It was stormed on 14 July 1789, but
at that time there were only seven prisoners. It was later razed
and replaced in 1831 by the column, called the July Column, now
standing surmounted by the "Spirit of Liberty". In Place
Henri Galli can be found a commemorative pile of stones from the
original Bastille.
Continued...
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