If we were to name one district in Paris that is particularly popular with the LGBT community, it would have to be the Marais. Most of the French capital’s gay-friendly venues are located in this neighbourhood squeezed in between Place de la Bastille, Place de la République and Hôtel de Ville. A whole range of bars, boutiques and clubs have sprung up here over the past 30 years, turning this district into an authentic yet trendy little village drawing a disparate crowd of visitors.
The Marais is also known to be a cultural hotspot. It has some of the top museums in Paris (the Pompidou Centre, the Musée Picasso, the Musée Cognacq-Jay, etc.), and several art galleries (Thaddaeus Ropac, Daniel Templon and Karsten Greve, to name only three) have set up shop here, making the district a cornerstone of the art scene in Paris.
And every year, towards the end of June, the Marais is the place where people come together to party during one of the most festive occasions in Paris – the Gay Pride parade.
