Marais Museums Guide: Picasso, Carnavalet and More

Le Marais is the densest museum quarter in Paris. Within a 15 minute walk you have the Picasso Museum, the Pompidou, the Carnavalet, the Cognacq-Jay and the Maison Victor Hugo, plus a dozen private foundations. No metro needed between them.

This guide walks you through the 5 essential Marais museums in , the suggested order to chain them, the best lunch break in between and the side streets worth a 15 minute detour.

Musee Picasso: start here

The Musee Picasso occupies the 17th century Hotel Sale on rue de Thorigny. Five floors of paintings, sculptures and ceramics covering every period of Picasso's career. Plan 2 hours minimum.

Open Tuesday to Sunday 10:30 to 18:00, late on Wednesday until 21:30. Closed Monday. Tickets 16 EUR, free under 18, free for EU under 26.

Centre Pompidou: 10 minute walk

Walk south on rue Vieille du Temple, turn right on rue Sainte Croix de la Bretonnerie, and you reach the Pompidou Plaza in 10 minutes. The Pompidou is closed for major renovation in some windows. Check before going.

When open, it offers the National Museum of Modern Art on levels 4 and 5, with works from 1905 to today including Kandinsky, Matisse, Leger, Soulages and contemporary installations.

Musee Carnavalet: free history of Paris

The Carnavalet sits in two adjoining 16th century mansions on rue de Sevigne. Free permanent collection. It tells the entire history of Paris from prehistory to today, with original Proust bedroom reconstruction and Bastille keys.

Plan 2 hours. Open Tuesday to Sunday 10:00 to 18:00. Easiest non Louvre, non Orsay introduction to Paris culture.

Musee Cognacq-Jay: small and free

Cognacq-Jay shows the 18th century French decorative art collection of the founder of the La Samaritaine department store. Wood paneling, Sevres porcelain and a small Fragonard.

Free permanent collection, 30 minute visit, ideal short stop. Open Tuesday to Sunday 10:00 to 18:00. The hotel building itself is part of the experience.

Maison Victor Hugo: literary closing

On Place des Vosges, the apartment where Victor Hugo lived from 1832 to 1848 has been preserved with original furniture and his Chinese inspired dining room. Free permanent collection, paid temporary shows.

Combine with a cafe break at Cafe Hugo under the arcades of Place des Vosges. Walk to the Bastille metro in 5 minutes to close the loop. The Picasso Museum is a 7 minute walk away, completing the Marais circuit if you started here.

A Marais museum day works because the venues sit shoulder to shoulder and several are free. Start at the Picasso when energy is high, end at the Maison Victor Hugo for a soft landing, eat at the Marche des Enfants Rouges in between and you have one of the best cultural days in Paris.