Place des Vosges is the oldest planned square in Paris and arguably the finest. Henri IV had it built in 1612 as the centrepiece of the Marais, and it worked: the neighbourhood became the most fashionable address in the city. Today the square's symmetrical red-brick pavilions and the arcaded ground floor — now lined with art galleries, antique dealers, and cafes — have barely changed since the 17th century.
The garden at the centre has a fountain and an equestrian statue of Louis XIII, surrounded by locals eating lunch and children running about. Victor Hugo lived at number 6, which is now a free museum with a reconstituted interior from his later years.
This is one of Paris's great places to simply sit. The arcades offer shade in summer and shelter in rain. Adjacent streets — rue des Francs-Bourgeois for boutique shopping, rue de Bretagne for the Marché des Enfants Rouges food market — are among the most pleasant in the city.