Jewish Paris: the Pletzl, the Marais and a Kosher Table Close to Home

There are neighbourhoods you visit, and there are neighbourhoods you come back to every evening. The Marais belongs to the second kind. In its southern part, around rue des Rosiers, lies the Pletzl (Yiddish for “little square”), the historic Jewish quarter of Paris. In its northern part, the Upper Marais, mansions turned museums, galleries and inner courtyards. Between the two, you can walk through seventeenth-century lanes.

The Pletzl, a beating heart

Rue des Rosiers and the streets around it, in the 4th, are the centre of Jewish life in the Marais. Kosher delicatessens, bakeries and falafel counters, some of them open for decades, stand alongside bookshops and shops selling Judaica. On Friday afternoon the neighbourhood changes pace, and the streets fill with preparations for Shabbat.

It is worth checking in advance which places hold a kashrut certificate, and from which supervising authority, as this varies from one place to another.

Heritage within walking distance

Paris preserves a rich Jewish heritage, and much of it is in the heart of the city, within walking distance.

• · The Musée d'art et d'histoire du Judaïsme is housed in a seventeenth-century mansion on rue du Temple itself, and tells the story of the Jewish communities of France and Europe.
• · The synagogue on rue Pavée, in the Marais, is one of the most remarkable Jewish buildings in the city.
• · The Great Synagogue on rue de la Victoire, in the 9th, is impressive in its size and architecture.

Some places require arrangements in advance for security reasons. Our concierge will be glad to find up-to-date information for you and arrange visits.

A kitchen of your own

An apartment with an equipped kitchen gives a freedom a hotel does not: you shop at the kosher delicatessen on rue des Rosiers, make breakfast at home, and set a Shabbat table for the whole family.

Where to stay

ACT 3 chooses its addresses across Paris, one by one, by the same standard: a lively neighbourhood, a building with character, a city discovered on foot. Our neighbourhood guides introduce each of them, so that you can choose the neighbourhood before the apartment.

Our apartments have two to four bedrooms and sleep up to eight, depending on the apartment. All are air-conditioned, with an equipped kitchen, and in some the number of bathrooms equals the number of bedrooms. The concierge is available seven days a week, and the team can be reached at any hour.

Live the city, not a hotel

You can browse the collection and the Marais page, or read about family apartments. When you book direct, you get the best available rate, with no service fees added to the price, and free cancellation more than 30 days before arrival. For families planning a long stay, it is also worth reading our guide to a family stay in a spacious apartment.

The ACT 3 Team