The Place des Vosges itself was the courtyard of a royal palace, until 1560, when Henri II was accidentally killed here in a jousting tournament. The king’s grieved family moved away, and the square became the site of a horse market, and a dueling ground. At last, in the early 1600’s, Henri IV had the Place set up as it is today. Over the years, it’s been home to a large array of French celebrities, including Molière, Théophile Gautier, and famous woman of letters Madame de Sévigné (another of her homes is now the nearby Musée Carnavalet, a fantastic museum devoted to the history of Paris). Today, the Place des Vosges is a lovely place to stroll, whether through its tranquil park where musicians often give impromptu concerts, or under its arcades, where one finds galleries, design houses, and restaurants, among other things.

Outside the Place in all directions, one finds an area full of shops, galleries, charming restaurants, and trendy bars. Check out clothes, shoes, and jewelry by famous and up-and-coming designers, or the older versions of these things, as well as bric-a-brac and paintings from antiques dealers whose stores dot the picturesque streets. If you wish, you can go shopping at the market located further west, Place du Marché Sainte-Catherine. Visitors looking for an interesting photo opportunity should definitely head to the lower end of the small rue de Birague, whose buildings’ grey facades contrast with the bright pink of those of the Place des Vosges, visible from just beyond a high stone portal. At the southernmost part of the quartier, the rue St.-André is a wide street bustling with contemporary life. And no wonder : the rue is home to discount shops, bookstores, bakeries, and places offering some great deals on shoes and clothes. On the south side of the street, the baroque-style domed churches of Saint-Paul - Saint-Louis, a once-famous Jesuit complex and chapel frequented by the nobility, make it hard to forget the quartier’s incredibly rich past even amid the buzz of the present.

Going back to the square, at number 6, Place des Vosges, is the Maison de Victor Hugo (Victor Hugo House), a museum dedicated to the celebrated writer, located in one of Hugo’s former residences. And after all, what better place to celebrate the life of the author of works like "Les Misérables" and "Notre-Dame de Paris", than this quartier, a neighborhood that, like Hugo’s novels, brims over with the dramatic history, intrigues, and pulsating life of Paris?