4th arrondissement

The 4th arrondissement is one of the oldest quarters in Paris. In addition, it is one of the most popular areas among tourists. The area is often called the Hôtel de Ville arrondissement, or Le Marais (a common mistake as Le Marais shares its borders with the 3e arrondissement and it is not an arrondissement itself). The 4th is the heart of Paris and houses some of the most iconic mon-uments of the city.

Each of the four administrative quarters of the 4th have their own historical monuments to celebrate. Quartier Saint-Merri is where the Hôtel de Ville sits, one of the most symbolic monuments for Paris. The area is car-free and people can enjoy streets lined with buildings dating back to the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries.

Quartier Saint-Gervais is the most populated and dense area of the 4th. Most houses and mansions can be found around there. Quartier de l’Arsenal is home to the Arsenal Harbour and one of the more important libraries in Paris, the Arsenal Library.

Lastly, Quartier Notre-Dame is made up of the two natural small islands, Île de la Cité and Île Saint-Louis. Plenty of hotels and old mansions can be found on the two islands, and of course Notre Dame cathedral. Le Marais is not considered an administrative quarter, but a historical one. While it shares borders with the 3e arrondissement, the more lively and exciting part of Le Marais is in the 4th. It has a large Jewish and gay community and the numerous bars and restaurants cater to some of the most flamboyant characters in the city.

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The experts say

The streets of the 4th are quite narrow and busy with travelling tourists and locals wanting to enjoy the cafés and restaurants. It is not recommended to have a car when living in or visiting the arrondissement. Parking garages in the area are some of the priciest ones.

The property market in 4th arrondissement

Back in 2014, when the global economic climate was uncertain, most property markets decreased, and such was the case for most of the Paris property market. However, the 4th arrondissement saw an increase in value, especially adding value to the property investment opportunities. In addition, the commercial property market of the area is also continuously increasing. This goes to show the importance of the area and the safe value of the properties in this neighbourhood. For that reason, it should come as no surprise that the prices are quite high. The rental market in the area sees a particularly high demand. A three-bedroom 4th arrondissement property for sale in the heart of Le Marais starts above €1,000,000 and can easily escalate past the €2,000,000 price tag. Properties tend not to stay too long on the market in this arrondissement.

Three insiders tips for 4th arrondissement

GET - to discover the numerous independent book stores of the area with limited editions of books and magazines as well as rare art prints.
DO - spend an evening on Rue Oberkampf, the centre of nightlife for the 4th arrondissement. Even though hectic at times, bar hopping on this street is almost a tradition that has to be experienced at least once.
SEE - some of the last examples of half-timbered houses in Paris can be discovered in Rue François Miron and Rue Grenier near the Hôtel de Ville.
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