Place des Vosges

Place des Vosges is a perfectly symmetrical Renaissance square in the heart of Paris, built by King Henri IV and completed in 1612. It's the oldest planned square in the city — 36 identical red-brick-and-stone pavilions arranged around a central garden, each with an arched arcade at street level. For four centuries it's been at the center of Parisian life: duels were fought here, Victor Hugo lived here for 16 years, and Cardinal Richelieu kept a residence on the square. Today it sits in the Marais district, one of the most historically layered neighborhoods in Paris, and it still has the power to stop you mid-stride.

The square's central garden is formal in the French style — four symmetrical lawns divided by gravel paths, with lime trees and a central fountain — and it draws everyone from tourists eating lunch on the grass to locals reading on benches under the arcades. The arcades themselves are lined with galleries, cafés, and a few restaurants, including the famous Ma Bourgogne, where you can eat croque-monsieurs and drink Beaujolais under the vaulted ceilings. Victor Hugo's house on the southeast corner is now a free museum worth at least an hour of your time, with original furniture and a remarkable Chinese-style dining room he designed himself.

The square is busiest on weekends and sunny afternoons; if you want it closer to yourself, arrive on a weekday morning when the light comes in low and golden from the east. The surrounding Marais streets — Rue de Bretagne, Rue des Rosiers, Rue de Turenne — are some of the best in Paris for wandering, eating falafel, browsing independent shops, and discovering the city at its least touristy.