Sojourn in Paris #5

Paris 2025 - Elegant Paris 

There is undoubtedly an elegance to Paris, with its graceful architecture, lovely little green parks, fountains and statues. On Saturday, we wandered through the Marais district towards the River Seine. We passed through the lovely Place des Vosges, a fashionable and expensive place to live in the 17th and 18th centuries (no doubt still is!). The oldest square in Paris, it dates back to 1612 and was unusual for those times in that it was planned all as a piece, with the buildings all in the same design. 

Constructed between 1624 and 1630, the Hôtel de Sully was a private mansion, originally built for a wealthy financier. It now houses the organisation responsible for France's heritage sites. I found these statues (sphinxes?) really weird! 

Along the banks of the Seine, elegant houses abounded. I'd have loved to see inside the one below - Hôtel Lambert - on the Île Saint-Louis. It's not an hotel but a private mansion, built in 1640, and bought in 1975 by the Rothschilds, who restored it to its 17th century splendour. Lately owned and renovated by Sheikh Hamad bin Abdullah Al Thani, a member of Qatar's ruling family, it recently sold for $226 million (around £170m) to a telecoms billionaire. (See HERE for photos of the interior)