A charming portion of Paris

Paris famously has 20 arrondissements, or districts, all numbered and spiralling in a snail-like pattern from the city’s ancient core (close to where Notre-Dame cathedral stands).

Yet within these arrondissements are multiple other enclaves. Some of the most intriguing ones blend classic Parisian flavours with unique characteristics.

A case in point is Le Village Saint-Paul in the 4th arrondissement, close to, but feeling quite detached from, the historic Le Marais quarter.

Rich in both creativity and tranquility, it’s wedged between the River Seine and Rue Saint-Antione, a thoroughfare that’s a continuation of bustling Rue de Rivoli, which connects the Avenue des Champs-Elysees with Place de la Bastille.

Accessible through a string of narrow passageways, Le Quartier Saint-Paul, as it’s also known, is centred on a pedestrianised cluster of cobbled lanes and courtyards, where you’ll find stores and studios that are home to designers, craftspeople and dealers of art, antiques and furniture. It’s nice for ambling and browsing — and potentially for stumbling across a collector’s item or keepsake — and there are also a handful of tucked-away cafes, tearooms and restaurants with tables scattered outside.

One is La Petite Maison dans La Cour, which translates to the Little House in the Court, and proudly uses seasonal French produce in its salads, tarts and warm dishes.

Low-rise apartments overlook the village lanes and squares, hemming everything in and conjuring an ambience that feels far removed from the urban melee of Paris.

It’s not always so placid, however. I stumble across a group of young children cheerfully and noisily playing soccer where the Rue des Jardins Saint-Paul meets the Rue Charlemagne. Behind them is one of the few remaining chunks of Paris’ medieval city walls, begun in the late 12th century when King Phillip II of France was on the throne.

From here, I can see the church that gives Le Village Saint-Paul its name. Called the Eglise Saint-Paul-Saint-Louis, it was constructed in the 17th century with financial support from another monarch, Louis XIII, replacing an earlier parish church (Saint-Paul-des-Champs) established around AD1125.

Flaunting attractive baroque influences inside and out, the building fronts on to Place Saint-Paul, a few steps from Saint-Paul Metro station. That’s on Line 1, so you could easily (and quickly) travel to Parisian icons like the Louvre and the Arc de Triomphe from here.

But I’m still in the mood for a wander, so I cross Place Saint-Paul and Rue Saint-Antoine and head deeper into Le Marais, a district that straddles the 3rd and 4th arrondissements and whose tangle of alleys, squares, gardens, cafes, museums and galleries are packed with potential Parisian pleasures.

fact file + To help plan a trip to Paris and France, see parisjetaime.com and france.fr.