By: Kylie Condon
Part of traveling is truly getting lost in a neighborhood to really take it all in. However, sometimes it’s nice to not feel so lost and be led by a tour guide who knows what’s up! On one of my first days in Paris, I got the lay of the land by taking an LGBT Guided Tour of the Marais organized by Meeting the French. The informative tour, led by a savvy young Parisian named Alex, really gave me an insider’s look at Paris’ most popular “gayborhood”. My guide was quickly able to accommodate my specific interests (lesbians) while on the tour.
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The walking tour begins by giving you some background on The Marais’ rich history. We made a pit stop at a memorial dedicated to the last two French known to have been sentenced to death for being gay in 1750. Luckily the present Marais is very gay friendly!
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We also walked through a square dedicated to Renée Vivien, a high-profile lesbian poet from the late 19th century. Having your own square in the Marais is major #lesbiangoals
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In addition to the fulfilling history lesson, Alex also taught me about the neighborhood’s current happenings and hotspots. Such as famous lesbian bars La Mutinerie and Le Bar’ouf.
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We continued our tour by visiting several other LBGT bars, clubs, restaurants, and stores. Some favorites included LGBT bookshop Les Mots a la Bouche and bakery Legay Choc, whose specialty is penis shaped pastries.
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I felt much more acquainted with the Marais after the tour. Throughout the rest of my trip, I continuously returned to the Marais and pulled from the extensive gay-wisdom Alex bestowed upon me. I would highly suggest taking this tour for anyone looking to get some basic background on Le Marais!
**To follow Kylie and see more travel photos, find her on Instagram @lezexploreinsta
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