The museums of Paris reopen!

Paris is gradually returning to normal and the Hotel Marais Bastille is ready to welcome you this summer for a relaxing break in the capital. Our district between the Marais and the Bastille is full of life and interesting things to do, especially now that the city’s museums are reopening. Read on as we bring you up to speed with what’s happening!

Museums to visit in Paris this summer

After what we’ve all been through recently, this summer will be a good time to reconnect with cultural activities and unwind. With that in mind, our team would like to recommend, from among the many Parisian museums, some that are less well-known, easily accessible on foot from our hotel, and scheduled to reopen in the coming weeks. Among these, the Musée Cognaq-Jay is a favourite of ours. Housed in a magnificent 16th century mansion, this City of Paris municipal museum houses the extensive collections assembled by an unusual couple. From modest beginnings, Théodore-Ernest Cognacq and his wife Marie-Louise Jay made their fortune by founding the department store, La Samaritaine. During the first quarter of the 20th century they used their wealth to acquire decorative items, paintings, furniture and other artifacts dating from the 18th century.
Meanwhile, a completely different experience awaits you in the heart of the Marais, where the Musée Picasso invites you to discover all the facets of a creative genius. This display space in the Hôtel de Salé was specially designed to accommodate the Spanish artist’s works.

Museums in Paris for all tastes

Remaining within easy reach of the hotel, we invite you to visit two totally different museums. The first is the famous Pompidou Centre, a multicultural complex dedicated to modern and contemporary art that houses some of the most important permanent collections in Europe, including works by Brancusi, Frida Kahlo, Chagall, Léger, Pollock and Bacon, as well as various essential temporary exhibitions. It also hosts live performances, film shows, workshops for young people and a huge library. A fine restaurant occupies the building’s rooftop.
A completely different atmosphere can be enjoyed at the Atelier des Lumières. Located in a former foundry, this digital art centre provides an immersive multimedia experience featuring the works of great artists projected onto the walls, floors and ceilings, allowing you to feel as though you are stepping inside the paintings themselves to study each brushstroke in vivid detail. It’s utterly fascinating! This summer’s main exhibition is called Monet, Renoir... Chagall: Travels in the Mediterranean, and demonstrates how that part of Europe inspired numerous great artists in the late 19th century. A complementary exhibition is devoted to the 20th century artist Yves Klein and his Infinite Blue...

Paris is regaining all her colours and invites you to enjoy a cultural summer break with the gradual reopening of all its museums during the month of June and the first days of July. The calm and comfortable Hotel Marais Bastille is the ideal place from which to discover them...

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More information:

- Musée Cognaq-Jay
- Musée Picasso
- Centre Pompidou
- Atelier des Lumières

Hotel Marais Bastille, a 3-star hotel a few steps from Place de la Bastille