Place des
Vosges, Paris
Upon
entering the Place des Vosges I am reminded that cities are
primarily built to a home for people, a purpose that
sometimes seems lost in our modern
versions.
If
you haven't been there let me describe the Place des Vosges
to you as simply the most urbane and intimate public square
in the world. While many public places seemed to be scaled
more to allow a Boeing 747 room to maneuver, the Place des
Voges seems like it was designed on a human
scale.
It
is surrounded by 17th Century townhouses that once were
home to French nobility and aristocracy and it was once
known as the Place Royale. None of the townhouses reach
more than a few stories and no office towers or major
hotels loom over you. No major thoroughfare cuts through
the Place so it is most saved from street traffic and thus
is perfect for pedestrians. Several of the streets enter
the Place through small arched passageways that make up a
townhouse's first floor.
It's
not just a residential area, a large number of businesses
line the square. As a visitor you can enjoy siting in the
park, viewing the former home of Victor Hugo, strolling
under the arcades gazing into art shops or you can be
partaking of the specialities of the Burgundian region at
Ma Bourgogne (19 Place des Vosges), a cafe said to have
been frequented by inspector Maigret. Just guess where I'll
be.