72 HOURS IN: PARIS
DAY ONE
9AM: Steps from the Seine, the Marais district in the 4th arrondissement is quite possibly the French capital’s hippest hangout. The streets are filled with designer boutiques, contemporary galleries and achingly cool bars. And then there’s the Place de Vosges, which has been called one of the most beautiful squares in the world. It’s here that you’ll find the grand hotel Le Pavillon de la Reine, set in an ivy-covered, 17th-century mansion, replete with a fairy-tale garden courtyard. Check into one of its 56 rooms and suites, each individually decorated with exposed wooden beams, bold fabrics, patterned wallpaper and gilded mirrors – some also come with marble fireplaces.
10AM: In the same district, legendary Poilâne has been hand-cutting cookies and kneading sourdough since 1932. Its apple tart is the perfect morning pick-me-up – order
