Marais I

Make sure those boots are made for walking! M: Filles du Calvaire. Exit the métro and turn right onto rue des Filles du Calvaire (opp. Le Cirque d'Hiver). Stumble first into taxidermist Chardon at #21 / 42 74 58 10. It's not for the squeamish, but enthusiasts will find covetable stuffed animals and collector's items within. Stellar stationery awaits further on at #5 Papier Tigre / 48 04 00 21. Exit and walk right onto rue de Turenne and at the first corner turn left onto rue Debelleyme for the waffle weaves of Khadi and Co. at #37 / 42 74 71 32, and #31 CDG's Pocket Shop plus yum puff pastries at #29 Popelini / 44 61 31 44 / popelini.com. Turn right on rue de Bretagne, then a quick right up rue de Saintonge. At the rue de Normandie intersection, you'll be staring at a slew of fabulous fashion, with 13 Bonaparte at #2 / 42 71 83 15 / 13bonaparte.com, Nue 19.04 at #4 / 83 91 24 55, Isabel Marant at #47 and April 77 at #49. Phew! Don't miss the couture bonbons at #133 Jacques Genin, then u-turn at the corner onto rue Charlot. The Impossible Project at #77 / 09 54 18 67 82 / revives the art of Polaroids, while make-up pros and beauty buffs stock up at #58 Gloss'up Beauty Bar / 63 51 20 95. Find ravishing recycled style chez Yves Andrieux & Vincent Jalbert at #55 / 42 71 19 54, then Café Charlot / 44 54 03 30 / is fab for people watching. Cross rue de Bretagne and continue along Charlot to discover the entrancing photos of Images & Portraits at #37 / 06 65 23 95 03. Exit out the shop's back door into Paris' oldest covered market, the Marché des Enfants Rouges. Zip in for a quick wander and refuel. Retrace back onto rue Charlot and head right to the Parisienne source of chic, AB33 at #33 / 42 71 02 82. Galerie BSL at #23 is a treat of lighting, furny and mode. Carry on across rue de Poitou to find Dominique Picquier at #10 / 42 72 39 14 / for chic fabri-bags and accessories. Exit left and enter the courtyard. There's more contempo art at the Galerie Chantal Crousel / 42 77 38 87 / or go straight to the lift for Martin Grant's beaut atelier (see Advanced Shopping). Exiting the courtyard back onto Charlot, find dapper men's jackets and coats at Éclectic #8 / 42 78 00 20 / e-eclectic.com, then left to bee-bop back and forth between the contempo art galleries lining both sides of rue du Perche. When you see the veggie-tanned archi bags of Bonastre / 04 78 99 10 / at the corner with Saintonge, swing left and put your shades down to see the bright silver at #3 Voglux, before zipping to the end of the block and right onto Poitou to check out Christophe Lemaire's ‘tired' luxury at #28 / 44 78 00 09. Exit left, then it's a right down rue Debelleyme for art galleries galore. Be sure to check out Thaddaeus Ropac at #7 / 42 72 99 00 / for artists both established and upcoming, Pierre-Alain Challier at #8 / 49 96 63 00 / for contemporary art, and Karsten Greve at #5 / 42 77 19 37 / for mixed media. Galleries continue right on to rue de Thorigny, and so should you, ending it all with a leisurely tour of the Musée Picasso (see Museums), and if you haven't had enough, this is precisely where the Marais Part II itin starts, you insatiable retailista. Voilà!