Freshly Baked

Freshly Baked: Île-de-France

Immortalised in literature, art and song, Rue des Martyrs in the 9th arrondissement is one of Paris’ most emblematic streets. It boasts a dizzying amount of gourmet food shops, patisseries, restaurants and coffee shops – in fact, this street has the highest concentration of bakeries in the entire city. And walking along its rows of Haussmannian buildings, it’s easy to see why this was once a haunt for artists like Toulouse Lautrec and Baudelaire. This beautiful courtyard-facing apartment puts you right in the heart of the action, offering you the chance to experience one of Paris’ coolest streets. Inside, tall ceilings, wood floors as well as a plethora of art and books create a warm, bohemian welcome. Beautiful period features like the ornamental fireplaces, corniced ceiling and wall panelling recall the building’s 19th-century past, while wonderfully modern updates like the marble bathroom and sleek kitchen provide all the home comforts you need. You’ll love waking up to the smell of freshly baked bread in the bedroom (one of the street’s bakeries has its back door in your building’s shared courtyard) and enjoying your morning coffee by the Juliet balcony. And whether you’re kicking back on the sofa with a glass of wine and some cheese from the local fromagerie or gathering for breakfasts over fresh croissants at the dining table, the main living space is ideal for socialising, soirées and sumptuous relaxation. Outside of your home, you’ve got plenty of entertainment on your front steps with Rue des Martyrs’ cabarets, restaurants and bars, while Montmartre’s beautiful Sacré-Cœur and the Moulin Rouge are a fourteen-minute walk away. The Opéra Garnier and Galeries Lafayette department store are also a fifteen-minute walk, the Louvre is reachable on foot in just over twenty minutes and Gare du Nord (if you’re arriving by Eurostar or Thalys) is also just a fifteen-minute stroll from your home.

Home truths:
*At maximum capacity, three guests will sleep on the two sofa beds in the living room
*A cot is available on request
*You'll receive an in-person check-in
*You'll need to bring your own shampoo
*The building has a concierge
*The TV has 300 foreign channels to choose from
*Your host speaks French, English, German and Spanish and has lots of top tips for places to visit in the area which he's happy to share with you
*The toilet is located in a separate cubicle from the shower room
*There's no private parking here but there's secure parking a five-minute walk away in Parking Saint Georges, 20 rue Clauzel – alternatively, Notre-Dame-de-Lorette Metro station is a three-minute walk away
*There's a Vélib bike-sharing station on your road