Paris’s second-smallest arrondissement, the Haut Marais is a perfect fusion of the chichi Marais proper, found immediately south, and the more edgily-cool 11th, sprawling east from Place de la République. And although well stocked with trendy cocktail bars, classy galleries and oh-so-bobo boutiques, le troisième nonetheless remains unpretentious and easy-going. There’s ample culture to investigate too, along a tempting tangle of historic streets — half-timbered houses here; ex-factories there — conspicuously lacking in Haussmann façades.  Things to See and Do The quartier has two headline museums. Housed in a saintly, 17th-century mansion, Musée National Picasso-Paris is compact yet crammed with wonder; galleries expertly document the Spanish maverick’s artistic evolution alongside a temporary exhibit or two. Fifteen minutes’ walk away, the steampunkier Musée des Arts et Métiers tracks scientific and technological innovations through time. Among its wacky highlights are Foucault’s original pendulum, artifacts from the Statue of Liberty’s creation, and an array of early planes. Picasso Museum, Paris, main entrance. Photo: Neoclassicism Enthusiast / Wikimedia commons Now for an impressive undercard. The free-to-enter Musée Carnavalet recounts Paris’ history from its Roman origins to World War II via a slipper supposedly belonging to Marie-Antoinette while the Musée de la Chasse et de Nature majors in taxidermy, the Foundation Henri Cartier-Bresson hosts photography shows, and the Museum of Jewish Art & History does what it says on the tin.  Jardins du Musée Carnavalet – Histoire de Paris. Photo: Sophie Robichon You might also find a pop-up exhibition at the Carreau du Temple, a covered market turned iron-and-glass event space which hosts everything from food trucks to Hermès expositions. The Square du Temple’s botanical plants and duck pond are steps away, yet seclusion is likelier at the more hidden Jardin Anne Frank. Hemmed in by buildings, this small community garden features a memorial to its namesake alongside an orchard.  Art fans will find galleries galore, especially along Rue de Turenne, often in former shops. On Thursday evenings, glass-clinking vernissages seem to be occurring on every street. If romanticism is your bag, aim also to enter the church of Saint-Denys-du-Saint-Sacrement; awaiting in its chapel is Eugène Delacroix’s large, impassioned La Pietà mural. La Pietà, 1842-1844, Eugène Delacroix. Photo: Romainbehar / Wikimedia commons Places to Eat  Let’s start, as most days ought to, with coffee. Some of Paris’s premier third-wave coffee shops are found in these parts; our votes go to Boot Café, on a quiet street behind its vintage, Insta-ripe “Cordonnerie” shop sign; Fringe, for its rotating photo exhibits and godly cinnamon buns; and laptop-friendly Éclat, because of a stellar chai lattes.