The Place des Voges is considered by many to be the most beautifully built square in Paris. It was built by Henry IV and soon became one of the most exclusive areas to live. Napoleon himself considered it the jewel of Paris. Notice the small variations in the building's heights lining the square, the delicate brickwork, the special color tone of the stone, the exquisite park with its sculpture and tended gardens and children playing--- the scene is almost unreal at times. Victor Hugo lived at # 6 while he wrote Les Miserables but during the 19th century much of the aristocracy had abandoned the neighborhood and the area was taken over by shopkeepers and immigrants, vagrants, artisans and artists and Jews. If you are interested in what the area was like at the height of its grandeur, the Carnavalet Museum (23 rue de Sevigne) is filled with the history of Paris and is worth seeing even if it's a little confusing and nothing is in English…. but it's FREE. (closed Mondays) Nearby, at # 5 Rue Thorigny , you will find the Picasso Museum which is also worth visiting if you have any interest in art.