Where to live in Paris: stylish pied-à-terres in the medieval Le Marais district and new hotspot Batignolles

Autumn is an ideal time to explore Paris, with a host of exhibitions and events in the French capital.

Fashion Week, Design Week, jazz and music festivals are followed in October by FIAC, the prestigious International Contemporary Art Fair.

There’s a Francis Bacon exhibition under way at the Pompidou Centre and celebrations marking the 130th anniversary of both the Eiffel Tower and Moulin Rouge.

The year in Paris began with yellow jacket protesters disrupting the city in weekly demonstrations against President Macron’s industrial reforms, followed by April’s disastrous fire at Notre-Dame Cathedral. Yet the city is thriving.

Savills World Cities Prime Residential Index says prime property in Paris experienced “standout growth of four per cent” from January to June this year, while Knight Frank placed Paris at the top of its forecasts for prime property increases this year, predicting a six per cent rise.

One reason for these rises is the shortage of supply. Despite demand from local and international buyers, central Paris is compact and little changed from the 19th century.

The medieval Marais covers the 3rd and 4th Arrondissements, or districts, of the city, where the tangle of narrow streets, fashionable boutiques and chic restaurants make it a perpetual favourite with locals and tourists.

It’s busy, beautiful and expensive says Alison Ashby of Knight Frank associates, Junot. “Le Marais is old Paris, a lively and popular place with everything on hand.

You can walk across to Île Saint-Louis, then on to Saint-Germain. High-end homes have continued to rise in value and it remains a seller’s market.”

The best value in Le Marais is around Rue de Bretagne where the streets are wider and there are fewer tourists.

Junot is selling a cosy third-floor two-bedroom flat of 538sq ft for £608,000. In a Haussmann building, it has a lift, herringbone floors, classic mouldings and a fireplace. One bedroom faces the street but otherwise this is an ideal pied-à-terre

Immediately north of prestigious 8th Arrondissement, the 17th offers good value. Once a working-class area, Batignolles has been newly adopted by singles and young families.

As the 1st to 8th Arrondissements become more expensive, buyers priced out of the heart of the city are moving to the 17th, including many Parisians, says Junot’s Alison Ashby.

A one-bedroom, fourth-floor home is £299,000 for a tiny 290sq ft while an artfully restored and supremely comfortable two-bedroom family flat with original herringbone floors, original fireplaces and a small annexe bedroom is £1,179,000.

Knight Frank: knightfrank.com

Marked out by the Champs-Élysées, Avenue Montaigne and Avenue Georges V, the “Golden Triangle” is prime, prestigious Paris, its wide streets lined with designer boutiques and exclusive five-star hotels.

Hôtel Grand Powers, right, a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, joined that list when it reopened in January after an 18-month refurb.

It now combines fresh, spirit-lifting Pierre Frey fabrics, contemporary colours and elegant Art Deco furniture with exquisite original Haussmann high ceilings, marble fireplaces and herringbone wooden floors.

Rooms are generously sized, staff are friendly and efficient and the location is solid gold. This is five-star luxury with a delightful informality — British tourists should love it.

Hôtel Grand Powers, Rue François: room and breakfast from £369 a night