The Passages of Paris – Itinerary

The passages of Paris They are undoubtedly one of the most magical places in the City of Lights. From the moment you enter, you enter a world that seems to have been taken from another era. A place where time has almost stood still. Some of the passages are very famous, but some are almost completely unknown, and people usually come to them while casually wandering the streets of the second district or when it suddenly starts to rain and everyone is looking for a place to hide.

Large or small, familiar or unknown, there is no doubt that a trip to Paris without visiting the arcades is like asking for ketchup in a restaurant. French – Possible but not recommended. Today I will tell the story of the arcades in Paris, recommend some of the most charming arcades, in my opinion, and finally give you a short itinerary.

The history of the arcades in Paris

The Paris of the late 18th century was a far cry from the Paris we know today, as the streets stank due to the lack of proper sewage infrastructure. Although sidewalks were invented in the 17th century during the construction of The Pon Nef Bridge After all, most of the streets were still muddy and the chance of a Parisian being run over by a carriage or, at the very least, covered in mud following the passage of a passing carriage was quite high.

Add to this the fact that street lighting was not well developed, which made the “City of Lights” a paradise for thieves, and you will understand why, unlike us, many Parisians did not really like to wander the streets and peek into shop windows. One of the first people to understand the business opportunity in this was the Duke of Orléans Louis Philippe, who in 1784 added a row of indoor shops to the Palais Royal, thus turning it intoThe first French shopping mall.

Following the success of the Palais Royal stores, entrepreneurs began to build covered shopping centers, which often formed a passage between one street and another and were therefore called Passage. These shopping centers were covered with a glass roof that protected passersby from the rain and because they were lit at all hours of the day they were considered very safe. As a result, the Passages became a success story and during the first half of the 19th century, about 150 of them were built in Paris.

All the arcades were built on the Right Bank of Paris, which was the business center of the city, especially in the 2nd arrondissement, where the Paris Stock Exchange was located. The glory days of the arcades did not last long, and during the second half of the 19th century many of them began to close. There were several reasons for this.

The first reason was the rebuilding of Paris, which took place during the reign of Napoleon III and which made the streets and avenues of Paris a pleasant place to wander, so that it was no longer necessary to go to the arcades. Also, as part of the rebuilding plan of Paris, new streets were built, which passed through entire neighborhoods and required their demolition along with the arcades that were in them.

And finally, the birth of department stores, which also occurred during the reign of Napoleon III, and which is described in Emile Zola's famous book "A paradise for a woman", was a death blow to the small shops in the arcades, which could not compete with the wealth of goods offered by the department stores. As a result, the number of arcades decreased from about 150 to a few dozen. The remaining arcades were also very neglected and their condition deteriorated, but, fortunately, in recent years some of them have been renovated and their magic has returned.

Recommended arcades in Paris

Passage du Grand Cerf

The passage was built in 1825 and named after an inn that stood there before. French RevolutionThe place also served as the “central station” of Paris from which mail coaches departed to the north and east of FranceThis is a charming passage that has been renovated relatively recently and you can find galleries, clothing stores, jewelry stores and African art stores. You can also find the wine bar Le Pas-Sage, whose name is an amusing play on words (it can be translated as passage, not smart or smart step).

This is without a doubt one of my favorite passages, not only because of its beauty but because of its name (“Grand Cerf” means “the great deer”). You can read about it in the article Passage du Grand Cerf: the glass and iron giant of Paris.

You can enter the passage from the following streets:

Rue Saint Denis 145 or Rue Dussoubs 10.

שעות פתיחה:

08:00-20:00 Open Monday to Saturday.

Passage des Panoramas

This is one of the oldest arcades in Paris (the oldest is the Palais Royal, followed by the Passage Feydeau in 1790 and the Passage du Caire in 1799). It was also the first arcade to have gas lighting installed in 1817. The arcade was built in 1800 on the ruins of the Duke of Luxembourg's mansion, and the mansion's gate still adorns the entrance from Rue Saint Marc.

Since its creation, the Passage has become one of the most important attractions of Paris in the 19th century. Parisians fell in love with the Café Veron in the Felix patisserie and especially with the panoramic paintings brought by the American (Joseph Fulton). These paintings were the “last cry” when they were created in 1787 and are what gave the Passage its name.

Fulton's original goal was simply to make a little money while waiting for Napoleon's reply regarding the torpedo boats, steamboats and even submarines, which he proposed to build for the Emperor of France. Since Napoleon was mainly interested in the land army, he eventually decided to give up and Fulton left Paris and went to sell his inventions in... England. Today, the Passage houses stamp collectors' shops, the teahouse of the chocolate maker "Marquis" and the Théâtre des Variétés.

You can enter the passage from the following streets:

10 rue Saint-Marc or 11 boulevard Montmartre Or 38 rue Vivienne or 151 rue Montmartre.

שעות פתיחה:

06:00-24:00. Open every day of the week.

Passage Joffroy

Passage is located in the south of the 9th arrondissement, opposite its much more famous sibling Passage de Panorama, which is located across the road at the edge of the 2nd arrondissement.
Passage Jouffroy was founded in 1845 and underwent an extensive general renovation in 1987.

Here you will find a selection of small, charming shops and the exit from the wax museum, Gervan MuseumAt the end of the passage is a small hotel called Hotel Chopin.

You can enter the passage from the following address:

10-12 Boulevard Montmartre

Galerie Vivienne

In my opinion, Galeries Vivienne is the most beautiful passage in Paris and a great place to spend some time, especially in rainy weather. The place became famous in 1830, when, during the July Revolution, the composer Hector Berlioz decided to gather a few dozen French people here to sing together the The Marseillaise, whose performance was banned by the monarchy. According to the composer, the excellent acoustics of the passage created an extraordinary musical effect that breathed new life into the revolutionaries, who eventually dethroned King Charles X.

Today you can find here mainly charming bookstores and shops that sell antiques. You can also find the tea room A Priori Thé here where you can stop for coffee, hot chocolate or a variety of teas served there. Finally, if you are a wine lover, I highly recommend you not to miss the famous wine shop Legrand Filles et Fils, which has existed here since 1919 and is considered one of the best wine shops in Paris since the end of World War II.

Want to read more about this passage and the neighboring Colbert Passage? Go to the article Galeries Vivienne and Passage Colbert – two hidden wonders in the heart of Paris.

You can enter the passage from the following streets:

4 rue des Petits-Champs or 6 rue Vivienne or 5 rue de la Banque

Galerie Colbert

Parallel to the Galerie Vivienne stands the Galerie Colbert, which was built on the site of the mansion of the Minister of Finance of the Louis XIVLike Galerie Vivienne, Galerie Colbert was built in 1826 and during the 19th century there was competition between the two arcades. However, despite its elegant appearance, the business in this arcade was not successful and it was facing demolition.

Fortunately for us, the site was bought by the French National Library, which is establishing a research institute on the history of art. The only business currently existing in this passage is Brasserie Le Grand Colbert the famous

You can enter the passage from the following streets:

6 rue des Petits-Champs or 2 rue Vivienne.

Passage de Choiseul

The passage was built in 1829 and little remains of its rich cultural past. Unfortunately, there is no trace of the bookstore and publishing house of Alphonse Lemerre (1838-1912), where the books of Sully Prudhomme (1839-1907), the first winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, were published, andPaul VerlaineThe famous French writer Anatole France (1844-1924) worked here as an editor at Lemar's publishing house and later published his books there.

Like many arcades, this arcade deteriorated in the late 19th century, and Ferdinand Céline, author of “Long Journey into Night,” who lived here as a child, described the place as “smelling with the smell of gas lamps and dog urine.” What saved the arcade was the establishment of a store by the famous fashion house Kenzo, which increased the traffic of shoppers to the place. Since then, the store has managed to move to Place des Victoires, and today you can find restaurants, bookstores, jewelry stores, and art galleries.

You can enter the passage from the following streets:

40 rue des Petits-Champs or 23 rue Saint-Augustin or 40 rue Dalayrac

Galerie Véro-Dodat

The passage was built by a couple of butchers named Vero and Duda in 1826. Its glass ceiling, mahogany wood panels and black and white floor create a magical atmosphere of bygone days. You can really imagine elegant women in crinoline dresses and men in black top hats strolling there on their way to the café or the opera.

In 1836, the famous actress Rachel Felix (1821-1858) moved here, living on the third floor at number 38, while on the ground floor, the satirical newspaper Le Charivari operated, where the caricaturist Honoré Daumier (1808-1879) worked.

In a scathing review published in this pen, the word “Impressionists” was coined by art critic Louis Leroy (1812-1885). Today, the passage is home to mostly antique shops and a few high-fashion stores, including Christian Louboutin.

You can read more about this passage In an article about Gallery Vero-Duda.

You can enter the passage from the following streets:

19 rue Jean-Jacques-Rousseau or 2 rue du Bouloi

שעות פתיחה:

07:00-22:00. Monday to Saturday (excluding holidays).

A walking tour through the arcades of Paris

After reading about the most charming passages in Paris, it's time to take a trip to the City of Lights and visit them. Here's the route map:

• I suggest starting the trip at the Les Grands Boulevards metro exit, which is close toPassage de Panorama.
• After you've finished visiting there, head down Vivienne Street and along the way you'll be impressed by the French Stock Exchange building (Palais Broniart). From there, walk along Saint Augustin Street until you reach Passage Choiseul.
• Exit through Passage Saint Anne and walk east through the area where it once stood. Old French OperaOn the way you will see the Louvois Garden and the charming fountain placed there.
• Continue according to the map and you will arrive at Gallery Colbert And after you're done walking around it, go to Vivian Gallery Adjacent to it.
• After strolling through the two charming arcades, go to the charming Petits Peres Square and, if you wish, also enter the Notre Dame des Victoire Church, where the important French composer Jean Baptiste Lully (1632-1687) is buried.
• From here, go to the “Place des Victoires” and after you finish admiring the statue of Louis XIV and the Kenzo store, continue until you reach the Galeries Vero Duda.
• Exit the gallery onto Boulois Street and continue east towards the Saint-Eustache Church andMontreuil Street For its many culinary attractions. Continue on Tiquetonne Street until you reach Dussoubs Street, from where you can enter the last passage of this walk.Gran Surf.
• This is where the trip ends. Hope you enjoyed it.

Looking for more information about Paris?

• If you feel like trying another itinerary, why not try the The itinerary in the Latin QuarterIf you are a little more adventurous and want to try a trip that is a little further away from the tourist attractions of Paris, I also highly recommend the trip that goes throughThe 9th and 10th arrondissements of Paris.
• And finally, don't forget the Paris map The interactive website where you can find almost everything in Paris efficiently and simply.
• If there is anything else you need that you did not find on the site, do not hesitate to contact me (contact details are on On the About Me page or at the bottom of the page).