Isles
It all began here. Paris was founded on the islands of Seine and later expanded to the Right and Left banks of the river. The churches Notre-Dame and Sainte-Chapelle will be the high points of our walk around the two islands, Ile de la Cité and Ile Saint-Louis.
For the time being we save the former island, the real Paris of ancient times, and begin our walk on the farther tip of Ile Saint-Louis, at Pont de Sully. If we arrive by the metro, it is best to get off at the Sully-Morland station and walk across Pont de Sully over to the island.
Ile de Saint-Louis
Rue de Saint-Louis-en-l’Ile. (F5).
On the way over the Pont de Sully we scan the Ile Saint-Louis which architecturally is the most consistent and graceful part of Paris. On the whole this island is a pleasant and a relaxed oasis in the midst of the frenzy of the city center, almost aristocratically sleepy.
Two islands were combined in one and built with mansions 1627-1664, in the golden age of France. These houses of more than three centuries are still standing and turn their refined 17th C. Renaissance Mannerist fronts to the river banks. Behind the massive oak doors are hidden the courtyards of the mansions, or hotels as they are called in France.
Originally aristocrats and judges lived here but now there are many well-off artists and retired politicians. The widow of president Pompidou lives here. Emblems in memory of famous inhabitants of former centuries are on many house fronts.
We walk from the bridge to its intersection with Rue Saint-Louis-en-l’Ile, where our walk really begins.
Rue Saint-Louis-en-l’Ile
(F5).
The street with the long name is the backbone of the island, the only street that goes through it lengthwise. It is full of tiny and enchanting specialty shops, interspersed with restaurants and hotels. The specialization of the shops is so far developed that there are no general butchers, only special beef shops, fowl shops, pork shops and sausage shops.
It is fascinating to observe how the street flows with pedestrians all day long. In the morning it is a world in itself, when the locals go from shop to shop to assemble their lunches and dinners before the tourists take over the scene. Some of the establishments in the street are mentioned elsewhere in this database.
There is also the church which has given its name to the island and the street, Saint-Louis, built 1664-1726, with an interior in decorous Jesuit style by Le Vau, consecrated to Louis IX.
When we arrive at the other end of the street we first observe Notre-Dame which lies open before our eyes on the far side of Pont Saint-Louis. Then we turn right and walk along the river bank around the whole island.
Quai d’Orleans
(F5).
We first stop at the bend of Quai de Bourbon and enjoy the downriver view. Then we continue along Quai d’Anjou where some of the finest mansions are, such as Hôtel de Lauzon at no. 17 and Hôtel Lambert at no. 1. In French hôtel means a town mansion and not necessarily a guest house or hotel. We turn again over Pont de Sully over to Quai de Béthune and then Quai d’Orléans.
Here one can often see sunbathers and anglers on the lower bank below the street level when the weather is fine. On the bend of Quai d’Orléans there is a splendid view through the foliage of the trees to the back of Notre-Dame which many find to be at its most beautiful from this direction.
Next we turn left over Pont Saint-Louis to Ile de la Cité. First we ignore Notre-Dame and turn right along Quai aux Fleurs. Soon we turn left down steps to Rue des Ursins.
Rue des Ursins
(F5).
It runs parallel to the bank. We are down at the original level of the island and in a medieval aura from the 11th and 12th C. Such was the island before city planner Haussmann overthrew everything on behalf of Napoleon III. We walk the narrow street to the end.
Then we turn left into Rue de la Colombe and then again to the left into Rue Chanoinesse. These streets constitute the ancient quarter of monasteries. We cross the garden behind Notre-Dame and at its backboard side. From this side we have the closest view of the cathedral.
Notre-Dame
(F5).
We see clearly the extensive system of flying buttresses supporting the walls. They are one of the main characteristics of Gothic churches. We also see the front of the transept with an enormous rose window, also spires and dragons, all typically Gothic.
When we come to the west front of the church it rises in all its majesty, with magnificent pointed arches over the portals, a row of kings’ statues, a rose window of nine meters in diameter and finally two massive and spireless towers which reach 70 meters in height.
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The biggest bell in the south tower weighs 13 tons and its clapper half a ton. Travelers who want to enjoy the view from the tower can take the stairs, open 10-16:45 and -17:45 in summer.
We enter the church.
Notre Dame interior
(F5).
It can take 9000 worshippers at the same time. It has a crucifix plan with very short transepts. It is 31 meters high on the inside, with long, Gothic windows. It is completely surrounded by chapels nestling between the buttresses. In the transept there is a rose window on each side. An enormous chancel with an altar and an ambulatory is in the far end.
Notre-Dame is an historical landmark of architecture, a showpiece of the early Gothic. It was built in 1163-1345. All the time the original plans were faithfully used. Therefore it has a consistent style and became the model for French cathedrals. Thus it was dominant in spreading the Gothic style all over France and also had influence on similar cathedrals in Britain.
Today most of church is original, including the glass in the rose window on the west front. And what has been renovated has been done in the original style. The church itself and the square in front of it have for eight centuries been the focal point of Paris and France.
We leave the church and enter the square in front of it, Place de Parvis.
Ile de la Cité
The center of Paris and of France. All distances in France are measured from Place de Parvis. Here the city was founded 200-250 B.C. by the Parisii, a Celtic tribe of fishermen and sailors. For a long time, during the four first centuries A.D. it was a stronghold of the Romans who built their barracks on the Left bank.
In 508 it became the capital of Klodwig, king of the Franks, and has since then been the capital of France. In the Middle Ages the city itself spread to the mainland banks. Later Charles V moved court over to the Louvre palace. Left behind was the parliament and later the city court.
It is fitting that a museum of the prehistory of the city has been set up under the square after extensive excavations had been made there. In the museum we can see the past in its original place. The remains are from Celtic and Roman times and some from the Middle Ages. This is a delightful museum, open 10-12 and 14:30-18:30, closed Monday.
We cross the square and turn right into Place Louis-Lépine.
Place Louis-Lépine
Place Louis-Lépine, 75001. (E5).
The venue of the main flower market of central Paris, held in Place Louis-Lépine and Quai de la Corse, a stone’s throw from Notre-Dame. On Sunday this market changes into a pet bird market, popular both with local people and travelers.
We can inspect the flowers, or the birds, if we happen on a Sunday. From the square we can descend through one of the famous Art Nouveau gates of wrought iron to the Paris metro.
We take a look at the metro entrance.
Metro Art Nouveau
Many entrances to metro stations are from the lively years around 1900, the Belle Époque, when Art Noveau swept through Europe from Paris. Hector Guimard designed the entrances which are built of wrought iron. One of them is here on the square.
We go past the flower market. Behind massive railings of wrought iron we see the former parliament and present palace of justice.
Palais de Justice
(E5).
The front of the palace dates from the years after the fire of 1776, one of the many attacking the palace. The left wing and the back, facing Place Dauphine, also date from this time. The oldest part, Conciergerie, the remains of the ancient royal palace, is on the right hand side, dating from the beginning of the 14th C.
Here the Merovingian kings lived in the 6th to 9th C. and Capetian kings in the 11th to 13th C. After that the French parliament was housed here up to the Revolution of 1789, when the palace became a prison and a court.
We can follow barristers, defendants, judges, journalists and inquisitive people up the great steps and take in the goings on in the long corridors and in the courtrooms themselves. Those with scant interest can make do with inspecting the Marchande gallery behind the front door. Others can turn right into Salle des Pas Perdus, where the commotion is greatest.
When we return down the front steps we turn to the right into the main courtyard of the palace. There we see the oldest part of the palace complex, Sainte-Chapelle.
Sainte-Chapelle
Hours: Open 10-12 and 13:30-17, -18 in summer. (E5).
Built in 1248, singularly dazzling, probably the most beautiful Gothic church in existence. It is completely in the original state of the late Gothic style. The enormous windows of stained glass are the oldest windows in Paris and the most splendid windows from the 13th C.
We enter at the west front and first arrive at the lower church, originally the church of the royal household. From there we take the stairs to the upper church, which was the church of the king himself.
Sainte-Chapelle interior
The upper church is one big room between windows. The walls between the windows are very narrow and roof rests on slender pilasters. The windows of 15 meters in height let in a mysterious light. This is the most magic place in Paris.
The church seems fragile but has in spite of that stood proud and without fissures for seven centuries and a half. It is strange that this jewel is hidden in a courtyard.
If we want to scrutinize the windows we need a lot of time. The pictures in them show 1134 scenes from the Bible.
We exit by the same way, find the street and turn right and then again right along the river bank, Quai des Orfèvres, along the main police station, Police Judiciare. Then we again turn right into Rue de Harley and from there to the left up to Place Dauphine.
Place Dauphine
(E4).
This restful square, which fans of inspector Maigret should remember, was planned in 1607 by Henri IV. It was mercifully spared when city planner Haussmann rebuilt the island. Some of the houses, for example no. 14, still have the original facade. Here are the wine bars Bar du Caveau and Henri IV, where we can rest our tired limbs.
After our rest we leave the square by the narrow end of its triangle and arrive at Pont Neuf.
Pont Neuf
(E4).
The oldest bridge in Paris in spite of its name, built in 1578-1604, during the reigns of Henri III and Henri IV. It spans 275 meters, has heavy pillars and twelve Romanesque arches, decorated with grim faces of stone.
The former bridges in this places had houses on, as can be seen from paintings.
We go to the square between the wings of the bridge, Square du Vert Galant.
Square du Vert Galant
(E4).
The small park on the western tip of the island is named after Henri IV. There are groves and benches for relaxation. Also here is the pier of one of the shippers who offer tourists a one-hour trip on the Seine. We can accept the offer and have a pleasant voyage with splendid views from the river.
Otherwise we climb back the steps and enjoy the view from the statue of the Vert Galant.
Vert Galant
(E4).
The equestrian statue of Henri IV is called The Vert Galant, which means the Womanizer in Green Clothes. He was a very popular king who did much to calm the religious wars that had dominated France in the years up to his access to power.
Subsequently we walk along Quai de l’Horloge past the northern side of the former royal palace, the oldest part of it, commonly called the Conciergerie.
Conciergerie
(E4).
On this side of the palace there are four 14th C. towers. The central towers originally guarded the entrance to the palace. The square tower farthest to the east has housed the official clock of Paris for more than six centuries. The entrance is between that tower and the central towers.
We enter the palace.
Salle des Gens d’Armes
(E4).
Inside there are three vast Gothic halls from the 14th C. The biggest is Salle des Gens d’Armes of 1800 square meters, the ground floor under the palace.
After the Revolution in 1789 these halls were converted into a prison. 2600 people were brought in 1793-1794 and from here to the guillotine. The massacre did not end until the head of Robespierre himself was cut off in this manner.
This is the end of this walk.
Quais
Most of the great cities in the world do not succeed in making their rivers a central part of city life. Vienna hides the Donau somewhere in the suburbs and so does Berlin with the Spree. The banks of the Thames in London, Tevere in Rome and Arno in Florence are not rendez-vous points for people.
Paris, on the other hand, succeeds in making the banks of the Seine an integral part of city life where people go for a walk, relax in cafés and pursue cultural attractions. Powerful trees give a welcome shade on sunny days and mellow the surroundings. The boxes of antique books appeal to people. Restaurants and cafés jostle for space on the mainland quais.
We can start our circular walk on the river banks at any point. This walk starts at the Pont Neuf metro station at the bridge of the same name. We take in the voluminous Conciergerie and Palais de Justice on the other side of the river. We visited those buildings in our 1st walk. But it is from here that the palace towers look their best. We soon arrive at Place du Châtelet.
Tour Saint-Jacques
(F4).
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We see to our left the imposing tower of Saint-Jacques from 1523, the only remains of a late Gothic 16th C. church, which was destroyed in the aftermath of the Revolution. A statue of Blaise Pascal is in front of the tower.
Well known theaters are on both sides of the square.
We continue along the bank and arrive at the town hall of Paris, Hôtel de Ville.
Hotel de Ville
Hours: Open 8:45-18.30, Saturday 9-18, closed Sunday. (F4).
A town hall has been on this spot since the 14th C. The present palace is from the latter half of the 19th C., an imitation of an earlier Renaissance palace which was burned down in the 1871 revolt. The palace is full of art.
We continue and soon see the Saint-Gervais church on our left.
Saint-Gervais
(F5).
Built 1494-1657 in late Gothic style. Saint-Gervais-Saint-Protais is the full name of the church, named after two Roman martyrs. Is has the oldest Classical facade in the city. The famous organ of the church is used for religious recitals.
From the bank there is a nice little footpath behind the church for a detour to have a quick cup in quaint Ébouillante. Then we return to the bank which here is named Quai de l’Hôtel-de-Ville. We now have Ile Saint-Louis on our right. When we are midway opposite it, we cross the river on Pont Marie, Rue des Deux Ponts, and Pont de la Tournelle to arrive at the Left bank.
Pont de la Tournelle
(F5).
This bridge is a famous Seine viewpoint. In the Middle Ages a chain curtain was stretched here between two castles on opposite banks to prevent attacks on the city. A bridge was first built here in 1370.
On the bridge there is a monument in honor of Sainte Genevieve, the patron saint of Paris, the girl who protected the town against the fury of Attila the Hun in 451.
The ancient and famous restaurant Tour d’Argent is opposite the bridge on the mainland side, tempting travelers with a stunning view and a pressed duck for dinner.
From there our path is downriver along the Left bank. Notre-Dame dominates the view and makes us stop every now and then. We arrive at Square Réne-Viviani to our left.
Square Réne-Viviani
(E5).
The square is opposite the west end of Notre-Dame. We enter the garden in the square. From there we have one of the best views to Notre-Dame. The garden also has a tree said to be the oldest in the city. Behind the garden we see Saint-Julien-le-Pauvre from 1165-1220, described in walk no. 9.
Next we continue along Quai Saint-Michel to Place Saint-Michel.
Place Saint-Michel
(E5).
The formal entrance to the Left bank. It was the center of the revolutionary Paris Commune in 1871 and again the center of the student uprisings in 1968.
From the square the famous café-boulevard Saint-Michel runs southwards, crossing the other famous boulevard of the Left bank, Saint-Germain. Boulevard Saint-Michel is lined with restaurants and bookstores
We resume our walk along the quais. Next comes Quai des Grands-Augustins.
Quai des Grands Augustins
Quai des Grands Augustins. (E5).
Antique booksellers are with their cases in many places along the river banks. They are most numerous on the oldest bank, Quai des Grands-Augustins, running between Pont Neuf and Pont Saint-Michel, and on Quai de Conti, running between Pont Neuf and pedestrian Pont des Arts.
The books are generally worthless, but in between some interesting magazines can be found. Business is mainly in quickly done drawings and paintings, especially made for tourists. We allow time to study the cases of books on Quai des Grands-Augustins and Quai de Conti.
Opposite the pedestrian Pont des Arts we come to Institut de France.
Institut de France
(E4).
The palace was originally built by Le Vau in French 17th C. style, financed by a bequest from the will of cardinal Mazarin. It has for a long time been the home of the influential Académie de France and a few other semi-official clubs of culture.
We walk to the middle of the pedestrian Pont des Arts.
Pont des Arts
(E4).
From the middle of the bridge there is a delightful view to all directions, upriver, downriver, north to the Louvre and south to the palace of Institut de France.
When we reach the Right bank we save the Louvre for a later walk no. 6 and turn right a short distance to Place de l’École where we started this walk. We should repeat this walk some evening when the banks and monuments of history are floodlit. No city is more floodlit than Paris. A boat trip would though be the best way of enjoying that spectacle.
Marais
A little known part of the city center. The Marais or The Marshes were initially swamps and marshes which the order of the Templars had drained in the 12th and 13th C. Later they became the quarter of Christian societies and monasteries, as can be seen today from some street names. In the 16th C. the nobility began to build mansions here, the so-called hôtels.
The district became fashionable at the beginning of the 17th C. when the palaces around Place des Vosges were built. In those years the French Mannerist style of city mansions was developed here. In the 18th C. the aristocracy moved to the west and Marais slowly dilapidated.
André Malraux, Charles de Gaulle’s minister of culture, was a restoration enthusiast. He had many buildings cleaned and renovated. One of his most important deeds were the Malraux-laws of 1962. In the wake of them 126 hectares of the Marais have been restored to their original splendor. Since then the Marais have been on the upswing and well-off people have moved in.
The main attraction of this walk is the thrilling Pompidou museum in Palais Beaubourg. But first we are making our acquaintance with the Marais. We start our walk at the Pont Marie metro station. From there we walk a few meters along the bank and turn to the left into the first street. There we see the back side of Hôtel de Sens. We pass it to see it from its front side.
Hotel de Sens
(F5).
One of the most important houses of architectural history in Paris, one of two medieval palaces that have been preserved. It was built 1474-1507 for the archbishop of Sens. Its Gothic castle style is obvious in rounded corner-towers, in a pointed arch over the entrance and in tower spires. Access to the palace garden is through the main entrance.
We leave the place in front of the palace by Rue de l’Ave Marie and then turn left on Rue des Jardins Saint-Paul. There we see the remains of Enceinte behind a small soccer field.
Enceinte
(F5).
These are the remains of the city wall that king Philippe Auguste built in 1180-1220. He was one of the greatest kings of the Capetian line which reigned in the 11th to the 13th C. These were times of progress in Paris. Notre-Dame, Sainte-Chapelle, the Louvre and the city wall were built and Sorbonne and other university colleges were founded.
This was the first wall built around the city after it had spread to the banks around the islands. The Louvre started as a river castle, built as a part of this wall. If this wall is counted as wall no. 2 in the history of the city, next after the island wall, the walls in the end attained the number of six, in line with the gradual increase of the city size.
We look at the church in front of us.
Saint-Paul-Saint-Louis
(F5).
The second oldest Paris church in the Jesuit Counter-Reformation style, built in 1627-1641. From here we can see the dome, which was typical of this style in church architecture in the 17th C. The style stood midway between the Mannerist and Baroque styles of those times. The strict design of the church is clear from this direction.
We pass the church and come to the main street, Rue Saint-Antoine. There we turn right and walk a bit until we come to Rue de Birague at our left. We turn into it and go straight to Place des Vosges.
Place des Vosges
(G5).
The oldest and one of the most charming squares of Paris, laid out in 1605-1612 at the instigation of Henri IV. With him the house of Bourbons took over from the Valoisians. The Bourbons reigned in the 17th and 18th C. up to the great Revolution of 1789. The big garden in the square was once a favorite dueling ground but now it is popular with nannies and soccer boys.
The houses around Place des Vosges are in a late version of Renaissance, now usually called the Mannerist style. Out of this style the typical French Château style evolved here. The houses are built of red bricks and yellow, hewn stones. They are all in consistent units. An arcade gives a shaded promenade around the spacious square.
Most of the noble houses still have original facades after four centuries, including their high roofs. We entered the square beneath the King’s palace, Pavilion du Roi. Directly opposite it, at the other end, is the Queen’s palace, Pavilion de la Reine. In the near corner to the right is a house where the author Victor Hugo lived for many years.
We leave the square at its northwest corner and walk Rue des Francs-Bourgeois to Hôtel Carnavalet at our right.
Hotel Carnavalet
Hours: Open 10-17:30, closed Monday and Tuesday. (G4).
Built in 1644 when the Mannerist style was developing into the French Château style. It was given its appearance by the well known architect Mansart. The original part of the mansion was built around a courtyard which is behind the main entrance. Later other wings were added so that the palace became a square and a crucifix around four courtyards.
The palace is now a museum of the history of Paris with exquisite antique furniture.
We retrace our steps to Rue des Francs-Bourgeois, go past the museum and then immediately turn left along Rue Pavée and at once to the right along Rue des Rosiers.
Rue des Rosiers
(F4).
The main Jewish street of Paris. Some synagogues and Middle Eastern shops and Hebrew book shops are in the street and also in the side street to the left, Rue des Ecouffes.
We continue to the end of Rue des Rosiers and turn a few steps to the right where there is a tiny garden behind Notre-Dame-des-Blancs-Manteaux. We cross the garden past the church and turn left into Rue des Francs-Bourgeois to the National Archives in Palais Soubise and Hôtel de Rohan.
Palais Soubise
Hours: Open 14-17, closed Tuesday. (F4).
Archives Nationales are housed in many adjoining buildings. The best known are Hôtel de Rohan, facing Rue Vielle du Temple, and Palais Soubise, facing us. That palace was built in 1705 in the style of Louis XV. It has a horseshoe shaped garden in front.
The museum houses 280 kilometers of shelves carrying six billions of state documents. Historic exhibitions are also held in Palais Soubise.
From the museum we go to the next corner and there turn left Rue des Archives until we arrive at Rue Sainte-Croix-Bretonnerie, where we turn right. Just before we come to Palais Beaubourg we turn right into a crooked alley, Rue Pierre au Lard.
Rue Pierre au Lard
(F4).
The ancient and dilapidated walls of the alley contrast with the avant-garde landmark of Palais Beaubourg in front of us.
We retrace our steps out of the alley, turn right and continue to Place Pompidou.
Place Pompidou
(F4).
The square in front of Palais Beaubourg is a a lively place. Musical performers and circus artists show their talents for big and small crowds. After the performances the artists walk around with their hats.
Last time that we walked through on a sunny morning a fire swallower and a music band of eight took care of the happenings. This is a good diversion for those who want to spend the day in the culture of the amazingly good museum of Beaubourg.
We turn our attention to Palais Beaubourg.
Palais Beaubourg
(F4).
This was once the most controversial building in the world and has for a long time been one of the most popular museums in the world, opened in 1977.
The palace itself has the appearance of a colorful oil refinery, all covered with ducts, big and small. Each color represents a purpose, yellow for electricity, red for people and goods, green for water and blue for air-conditioning. The ducts are in a steel frame which is not covered on the outside. The palace was designed by Richard Rogers and Renzo Piano.
We enter Centre Pompidou.
Centre Pompidou
Hours: Open 12-22, closed Tuesday. (F4).
Inside there are a few museums. The most famous is the museum of modern art, one of the biggest museums of 20th C. art, a revelation for enthusiasts. The importance stems partly from French painters having been in the vanguard of modern art. This museum is on the 3rd and 4th floors. In a part of the 4th floor are shown the works of contemporary artists, partly avantgardists.
The museum covers mainly the history of 20th C isms, starting where impressionism left off. Exhibited are cubism and fauvism, abstract geometrism and expressionism, dada and surrealism, pop and conceptualism, etc. This history is clearly set forth in the museum and is in itself an excuse enough for a Paris visit.
Beaubourg also houses a branch of the famous film museum in Palais Chaillot, having a continuous run of vintage films. Also there are concerts, lectures and plays. The action is always on in the museum and it has proved to be one of the most successful museums of art in the world, a real pan-artistic museum. About 10 million people visit each year. Not to be forgotten is the view.
If we can break away, we go out and continue westwards along Rue Aubry Boucher and Rue Berger to the new shopping center Forum des Halles.
Forum des Halles
(E4).
The Forum has been built on four floors, mainly underground, replacing the former famous food market for wholesalers, Halles, which has been transferred out to the Rungis at the Orly airport. This has been a marketplace since 1100. Forum now houses a lot of shops, including outlets of fashion houses, and cafés, in a rectangle around a sunken, open square.
On the other side of Forum des Halles is a big building site. It is planned to have there both under ground and above ground similar futuristic buildings in the style of Forum. We also see the same style in new apartment buildings around. This style could be called a waterfallism of glass and steel.
Forum itself is a lively place. Its central square attracts many people. Still the French preserve the old when they build into the future. Where Rue Berger meets Forum, the area around the Innocents fountain has been conserved.
Behind the steel and glass we glimpse Saint-Eustache, which is our next stop on this walk.
Saint-Eustache
(E4).
The second biggest church of Paris and also one of the finest, built in 1532-1640 in Gothic style with Renaissance decorations. The west front was built much later, in 17th C. style, the south tower still missing. The noble transept facade, which we see from Forum, is Renaissance, extensively decorated and flanked by two slender staircase towers.
The interior is solemnly and extensively decorated among Gothic columns and buttresses. The gems are the organ and the acoustics. Many a concert has been held here, including first performances of music by Liszt and Berlioz. Te Deum was introduced here.
Almost beside the church, on the other side of the building site, there is the circular Bourse de Commerce.
Bourse du Commerce
(E4).
The circular building with a dome is the commodities exchange with a lively trading in flour, sugar, wine, coffee and cocoa.
Here we end this walk. The Forum des Halles metro station is nearby.
Passages
This time we are going to look at rather unknown parts of central Paris.
On the one hand we shall visit some of the old glass-covered passages and arcades of shopping, which are more typical of Paris than of other cities, especially of the 1st and 2nd districts. Early in the last century about 140 such passages existed in the city, of whom about 30 are still in use today.
On the other hand we are to visit the almost secret garden of Palais Royal, which is only a stone’s throw from the Louvre.
We start at the Arts et Métiers metro station. First we walk a short distance to the east along Rue Réaumur and turn right into Rue Volta. There on the right hand side we look at house no. 3.
Rue Volta 3
(F3).
This half-timbered house of four storeys was until recently thought to be the oldest dwelling-house in Paris, built in the 13th or 14th C. In fact it is a 17th C. imitation. In spite of that it is typical of homes from the Medieval times.
We turn again to the right and walk Rue au Maire to Saint-Nicolas-des-Champs.
Saint-Nicolas-des-Champs
(F3).
A Romanesque church built in the 12th C. in honor of the saint who is now better known as Santa Claus. It is mainly Gothic, with Renaissance parts, the remains of a disappeared Benedictine monastery.
Almost alongside it is Saint-Martin-des-Champs, a Romanesque church from 1130, also a part of the same monastery complex. The back of the chancel is the only remains of the original style.
We walk past the west fronts of the two churches and turn left to cross Square Émile Chautemps to enter the first passage, Passage du Ponceau. From the other end of the passage we turn a few steps to the left into the prostitution street Rue Saint-Denis and then turn right into Passage du Caire.
Passage de Caire
Rue Saint-Denis. (F3).
This long shopping passage from 1800 has become dilapidated but still keeps some of its initial charm. In a small widening near the far end of it rascals once congregated and caroused at nights, but during daytime they worked the city feigning blindness and other disabilities. Here the decorations are Egyptian.
After leaving the passage at the other end we take Rue du Nil or Rue d’Aboukir to Rue Réaumur where we turn right and walk westwards. Here live many Arabs who have probably been attracted to the street names in this area which have been here since Napoleon came from his Egyptian campaign. After 400 meters we arrive at the Bourse.
Bourse
Hours: Open 10:45-13:45 Monday-Friday. (E3).
The Neoclassic stock exchange was built 1801-1826 with Corinthian columns on all sides. From a balcony we can perceive the lively business on the exchange floor. It sometimes resembles a riot rather than bourgeois law and order.
We continue north along Rue Notre-Dame-des-Victories and turn left into the glass-covered Galerie Montmartre.
Passage des Panoramas
Rue Notre-Dame-des-Victories. (E3).
This is a labyrinth of passages, known from the most important of them, which runs southward from Boulevard Montmartre to Rue Saint-Marc. These glass-roofed passages were opened in 1799 and preserve their time-honored dignity.
These passages or galleries were the forerunners of modern malls. People can shop there without the noise and danger and pollution from car traffic.
After inspecting the galleries we return to the Bourse and at its southern end turn to the right into Rue du Quatre Septembre. When we reach Rue de Choiseul, we turn left, walk to the end of that street and continue into one more of the long passages, Passage Choiseul.
Passage Choiseul
Rue de Choiseul. (E3).
This glass-covered shopping passage has some elegant shops and lots of customers.
At the other end we arrive into Rue des Petits Champs where we turn left and go past Biblioteque Nationale on our left. Having passed it we have a look into the beautiful Galerie Vivienne on our left before we cross Rue des Petits Champs, go a few meters along Rue Vivienne, cross Rue Beaujolais and continue through a colonnade into the peaceful Jardin du Palais Royal.
Jardin du Palais Royal
(E3).
All around Jardin du Palais Royal the traffic noise abounds, particularly at the southwest, in Place André-Malraux. But here in the garden we hear no din from the outside world. Any many are unaware of this peaceful garden as it is only entered through a few modest passages.
From the colonnade we can enter Grand Véfour, one of the most famous and most bewitching restaurants in the world, if we have succeeded in booking a table. If we cannot afford to lunch there we only need a few steps to go to Rue Richelieu, where we find the unbelievably cheap restaurant Incroyable.
We look at the building at the southern end of the garden, Palais Royal.
Palais Royal
(E4).
Built in 1632 for cardinal Richelieu. Shortly after his death the palace became the royal residence for a while. It has retained its name since then. It now houses the council of State. The palace is best known from Louis-Philippe d’Orléans who came into possession of it in 1780 and had the three other wings built around the garden.
In those years this was the center of high living in Paris. Elegant shops lined the ground floor behind the arcades. The next floors housed the aristocracy and the rich. General Blücher is said to have lost here a million francs and a half in a gambling den when he arrived from Waterloo.
The high life has disappeared. At noon some clerks come here to lunch out of their bags. A few dogs are walked around. Every now and then a child is seen. A few stroll around the arcades and peep into the windows of specialty shops in medals, coins, books or pipes. The place is good for rest after shopping or running traffic or after becoming tired of the nearby Louvre.
If we leave at the southwestern corner we come out at Place André Malraux, where Comédie Française rises on the garden side of the square.
Comédie Française
2 Rue de Richelieu, 75001. Phone: 296 1020. (E4).
It has been operated as a national theater at this location since just before the turn of the century. But its ensemble is much older, from 1680.
It now stresses traditional plays of authors like Molière. When we were last time in Paris, two out of four plays in the repertory were by Molière, one by de Becque and one by Tschekov.
From the square there is an excellent view up Rue de l’Opéra.
We can at once start on walk no. 5, as it starts right here. Or we can go to the Louvre which is here behind the Louvre hotel.
Fashion
The fashion shops are one of the main attributes of the city. They are concentrated in the area on both sides of Rue de Faubourg Saint-Honoré. Most of the best known fashion houses in the world have their main outlets in this area.
On our way through this district we will have a look at the Opéra, the Madeleine and Place Vendôme.
We start our walk at Place André Malraux where we finished the last walk. If we arrive by the metro the station is Palais Royal.
Avenue de l’Opéra
(D3).
We have a gorgeous view from the square and its fountains up Avenue de l’Opéra. This view we can continue to enjoy all the way to the Opéra. On our way we pass banks, expensive shops and sidewalk cafés.
Haussmann, the city planner of Napoleon III, had many slums razed in the 3rd quarter of the 19th C. to make place for splendid boulevards across the city center.
This is one of the parade streets made at that time. It was finished in 1878. It was considered so important that an hill was removed to level the road.
When we come to Place de l’Opéra we cross another of Haussmann’s boulevards, Boulevard des Capucines, go past the famous Café de la Paix to reach the Opéra, which we have had in view the whole way.
Opéra de Paris Garnier
Place de l’Opéra, 75009. (D3).
The palace was built in 1862-1875 by the architect Charles Garnier after he won the first price in a competition sponsored by Napoleon III. The Opéra has always been criticized as an architectural mixture of styles. Opponents profess to have found in it aspects of all styles in history. Nevertheless it is accepted that Garnier was better at such mixtures than most others.
The best-known part of this impractical building is the staircase in the lobby, especially designed to make the ornately dressed guests look splendid on them. They are in itself worth a visit. Also famous is the stage which can take 450 artists at the same time. And the ceiling painted by the 20th C. Russian painter Marc Chagall, contrasting sharply with everything else.
The center of opera and ballet has until recently been here. Now the opera has moved to a new building at Place de la Bastille, also considered horrible by critics.
From Place de l’Opéra we turn back over Boulevard des Capucines and turn right into Rue de la Paix.
Rue de la Paix
(D3).
Famous for its jewelers. Many will recall names such as Christofle at no. 24, Cartier at no. 13, Mellers at no. 9, Poiray at no. 8, Jean Dinh Van at no. 7,; and at the square in front of us, Place Vendôme, Verney at no. 8, Chaumet at no. 12, Mauboussin at no. 20, Cleef et Arpels at no. 22 and Boucheron at no. 26.
We turn our attention to Place Vendôme.
Place Vendôme
(D3).
All the way to Place Vendôme we recognized Napoleon’s column of victory, standing in its middle, made of bronze from 1200 captured cannons in the battle of Austerlitz in 1805. There is a statue of Napoleon himself on the top.
The square itself and the surrounding buildings are older, from 1702-1720. They were all designed by the architect Hardouin-Mansart in the years after 1685. He also designed Dome des Invalides and was responsible for the final appearance of Versailles. His Place Vendôme is the apex of 17th C. architecture in France.
On the ground floor arcades cover the sidewalks. Above there are pilasters reaching up two storeys. In the roofs there is a continuous row of dormer windows. The houses in the corners and the in middle of the wings have pediments. The best know building is the Ritz hotel.
We continue along the wide and arcaded Rue Castiglione and turn right into the fashion street Rue Saint-Honoré, which we continue all the way to Rue Royale, where we see the Madeleine on our right. We turn that way and approach the church.
Madeleine
(D3).
Sainte-Marie-Madeleine rises majestically as a Greek temple above crossroads where Haussmann’s boulevards congregate on the church from all directions.
Building started in 1764 and was not finished until 1842. It was initially meant to become a church, but in the meantime there were plans to convert it into an army temple or a railway station. It was in the end built as a church. It was designed by architect Vigneron at a time when the Neoclassic style was emerging and examples were sought in ancient Greece.
There is an excellent view from the church steps along the length of Rue Royale, over Place de la Concorde towards Palais Bourbon on the other side of the Seine. One of the flower markets of the city nestles under the eastern side of the church. Famous gourmet shops are around the square, Fauchon and Hédirard. Also Senderens’ culinary temple, Lucas-Carton.
We retrace our steps along Rue Royale, past an alley leading from the street to Cité Berryer with Caves Madeleine, the wine shop of Steven Spurrier. We continue on Rue Royale and turn right into Faubourg Saint-Honoré.
Faubourg Saint-Honoré
(C3).
The part of Faubourg Saint-Honoré from Rue Royale to Avenue Matignon is a continuous spectacle of world-famous fashion houses. We see here Courreges, Féraud, Givenchy, Hermes, Jourdan, Lancôme, Lanvin, Lapidus, Laroche, Saint-Laurent, Scherrer, Torrente and Ungaro.
Fashionable ladies sail between destinations and we are sorry that the pavements are to narrow for their show to develop to the fullest.
500 meters along the street we arrive on the left side at the main entrance to Palais Élysée.
Palais Elysée
(C3).
The President of the Republic of France lives in this well guarded palace and receives guests of honor. The palace was built in 1718 and has since 1873 been the presidential palace. the presidents are said to envy the prime ministers who live in Hôtel Matignon on the Left bank.
We continue along Faubourg Saint-Honoré and are soon passing the Bristol hotel on our right. Soon after that we turn left into the wide Avenue Matignon. We cross Avenue Gabriel with its Élysées Matignon club and the stamp market. After crossing the enormous Champs-Élysées at the flowery Rond Point we continue directly into Avenue Montaigne.
Avenue Montaigne
(B3).
The main offices of some of the best known fashion houses line this street. They include Dior and Ricci in palatial buildings. Also the best hotel in town, Plaza-Athénée, on our right.
This walk ends at the river bank at Place de l’Alma at the Alma Marceau metro. We have gotten a glimpse of the fashionable Paris. In our next walk we will cross the same district, but by a different route.
Promenade
Few if any world cities have such an enormous and successful axis as Paris has in Avenue des Champs-Élysées, a broad and a straight line, not only reaching from Place de la Concorde to Arc de Triomphe, but all the way from the Louvre to the ultramodern suburb of Défense.
This is the main traffic artery in the center, both automotive and pedestrian. It is full of life from morning to night, as cinemas take over when shops close. On national days this axis is perfect for parades.
We start at Arc de Triomphe.
Arc de Triomphe
Hours: Open 10-17, -18 in summer. (B2).
The arch of victory is one of the main landmarks of Paris, along with Tour Eiffel and Notre-Dame. It is the biggest victory arch in the world, 50 meters in height and 45 meters wide. It was built for Napoleon 1806-1836 and offers a unique view over the city.
Its exterior is decorated with pictures and names in memory of French military victories. And under the arch there burns the flame on the grave of the unknown soldier.
We turn our attention to the surroundings, the Étoile.
Étoile
(B2).
The enormous plaza around the arch carries the name of Place Charles-de-Gaulle. It is always called Étoile, quite like the Pompidou museum being called Beaubourg and Charles-de-Gaulle airport called Roissy. The French seem not to accept that names of famous people should evict traditional place-names.
Étoile is one of city planner Haussmann’s main works, laid out in 1854. Twelve of his boulevards run as sunrays from this circular place. As most of them are busy traffic arteries the plaza itself is the main traffic congestion point in the whole city.
According to French traffic rules the cars entering a circular plaza have the right of way and not those which are already there. Therefore it is an art in itself to choose a right lane to get out again and to the right boulevard. Étoile is the right place for us to admire the wits of driving Frenchmen. Plans have been around for a while to change the rule for this place.
We now walk along Champs-Élysées downhill from Étoile in the direction of Place de la Concorde.
Champs-Élysées
(B3).
On the stretch from Étoile to Rond Point airlines and car makers line the avenue, also cinemas and other places of entertainment. Many shopping arcades lead off into labyrinths of shops, cinemas and restaurants. On this stretch there are more tourists than in any other place in Paris. Many sit in sidewalk cafés and observe the pedestrian traffic.
We arrive at Rond Point.
Rond Point
(C3).
A big circle of 140 meters in diameter, where Champs-Élysées meets the fashion streets Avenue Montaigne and Avenue Matignon. The appearance of Champs-Élysées also changes. From Rond Point to Place de la Concorde it is lined with mighty trees and gardens on both sides, including the Palais Élysée garden.
We continue along the Champs-Élysées. To our right we see the Grand Palais.
Grand Palais
(C3).
Grand Palais and Petit Palais were built to house the World Fair of 1900. Their structure is of steel and glass, but the exteriors are in the heaviest of the Historical style of architecture, popular at the end of the last century. The fronts of Grand Palais are for example completely lined with Ionic columns.
The part of Grand Palais facing west, to Avenue Franklin D. Roosevelt, houses the French museum of inventions, Palais de la Découverte. It is an ode to French achievements in technology and science, open 10-18, closed Monday.
The other part, facing east, to Avenue Winston Churchill, is the venue of yearly fairs, such as automobile fairs, and also of specialized exhibitions of art, open 10-18, closed Tuesday.
Opposite Grand Palais there is the Petit Palais.
Petit Palais
Hours: Open 10-17:30, closed Monday. (C3).
It houses one of the biggest museums of art in the city. It covers most epochs in history, ancient and recent. There are also monumental exhibitions, some of them so difficult to assemble that it will not be tried again.
From Avenue Winston Churchill we can see directly over Pont Alexander III all the way to Invalides. The bridge was built in 1900 in the ornamental style of that period.
Champs-Élysées ends as an avenue at Place de la Concorde.
Place de la Concorde
(C3).
A giant sea of asphalt with 84000 square meters of automotive traffic, laid out in 1755-1775. In its northeastern corner Louis XVI was guillotined. 1343 other victims of the Revolution were beheaded at the present entrance to the Tuileries garden.
The obelisk in the middle of the square is a gift from the viceroy of Egypt. It is 3300 years old and comes from Luxor in the Nile valley. It was reerected here in 1836, weighs 220 tons and has an height of 23 meters, all of one single stone, three meters higher than Cleopatra’s needle on the Thames banks in London.
From the island in the middle of the square there are views to all directions. To the west along the axis of Champs-Élysées to Arc de Triomphe. To the south over Pont de la Concorde to French parliament in Palais Bourbon. To the north along Rue Royale to the Madeleine, with the Crillon hotel on the left side at the square. To the east through Tuileries to Palais du Louvre.
Before we enter Tuileries we should take note of two palaces which are on both sides of the garden at the end facing Place de la Concorde. They are Jeu de Paume to the north and left and Orangerie to the south and right.
Jeu de Paume
Hours: Open 9:45-17:15. (D3).
The French museum of Impressionism, a style of painting that appeared in France about 1874 and developed into an artistic revolution that spread around the world. The French had until then been in the forefront of painting, but at that time took the absolute leadership.
This is the best Impressionist museum in the world, hung with paintings by Monet and Manet, Cézanne and Degas, Renoir and others, such as the later Gauguin and Rousseau, Seurat and Signac, van Gogh and Toulouse-Lautrec.
Jeu de Paume is on the divide of styles and times. Older art is in the Louvre and newer art in Beaubourg.
We turn our attention to the museum opposite, the Orangerie.
Orangerie
(D4).
The mirror image of Jeu de Paume on the other side of the Tuileries garden. It houses amongst other works of art a series of murals by Monet and works by Cézanne and Renoir. It also has temporary exhibitions.
We turn into the Jardin des Tuileries.
Tuileries
(D4).
A typical formal French garden, in opposition to the English style which is free and relaxed. On both sides of Tuileries there are terraces with views, over the Seine from the southern one. The path along the middle of the garden is straight in line with Champs-‘Elysées, only broken by two ponds.
This was once a dumping ground which the renowned landscape architect Le Nôtre designed into a park in 1664, initially as the king’s private park.
A street divides the Tuileries from the garden of the Louvre. Formerly the Tuileries palace was here, built by Catherine dei Medici in the years after 1563. It burnt down in the Communards revolt in 1871.
We cross that street, go into the Louvre garden and come to the Arc de Triomphe de Carrousel.
Arc de Triomphe de Carrousel
(D4).
This small arch of victory was built 1806-1809 in memory of the victories of Napoleon. Formerly it was decorated with four horses of bronze which Napoleon stole from the San Marco in Venice, but the Italians have recovered them.
Once the arch was the entrance to the disappeared Tuileries palace. The garden is full of sculptures by Maillol.
In the western end of the northern wing of Palais de Louvre an independent museum of applied art is located, Musée des Arts Décoratifs, open 14-17, closed Tuesday.
We enter the inner courtyard of the Louvre where a pyramid of glass dominates the scene.
Pyramide
(E4).
The glass pyramid by Chinese architect Pei is the new entrance to the Louvre, which has been enlarged underground and into the northern wing of the Palais de Louvre. Being of glass the pyramid allows us to see the surrounding palace and brings light into the museum entrance below.
This building was very controversial as many avant-garde buildings have been in Paris, but the commotion has settled down. Most people seem to like it, just as they like the Beaubourg, which also was controversial in the beginning. The French have a knack for adventure in modern architecture.
Before we enter the Louvre museum we have a look at the Palais de Louvre.
Palais de Louvre
(E4).
The building history of the Louvre is long and complicated. In the beginning there was Philippe Auguste’s castle from around 1200. In the latter half of the 14th C. the castle was temporarily the residence and royal palace of Charles V. The oldest existing part was built in the 16th C., the southwestern corner of the part which surrounds Cour Carrée.
In the reign of Henri IV the southwestern wing, Flore, was erected. In the reigns of Louis XIII and XIV the square around Cour Carrée was completed. Louis XIV lived for a while in Louvre while he waited to move to Versailles. In the reign of Napoleon the southern wing was finally completed and the northern wing in the reign of Napoleon III.
The enormous colonnade at the front of the palace, facing east, was designed by Perrault, Le Vau and Le Brun in the time of Louis XIV in the 17th C. French style. Behind it is Cour Carrée where we can on the left see the Renaissance style of the oldest part and to the right its later French evolution into the Mannerist style.
We enter the museum itself.
Museum de Louvre
(E4).
This is with the National Gallery in London one of the two greatest museums of art in the world. The second row is reserved for the Uffizi in Florence, Prado in Madrid and the Museum of Modern Art in Manhattan. It is estimated that there are now about 500,000 objects owned by the museum. It will take three months to inspect the exhibits by spending 30 seconds on each item.
Most French kings collected works of art, all the way back to Francis I who owned works by Titian, Rafaelo and Leonardo da Vinci, including the Mona Lisa. Formally the palace was converted into a museum in 1793, shortly after the great Revolution.
From the underground entrance corridors lead to different wings of the museum. Some of the most interesting works are on the ground and first floors of the southern Denon wing.
We go into the Denon wing.
Mona Lisa
If we go directly into Salle Daru and then turn left we should find Mona Lisa by Leonardo behind security glass. This southern wing has many exhibition halls. We can se works by the Italians Angelico, Mantegna, Tintoretto, Titian and Veronese; the French Rigaud, Delacroix, David and Géricault; the Benelux van Eyck, Breugel and Rembrandt; and the English Gainsborough and Constable.
We go down the stairs past the Hellenistic 3rd C. B.C. Goddess of Victory from Samothrace. On the left is the Caryatides hall. In its middle stands the famous sculpture from the 2nd C. B.C, Venus from Milo. In this western corner of the floor there are Greek and Roman antiques. Egyptian antiques are in the southern corner and Middle Eastern ones in the other half.
Among famous items in the Louvre is the Egyptian Scribe and the bust of Amenofis IV, the statue of King Gudea and the Laws of Hammurabi. The museum is divided into three sections of antiques, according to geographic areas, and sections of painting, sculpture and applied arts. It is wise to buy a special guide-book for the museum, but the position of works can be changed.
We leave the museum, have a look at its colonnaded eastern front and turn our attention to the church on the other side of Place de Louvre, Saint-Germain-l’Auxerrois.
Saint-Germain-l‘Auxerrois
(E4).
The church tower stands between the church and the city hall of the 1st district of Paris. The oldest parts of the church are from the 12th C. and the youngest from the 17th C. The front is in late Gothic flamboyant style from 1435.
This walk is over and here we have the Louvre metro station.
Esplanades
There are some esplanades or green spaces on the Left bank of central Paris in addition to Champs-Élysées and Jardin des Tuileries on the Right bank. There is the Jardin du Luxembourg, the Esplanade and Champs-de-Mars. The last two are the subject of this walk, including such landmarks as Palais Chaillot, Tour Eiffel and the Invalides.
We start at the Trocadero metro station, in front of Palais Chaillot.
Palais Chaillot
(A4).
The Neoclassic palace was built in 1936-1937 in a Hitler-Stalin version of the style. As it is French it is lighter and milder than other buildings of that megalomaniac period. From the terrace between the two identical parts we see over the garden of Trocadero and the Seine to Tour Eiffel, the fields of Champs-de-Mars and École Militaire. This is the most stunning view in Paris.
From the entrance to the northern half of Chaillot we walk down to one of the largest theaters in France, Théâtre National de Chaillot. The same entrance also leads to the French monument museum, open 9:45-12:30 and 14-17:15; and the film museum, Musée du Cinéma Henri Langlois, open 14:30-17:30.
From the entrance to the southern half we get to the maritime Musée de la Marine, open 10-18, closed Tuesday; and the ethnological Musée de l’Homme, open 9:45-17:15, also closed Tuesday. At the eastern end of the palace we enter Cinémathèque Française where old films are constantly shown to the public, as is done in Palais Beaubourg.
We walk down to the Trocadero gardens.
Jardins du Trocadero
(A4).
The gardens cover 10 hecatares, sloping down to the river Seine, centering on a pool with statues and fountains, which are illuminated in a spectacular way at night. An aquarium is in the left side of the garden, open 10-17:30, -18:30 in summer. The gardens were laid out in 1937.
We cross the river by the Iéna bridge and walk under the most famous Paris landmark, Tour Eiffel.
Tour Eiffel
(B4).
The engineer Eiffel built the featherweight Tour Eiffel as an emblem of the World Fair of 1889. At that time it was the highest construction in the world, 300 meters. Now it is 320.75 meters, including an aerial. It weighs only 7000 tons, or four kilograms per square centimeter, or the weight of a chair and a man.
The height can vary about 15 centimeters due to changes in temperature and the swing at the top can reach 12 centimeters in storms. The tower has three floors, the lowest one in the height of 57 meters, the second in the height of 115 meters and the highest in the height of 274 meters. Elevators run between storeys and we can also take to the stairs up to the second floor.
The two lower platforms are open 10:30-23. the top one is open 10-18 in summer, closed in winter. French intellectuals hated the tower when it was being built. It was to have been razed after the fair. By that time it had become necessary for telegraphic purposes. And now many consider Tour Eiffel to be one of the major and most beautiful works of art in the world.
After a lunch in the tower restaurant Jules Verne we walk through Champs-de-Mars.
Champs-de-Mars
(B5).
The formal French garden in very big an so formal that policemen blow whistles every time someone steps outside the paths. This was initially the training and parade ground of the military school. It has repeatedly been the location of world fairs. The present appearance dates from 1908-1928.
At the far end of the garden we reach École Militaire.
École Militaire
(B5).
Built in 1769-1772 with Neoclassic elements blending into the French style, as is evident from the Corinthian columns at the entrance. The school is best known for cadet Bonaparte who later became Napoleon.
We turn left along the front of École Militaire and then right around its corner into Avenue de Tourville, leading us to Église du Dôme des Invalides.
Église du Dôme
Hours: Open 10-17, -18 in summer. (C5).
The domed church is a perfect work of art by Hardouin-Mansart, designed in the Jesuit style of the 17th C. Napoleons lies in six coffins in the middle of the church which really is his mortuary. His brothers and some generals also have their tombs in the chapels of the church. The atmosphere is very solemn.
The architectural style has the dome as its most distinctive feature and was a mixture of the French Mannerism and the Catholic Baroque which the Jesuits were at that time trying to introduce in France. The same style is evident in the colonnades with Romanesque arches, Doric columns on the ground level and Corinthian ones above. The dome is of lead, covered with gold leaf.
In a house on the left side of the church tickets are sold for the church and the army museum behind. There is another church behind the altar of this church. It is Saint-Louis-des-Invalides. In fact the two churches share the same altar.
Along the side of the latter church we reach an entrance to the military museums in the Invalides complex.
Invalides
(C4).
The Musée de l’Armée and other military museums are in the former quarters of veterans centered on a courtyard on the north side of Église du Dôme. The Musée de l’Armée is one of the biggest military museums in the world. There are also special museums of military maps, of World War II, of the French resistance and a small museum with private belongings of Napoleon.
This was first a home for old and disabled veterans, built 1671-1676. At one time it housed 6000 veterans, but none are now left. It was also a weapons depot which was emptied out by revolutionaries in the morning of July 17th, 1789, when they carried away 28,000 rifles.
We leave by the northern entrance to the museums.
Esplanade des Invalides
(C4).
This is the real front of the Invalides complex. In front of us is the field, Esplanade des Invalides, reaching from Invalides to the Seine. We can observe the game of pétoncle, in which the locals try to throw their ball either as near to the mark as possible or at the more successful balls of the competitors.
We cross the Esplanade and the Quai d’Orsay and arrive at Pont Alexander III:
Pont Alexander III
(C4).
The most exuberant Seine bridge, built in 1896-1900 for the World Fair in 1900. It is a single-span steel bridge, heavily decorated with Art Noveau lamps and statues.
This is the end of walk no. 7. The Invalides metro station is nearby.
La Vie
The liveliest part of Paris is the area around the boulevards Saint-Germain and Saint-Michel on the Left bank. On our way we will also pass landmarks like the Panthéon, Palais du Luxembourg, Saint-Sulpice and Saint-Germain-des-Prés. This is our longest walk as there are many things to see.
We start at the lower end of Rue Mouffetard, in front of the 15th C. Saint-Médard. If we arrive by the metro, we depart at the Censier-Daubenton station and walk along Rue Monge for a few meters to the church. We walk up Rue Mouffetard.
v
Rue Mouffetard
Rue Mouffetard. Hours: Closed Monday. (F6).
The most charming shopping street in central Paris is this pedestrian street which meanders down Montagne Saint-Geneviève from Place Contrescarpe to Saint-Medard. The liveliest part is the downhill one near the church, especially in the morning. We note Flahec, a nice little seafood shop, at no. 135. From no. 104 and 101 pedestrian passages lead off the street.
The houses are old and village-like. Many shop-signs are from olden times. The street itself is narrow, filled with stalls and humanity. Everything is for sale in La Mouffe, as the local people call the street, but food is the most obvious thing.
We arrive at the top of the street to Place de la Contrescarpe.
Place de la Contrescarpe
(F6).
Resembling a small-town square, it was laid out in 1852 in a place that had been used for festivals for a long time. It is now livelier than ever, lined with restaurants and cafés that cater to university students.
From the place we walk west into Rue Blainville and then straight on through Rue de l’Estrapade until we reach Rue Clotilde, which we follow to the right. We almost at once to the back of the Panthéon on the summit of Montagne Sainte-Geneviève.
Panthéon
(E6).
Built as a church 1758-1789, designed by Soufflot in Neoclassic style. Its plan is like a Greek crucifix and it has a giant dome which can be seen from many places in the city and is thus similar to the dome of Saint Paul’s in the City of London.
Soufflot gave the church a light design with very high and slender columns. The building was later made heavier and uglier by bricking up the windows. It was done when the revolutionary government changed the Panthéon into a mortuary of great Frenchmen. Voltaire, Rousseau and Victor Hugo are interred there. The interior is now cold and forbidding.
From the front of the Panthéon we walk down Rue Soufflot, cross the famous street of sidewalk-cafés and book shops, Boulevard Saint-Michel, and enter the Jardin du Luxembourg.
Jardin du Luxembourg
(E5).
The most extensive green space on the Left bank, mainly laid out in a formal French style. The western and southern sides though are done in a relaxed English style. The center of the garden is an octagonal pond in front of the palace. Children often play there with their boats. The garden abounds with statues and sculptures.
We turn our attention to Palais du Luxembourg.
Palais Luxembourg
Hours: Open Sunday 9:30-11 and 14-16. (E5).
Built 1615-1625 for Queen Maria dei Medici in Florentine Renaissance style. It now houses the French senate. Its president lives in the small palace, Petit Luxembourg, which adjoins the bigger one to the west. Many works of art are in the palace, including paintings by Delacroix in the library.
We leave the garden at the northwestern corner, cross Rue Vaugirard and walk either Rue Séminaire or Rue Férou to Saint-Sulpice.
Saint-Sulpice
(D5).
