Paris is brimming with secret places that bear witness to the city's history. Discovering them helps you better understand the capital's past. Take Paris's covered passages, for example. In the 19th century, thanks to Baron Haussmann's great urban transformation plan, the capital boasted over 70 of them!
Their purpose was to protect the wealthy population from the mud and bustle of the streets, by offering them passageways protected from the elements by beautiful glass canopies, and bringing together numerous shops and restaurants in a single location.
Today, Paris has just 21 covered passageways open to the public. With the following guide, you can create your own tour of Parisian covered passageways. It's not really that complicated, since the most beautiful covered passageways are almost all located in the same area: the 2nd and 9th arrondissements. An architectural curiosity that takes us back to the 19th century.
Located a stone's throw from the Louvre Museum, the Galerie Véro-Dodat has been a listed historic monument since 1965. On the floor, a beautiful marble paving with black and white rhombuses gives the gallery a sense of depth. The ceiling features a beautiful glass roof and engravings. Since its creation in 1826, the gallery has been home to many chic boutiques: deco, furniture, art, Louboutin shoes... If your finances allow it, you can buy beautiful things here!
The Passage des Panoramas, built in 1799, is the first covered passageway in Paris and one of the capital's most famous. That's why it's always busy. For philatelists, it's one of Paris's main philatelic hotspots, with numerous stores selling collector's stamps. Once you've strolled through the Passage des Panoramas, you can continue your stroll through the Galerie des Variétés, which joins the Passage des Panoramas. For the record, the Passage des Panoramas takes its name from the two panoramas, the illuminated rotundas that house a trompe-l'oeil fresco at the passage's main entrance on Boulevard Montmartre. Unfortunately, both works were destroyed in 1831.
With its neo-classical Pompeian décor, elegant glass roof, imposing dome, colorful mosaic floor and numerous paintings and sculptures, the Galerie Vivienne is one of the most elegant galleries in Paris. Inaugurated in 1826, it is now home to many luxury ready-to-wear and interior design boutiques, as well as cafés and antiquarian bookshops, where you can relax between purchases. It has regained its splendor thanks to the installation within its walls of major luxury brands (Kenzo held a fashion show here in the 70s; Jean-Paul Gaultier also set up shop here for a time).
Opened in 1825 on the site of the Hôtel du Grand Cerf, the Passage du Grand-Cerf hasn't always looked like this. In fact, it wasn't until 1845 that it acquired the magnificent glass roof that gives it such charm. Inside, you'll find a host of designer boutiques, decorators, artisans, designers and fashion boutiques. And on a cultural note, the Passage du Grand-Cerf was the location for a scene from Louis Malle's film Zazie dans le Métro. And for Bitcoin enthusiasts, since 2016, some 20 merchants in the Passage du Grand-Cerf have been accepting this means of payment.
The Passage du Caire is the Parisian covered passage of all records: the oldest passage still accessible (built in 1798, during Napoleon's campaign in Egypt), but also the longest (360 meters from one end to the other) and the narrowest. Well, we confess that these are about the only three remarkable features of this passage. Located in the Sentier district, it is now overrun by wholesalers, fabric manufacturers and window mannequins. But you can still admire the 3 cow-eared statues of the goddess Hathor adorning the entrance; then exit to the west for a coffee on the discreet Place du Caire.
Galerie Colbert rivals Galerie Vivienne as the prettiest gallery in Paris. Don't wait any longer and discover its magnificent rotunda topped by a glass dome and its dying Eurydice statue in the center of the rotunda. This beautiful gallery was purchased by the Bibliothèque Nationale de France, and today houses several institutes (including one for Art History and another for Heritage) as well as numerous research laboratories and schools linked to art history. The story goes that in 1830, the composer Berlioz sang La Marseillaise from his window, in an arrangement he had just imagined. The crowd gathered beneath his windows, chanting the words in chorus, and Berlioz is said to have fainted with emotion.
Le Passage des Princes is a tiny covered passageway in the 2nd arrondissement. It was the last covered passageway to be built in Paris at the time of Baron Haussmann. Admire its beautiful glass roof, set on metal arches forming arabesques; its pretty 1930s-style cupola and its admirable width. Well, what you see today is not the original Passage des Princes; no, it isn't! The Passage des Princes was, in fact, demolished in 1985 for a real-estate development, but fortunately rebuilt ten years later, exactly as it was! Today, the Passage des Princes is home to a famous children's toy company which, in order to avoid damaging the style of the passage, has distributed its various stores in the former stores of the Passage des Princes.
At 190 meters long, the Passage Choiseul is one of the largest in Paris (albeit a long way behind the 360-meter Passage du Caire!). Since its opening in 1827, the Passage Choiseul has lost some of its lustre among Parisians. And despite the installation of a boutique by fashion designer Kenzo in 1970 (now relocated to Place des Victoires), the Passage Choiseul has never regained its former popularity. At least, if you go there when Parisians are at work, you won't be stepped on. You'll discover chiselled wooden walls, marble pilasters and arches lined with light bulbs replacing the old gas lamps. The writer Louis-Ferdinand Céline lived here as a child between 1899 and 1907, when his mother ran a store in the passage.
The Galerie de la Madeleine is, as you may have guessed, not far from the church and Place de la Madeleine. Designed by architect Théodore Charpentier in 1840, the Galerie de la Madeleine was inaugurated in 1846 and, at the time, housed numerous small shops and craftsmen. Today, luxury has invaded the passage, and countless luxury boutiques have taken up residence here. If you don't have the wallet to buy anything, you can still admire the glass roof divided into panels, the elegant flying buttresses and, above all, the two beautiful caryatids that frame the entrance porch to the gallery on the Place de la Madeleine side.
The Passage Jouffroy was built in 1836 as an extension to the Passage des Panoramas, to take advantage of the Parisian population drained by the latter. Since then, it has been one of the capital's busiest passages. The Passage Jouffroy was the site of many of the architectural revolutions of the time: it was the first Parisian passageway to feature a metal and glass framework, and the first to be underfloor heated. The floor of this beautiful covered passageway is tiled in black, grey and white. The exit to the Musée Grévin is in this passage, so you can't miss it if you decide to pay a visit to the famous wax statues! Passage Jouffroy was completely renovated in 1987, 13 years after it was listed as a historic monument, and is home to a number of antique book stores.
Passage Verdeau follows on from Passage des Panoramas and Passage Jouffroy. That's why it was quickly deserted, as Parisians preferred the neighboring passages. And yet, this pretty covered passageway boasts a beautiful, high, two-part glass roof (fishbone pattern) and a fine metal framework, to allow fresh air to pass through in spring and summer. The Passage Verdeau is home to numerous antique dealers, former booksellers and art dealers (it's right next to the Drouot auction house) and attracts collectors of all kinds.
Please note that it's been over 4 years since our last visit, so the place and experience may have changed.
