Degas

The Passages Walk

Background: These forerunners of department stores appeared in Paris in 1780 when someone had the bright idea of covering narrow streets with iron and glass to shelter shoppers from the rain, muddy streets and horse-drawn carriages of pre-sidewalk Paris. After the Revolution, land speculators often took advantage of property ?liberated? from the aristocracy and the Church. Winding between center-city buildings, the passages were an ingenious way to commercialize the insides of city blocks. The Passages were all the rage for a few decades and then passed by and left to be populated by book stores, stamp and coin shops and sellers of pipes, dolls, music boxes, posters and paintings. They weave through the heart of Paris and often evoke a secret, mysterious feeling. They are also often hard to find.

START AT METRO: Louvre-Rivoli.

The most upscale passages are clustered around the Palais Royal.

WALK NORTH UP RUE DU LOUVRE, THEN TURN LEFT AND WALK WEST ON RUE ST-HONORE UNTIL TURNING RIGHT ON RUE JEAN-JACQUES ROUSSEAU AND FINDING
GALERIE VERO-DODAT. Built in 1826, it one of the oldest and prettiest passages. It is dark and atmospheric, with mahogany paneling and an old-fashioned floor of diagonal black-and-white tiles. Developed by a pair of wealthy charcutiers who gave it their names, it opened in 1822 and was an immediate success. Nicely restored, the Véro-Dodat, perhaps more than any other passage, retains its original character, with 38 identical boutiques displaying their wares in narrow arched windows surrounded by gilt edging. Robert Capia?s curiosity shop at #26 is very popular.
FROM EITHER END OF THE ARCADE, HEAD BACK TOWARDS THE LOUVRE. TURN RIGHT ON RUE ST-HONORE AND THEN TAKE A LOOK ON YOUR LEFT AT

LOUVRE DES ANTIQUAIRES. Enormous collection of antiques.

BACK ON ST-HONORE, YOU FACE TWO HUGE BUILDINGS, THE COMEDIE-FRANCAISE AND THE PALAIS-ROYALE. PASS UNDER THE ARCH BETWEEN THEM AND ENTER THE

JARDIN DU PALAIS ROYAL. A few quaint old shops are here.

WALK OUT THE GARDEN AND TAKE A RIGHT ON RUE DES PETIT-CHAMPS TO FIND THE

GALERIE COLBERT AND GALERIE VIVIENNE. Both are elegant and built in the 1820?s. They have a light and airy feel to them with neoclassical reliefs and mosaic floors.

GALERIE VIVIENNE. Si Tu Veux, where giant teddy bears guard the door, sells irresistible toys. And Jousseaume, is a bookshop with a great postcard selection.
GALERIE COLBERT. Le Grand Colbert, a splendid period piece restaurant with high ceilings, gleaming brass fixtures and colorful friezes, has its own entrance at 2 Rue Vivienne. This lovely landmark serves lunch, afternoon tea, dinner and late supper for theatergoers from the nearby Comédie Française.
GO BACK OUT TO THE RUE DES PETITS-CHAMPS, TURN RIGHT AND WALK PAST THE BIBLIOTHEQUE NATIONALE. THREE BLOCKS DOWN YOU WILL FIND ON YOUR RIGHT THE

PASSAGE CHOISEUL AND PASSAGE STE-ANNE. Both come alive at lunch time with workers at the sandwich bars, Chinese and Greek restaurants, art supply shops and book stores.
On the other side of the Palais Royal, the Passage de Choiseul is decidedly downscale - linoleum floor, walls with peeling paint, and safety net slung under the glass roof to catch falling bits. Despite its illustrious history - the still-lively Théâtre des Bouffes Parisiens was founded here in 1855, and Paul Verlaine?s first poems were published here. Today, the Choiseul shows how passages can deteriorate over time.
LEAVE AT THE OPPOSITE END OF THE PASSAGE CHOISEUL AND TURN RIGHT ON RUE ST-AUGUSTIN. FOLLOW IT TO THE END AND TURN LEFT ON RUE VIVIENNE. WALK TWO MORE BLOCKS AND TURN RIGHT ON RUE ST-MARC TO ARRIVE AT
PASSAGES DES PANORAMAS. Five separate arcades intersect here: Galleries Feydeau, St-Marc, Des Varietes, Montmartre, and Long Passage Panama. The area has about a hundred shops.
With several branching corridors, the passage today, while not as elegant as some, is lively with shops, antiquaires and restaurants. Among these eateries is the tearoom l?Arbre à Cannelle, one of my favorite lunch spots, in the gilded setting of a former chocolate shop. A few doors away is an engraving shop called Stern, which has been in business since 1834. Patronized by everyone from Lenin to Charles de Gaulle, it?s worth a visit for its museum-quality display windows and wood-paneled interior.
FOLLOW THE PASSAGE DES PANORAMAS TO ITS END AND YOU WILL REACH BOULEVARD MONTMARTRE. CROSS IT TO ENTER
PASSAGE JOUFFROY (1846). Across the Boulevard from the Panoramas, the Passage Jouffroy is quieter and prettier. It has a hotel (Hotel Chopin) and a wax museum, Musee Grevin. This arcade has toys, oriental rugs, books, posters, and walking canes. Don?t miss the unique shop named for its owner, Thomas Boog, an artist who works with seashells. His extraordinary creations range from lamp stands and jewelry to entire rooms and grottos.
CROSS RUE DE LA GRANGE BATELIERE AND ENTER THE
PASSAGE VERDEAU. Verdeau, which continues the Jouffroy, is a haven for collectors, with antiques, classic film posters and vintage postcards. A perfect spot to stop for lunch or an afternoon coffee is Le Verdeau, a colorful salon de thé. Relax at a table in the passage, let the lovely light filter down on you, and enjoy the feeling of sitting on an outdoor terrace watching the world go by.
OTHER PASSAGES are scattered throughout the city, each one a reflection of its neighborhood and fascinating fragments of the city?s past.
? Passage Bourg-l?Abbé: 120 Rue Saint-Denis, 3 Rue de Palestro, 2nd.
? Passage Brady: 43 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Martin, 46 Rue du Faubourg-Saint-Denis, 10th.
? Passage du Caire: 2 Place du Caire, 33 Rue d?Alexandrie, 2nd.
? Passage de Choiseul: 40 Rue des Petits-Champs, 23 Rue Saint-Augustin, 2nd.
? Galerie Colbert: 6 Rue des Petits-Champs, 2 Rue Vivienne, 2nd.
? Passage du Grand-Cerf: 145 Rue Saint-Denis, 10 Rue Dussoubs, 2nd.
? Passage Jouffroy: 10-12 Boulevard Montmartre, 9 Rue de la Grange-Batelière, 9th.
? Passage des Panoramas: 11 Boulevard Montmartre, 10 Rue Saint-Marc, 2nd.
? Passage du Prado: 16 Boulevard Saint-Denis, 16 Rue du Faubourg-Saint-Denis, 10th.
? Passage des Princes: 5 Boulevard des Italiens, 97-99 Rue de Richelieu, 2nd.
? Passage Verdeau: 6 Rue de la Grange-Batelière, 31 bis Rue du Faubourg-Montmartre, 9th.
? Galerie Véro-Dodat: 19 Rue Jean-Jacques-Rousseau, 2 Rue du Bouloi, 1st.
? Galerie Vivienne: 4 Rue des Petits-Champs, 6 Rue Vivienne, 5 Rue de la Banque, 2nd.
POSSIBLE LUNCH AND DRINK STOPS:

? Le Grand Colbert: Galerie Colbert, rue des Petits-Champs. Metro. Bourse.
? A Priori The. 35-37 Gallerie Vivienne. Metro: Bourse.
? L?Arbre a Cannelle. 57 Passages des Panoramas. Metro: Grand Boulevards.

Degas

Please excuse my premature posting. Not all of my editing got included, but you get the general idea.

I drafted this walk up so I could print it out on a couple of sheets and avoid stumbling along with my nose in a book and my eyes straining with fine print to grasp the right directions.

I would appreciate your comments on the passages mentioned (as well as others you know about) and also good places to eat and drink along the way.

BTilke

We've had tea several times at A Priori The in the Galerie Vivienne. Casual chic atmosphere, excellent homemade pound cake. They also serve a good Saturday brunch. (The place is owned by an American, FYI). It's been the setting for several French commercials. But it can be crowded.

indytravel

Upscale, a bit pricey, I really liked the Vaudeville restaurant this spring. It's across the street from the Bourse at 29 r. Vivienne in the 2nd. Lunch for two with wine was around 60 euros. Of course it didn't help the cost that I had to have the foie gras appetizer.

hansikday

degas, many thanks for another very useful product.

I also like to print stuff out in large print to avoid blocking the sidewalk and stumbling over curbs as I try to navigate unfamiliar ground.

I noticed that where your walk ended might also be a good place to head west and explore the Grand Boulevard department stores.

jmv

Nice work. The Passages are one of my favorite Paris things--next to markets. We found the Du Caire to be quite artsy with lots of fun, upscale boutique shops and a couple of restaurants--one a very nice looking wine bar. The Passage Brady is, I believe one that I found hard put to call a passage, with the ceiling that covered the space beween the two buildings now gone. The passages in that area now house lots of Indian restaurants and shops.

Degas

Thanks for the inputs - just what I needed to hear. Will revise the document to reflect them.

Margie

Nice post re: the passages, and it is great to see someone do their homework before they travel. I certainly understand not wanting to walk around with your nose in a book, but have you considered checking out a book such as "Walking Pairs" by Gilles Desmons? Make copies of the pages you want and leave the book at home. Might be a good start for all of your neighborhood walks, save you a bit of typing/writing lenghty commentaries and you can take your own personal notes before you leave and add them to the margins. Also, this book tells you the best days for each walk depending on opening/closing times (although always good to consult a website before you leave), the time the walk should generally take, and makes suggestions for refreshment stops.

As a side note, I hope that you are allowing more than 1 day for each of your walks - they are *very* ambitious! LOL. Wear comfortable shoes and have a great time. Looking forward to your report when you return.

RonZ

Here's the passages web site in english

http://translate.google.com/translat...UTF-8%26sa%3DG

hanl

On the Passage du Perron (Palais royal) there's a shop specialised in music boxes. It sells all kinds, including minute ones that would make fabulous gifts

pj

ttt

jody

Degas.
we just did this 2 weeks ago in Paris..with Michael Osman as a guide. You are correct , a great rainy day activity. We didn't do the whole group you have listed but about 7 of them, then chartier's for lunch and on to the Marais.

Michael is a delight and worth every centime!

Degas

Jody, I "found" two passages whiling roaming around on my last trip, but was close to several others without knowing it. Thus, the combined summary and exact directions here.

I just love the feel of these old places.

indytravel

Degas, I really liked the feel of the passages too. This past spring I arranged for me and my Dad to stay in the 2-star Hotel Chopin in the Passage Jouffroy that you mentioned. It was extremely pleasant to start your day in Paris walking on the black & white tile, passing the little shops and getting a pastry before you were dumped out onto the busy sidewalks of Paris. It was fun to ring the night bell and be buzzed in too. We'd walk along the empty passage towards the hotel marveling that we were the only ones there.

The other hotel in Jouffroy is the 3-star Mercure Ronceray if you want a bit more upscale. I'm not so sure I'd like it as much as it's right at the entrance to Jouffroy and looks out on the boulevard. As far as I know those are the only two hotels actually located in a passage. If there are others I'd love to know about them.

Degas

indytravel, I saw the Hotel Chopin and immediately went inside and checked out a few rooms. Seems like one had a great view over the rooftops. I wanted to move over to it from a hotel in the 7th, but my friends voted me down! Bet it was a nice experience for you.

sfowler

I've done the passages twice [with Michael Osman and different friends] -- as it happened both times it was a bit wet -- It's a perfect activity. I love the difference between the passages -- from the upscale to the more pedestrian. The window shopping is a blast -- It's a lot of fun indeed

indytravel

Hey Degas,

Yes it was a very pleasant experience for me and my Dad. Course, it's a bit high falutin' with all that piano music playing in the lobby. I'll pay for swanky with my Dad but this December I'm staying around the corner in a less expensive 2-star.

hansikday

Here's another one. Looks like a good fit for your Right Bank Walk:

La Madeleine Arcade
9, place de la Madeleine


Built in 1845, it was always very quiet. In 1931 a newspaper of the time reported that the only trade there was a hairdresser's shop. Today it has become fashionable again but it isn't very well known. Its typical architecture recalls the Jouffroy and Verdeau arcades: alternating coloured tiles, regular wooden facades and glass roof. It reflects the luxury and opulence of the smart districts. It houses several upmarket boutiques and fashion designers. There is also the shop Territoire to discover, full of unusual objects and all sorts of curiosities.

Beth

Thanks, Degas. You've inspired my next trip. Beth

TravelerGina

Degas: Thanks for the great info. I've only been to Paris once and, although I did a lot of research, I didn't know about the Passages. We'll be going again at the end of March, and since I am expecting some rainy weather (to be wrong would be nice!), this will be, as you say "a great rainy day activity". I've printed out your post and will definitely be checking out some of the Passages on my trip (rain or shine).

Thanks again!