Tour · 6 stops · ~90 min walking
Covered Passages
Belle-Époque malls before there were malls.
Six glass-roofed shopping arcades from the 1820s–1840s, all walkable in a single loop in the 1st, 2nd, and 9th arrondissements. Perfect for rainy afternoons. Many close at 8 pm and stay locked until morning — go early.
Through the1er · Louvre & Les Halles2e · Bourse & Sentier9e · South Pigalle & Opéra
1Galerie Véro-Dodat
Opened 1826 by two charcutiers (Véro and Dodat) who'd just made fortunes in cured meat. Black-and-white marble floor, 38 mahogany shop fronts, gas lamps converted to electric in 1923. One of the best-preserved arcades in the city.
Enter from Rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau, opposite the Bourse de Commerce. The Christian Louboutin atelier is at no. 19 — discreet, worth a look through the window. Exit at Rue de Croix-des-Petits-Champs and walk north.
From Wikipedia›
The Galerie Véro-Dodat is one of the covered passages of Paris. It is located in the 1st arrondissement, connecting the Rue de Jean-Jacques Rousseau and the Rue Croix-des-Petits-Champs. It was built in 1826.
Read more on Wikipedia →Verified nearby ·Bourse de Commerce — Pinault Collection2 minGalerie Véro-Dodat2 min
48.86350, 2.34150
2Galerie Vivienne
1823. The grandest of the arcades — barrel-vaulted glass roof, mosaic floor by Italian craftsman Giandomenico Facchina, and a famous bookshop (Librairie Jousseaume) that has been there since 1826. Used as a film set every other month.
Enter from 4 Rue des Petits-Champs. Walk all the way through to the rotunda — the floor mosaic is the photograph. À Priori Thé in the middle is a classic spot for a slow tea. Exit at Rue Vivienne.
From Wikipedia›
The Galerie Vivienne is one of the covered passages of Paris, located in the 2nd arrondissement. It is 176 metres (577 ft) long and 3 metres (9.8 ft) wide. The gallery has been registered as a historical monument since 7 July 1974.
Read more on Wikipedia →Verified nearby ·Galerie Vivienne1 minDaroco Bourse2 min
48.86660, 2.34020
- 3
Galerie Colbert
Opened 1826 immediately next door to Vivienne, deliberately as competition. Bigger rotunda, less lively now — owned by the Bibliothèque nationale, which uses it for exhibitions. The dome is the architectural showpiece.
Enter from 6 Rue des Petits-Champs, right beside Vivienne. Look up immediately — the dome is the whole point. The exhibits in the side rooms are usually free and worth the five minutes.
Verified nearby ·Galerie Vivienne2 minDaroco Bourse3 min
48.86650, 2.34080
4Passage des Panoramas
1799 — the oldest covered passage in Paris and the first public space in the city to get gas lighting (1817). Today: stamp dealers, vintage postcards, several tiny restaurants that locals book a week ahead.
Enter from 11 Boulevard Montmartre. The signage etched in glass is original 1830s. Inside, look for Stern, the engraver at no. 47 — same family running the shop since 1834. Exit on Rue Saint-Marc and cross the boulevard.
From Wikipedia›
The Passage des Panoramas is the oldest of the covered passages of Paris, located in the 2nd arrondissement between the Boulevard Montmartre to the north and the Rue Saint-Marc to the south. It is one of the earliest venues of the Parisian philatelic trade, and it was one of the first covered commercial passageways in Europe. Bazaars and souks in the Orient had roofed commercial passageways centuries earlier, but the Passage de Panoramas innovated in having glazed roofing and, later on, in 1817, gas lights for illumination. It was an ancestor of the city gallerias of the 19th century and the covered suburban and city shopping malls of the 20th century.
Read more on Wikipedia →Verified nearby ·Hôtel Filigrane & Spa1 minPassage des Panoramas1 min
48.87090, 2.34150
5Passage Jouffroy
1845. The first arcade with underfloor heating and the first to be entirely iron-and-glass. Houses the Musée Grévin (wax museum) and Hôtel Chopin, where the composer never actually stayed despite the name.
Cross Boulevard Montmartre directly opposite the Panoramas exit — Jouffroy's entrance is at no. 10. Pain d'Épices toy shop at no. 29 is unchanged since 1980 and worth ten minutes alone. Walk all the way through.
From Wikipedia›
The Passage Jouffroy is one of the covered passages of Paris, located in the 9th arrondissement. It runs between the Boulevard Montmartre to the south and the Rue de la Grange-Batelière to the north.
Read more on Wikipedia →Verified nearby ·Hôtel Chopin1 minPassage des Panoramas1 min
48.87170, 2.34230
- 6
Passage Verdeau
1846, opened immediately after Jouffroy as its northern extension. Quieter, more old-bookshops, less foot traffic. The northern half rooflight is original cast iron with the rosettes intact.
From the north end of Jouffroy, cross Rue de la Grange Batelière — Verdeau begins directly opposite. Photographique Verdeau at no. 14 sells antique cameras and is run by a man who can date any pre-war Leica by smell.
Verified nearby ·Bouillon Chartier (Grands Boulevards)1 minHôtel Chopin1 min
48.87210, 2.34290