The covered passages of Paris are without a doubt among the most magical spots in the City of Light. The moment you step inside, you land in a world that feels pulled from another era, a place where time has almost stood still. Some of these passages are quite famous, while others are nearly unknown, and people usually stumble on them by accident while wandering the streets of the 2nd arrondissement, or when it suddenly starts raining and everyone is looking for somewhere to hide.
Big or small, famous or obscure, a trip to Paris without visiting the passages is like asking for ketchup at a French restaurant: possible, but not recommended. Today I’ll tell you the story of the passages of Paris, recommend a few of my favorites, and finish with a short walking itinerary.
The History of the Covered Passages of Paris
Paris at the end of the 18th century was a far cry from the Paris we know today. The streets reeked, since there was no proper sewer system. Sidewalks had already been invented in the 17th century during the construction of the Pont Neuf, but most streets were still muddy, and the chances of a Parisian getting run over by a carriage, or at the very least splattered with mud by a passing one, were fairly high.
Add to that the fact that street lighting was poorly developed, which turned the “City of Light” into a paradise for thieves, and you’ll understand why, unlike us, many Parisians weren’t exactly eager to stroll the streets and window shop. One of the first people to recognize the business opportunity in all this was the Duke of Orléans, Louis Philippe, who in 1784 added a row of covered shops to the Palais-Royal, turning it into France’s first shopping mall.
Following the success of the Palais-Royal shops, entrepreneurs began building covered shopping arcades, which often connected one street to another and were therefore called “passage.” These arcades were covered with a glass roof that protected passersby from the rain, and since they were lit at all hours, they were considered quite safe. As a result, the passages became a resounding success, and during the first half of the 19th century, about 150 of them were built in Paris.
All the passages were built on the Right Bank of Paris, which was the city’s business center, especially in the 2nd arrondissement, home to the Paris stock exchange. The passages’ glory days didn’t 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 under Napoleon III, which turned the city’s streets and boulevards into pleasant places to stroll, so there was no longer a need to seek out the passages. On top of that, as part of the rebuilding plan, new streets were cut through entire neighborhoods, requiring the demolition of those neighborhoods along with the passages that stood in them.
Finally, the birth of the department store, which also took place under Napoleon III and is described in Émile Zola’s famous novel “The Ladies’ Paradise,” dealt a fatal blow to the small shops in the passages, which couldn’t compete with the sheer abundance of goods the department stores offered. As a result, the number of passages dropped from about 150 to just a few dozen. Even the passages that survived fell into neglect, and their condition kept declining. Luckily for us, though, many of them have been renovated in recent years, and the magic has returned.
Recommended Covered Passages in Paris
Passage du Grand Cerf
This passage was built in 1825 and named after an inn that once stood there before the French Revolution. The site also served as Paris’s “central station,” from which mail coaches departed for the north and east of France. It’s a charming passage that was renovated fairly recently, and you’ll find galleries, clothing shops, jewelry stores, and African art shops here. You can also find the wine bar Le Pas-Sage, whose name is a playful pun (it can be read as “passage,” “not wise,” or “a wise step”).
This is without a doubt one of my favorite passages, not just for its beauty but for its name (“Grand Cerf” means “the great stag”). You can read more about it in the article Passage du Grand Cerf: Paris’s Giant of Glass and Iron.
You can enter the passage from the following streets:
145 rue Saint-Denis or 10 rue Dussoubs.
Opening hours:
08:00-20:00, open Monday through Saturday.
Passage des Panoramas
This is one of the oldest passages in Paris (the oldest is of course the Palais-Royal, followed by the Passage Feydeau in 1790 and the Passage du Caire in 1799). It was also the first passage to have gas lighting installed, in 1817. The passage was built in 1800 on the ruins of the estate of the Duke of Luxembourg, and the estate’s gate still adorns the entrance from Rue Saint-Marc today.
Since it was created, this passage has become one of the major attractions of 19th-century Paris. Parisians fell in love with the Café Véron, the Félix pâtisserie, and especially the panoramic paintings brought by the American Robert Fulton. These paintings were the “last word” in novelty when they were created in 1787, and they’re what gave the passage its name.
Fulton’s original goal was simply to make a little money while he waited for an answer from Napoleon about the torpedo boats, steamships, and even submarines he had proposed building for the emperor of France. Since Napoleon was mainly interested in his land army, he ultimately decided to pass, and Fulton left Paris to go sell his inventions to… England. Today you’ll find stamp collectors’ shops in the passage, the tea house of the chocolate maker Marquise, 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.
Opening hours:
06:00-24:00. Open every day of the week.
Passage Jouffroy
This covered passage sits in the southern part of the 9th arrondissement, facing its much more famous sibling, the Passage des Panoramas, which lies across the boulevard at the edge of the 2nd arrondissement.
Passage Jouffroy was founded in 1845 and underwent a major, extensive renovation in 1987.
Here you’ll find a handful of small, charming shops and the exit of the wax museum, Musée Grévin. At the end of the passage stands a small hotel called Hotel Chopin.
You can enter the passage from the following address:
Galerie Vivienne
In my opinion, Galerie Vivienne is the most beautiful covered passage in Paris, and it’s a wonderful place to spend some time, especially on a rainy day. The place became famous in 1830, when, during the July Revolution, composer Hector Berlioz gathered a few dozen Frenchmen here to sing La Marseillaise together, a song the monarchy had banned. According to the composer, the passage’s excellent acoustics created an extraordinary musical effect that breathed new spirit into the revolutionaries, who went on to remove King Charles X from his throne.
Today you’ll mainly find charming bookshops and antique stores here. There’s also the tea salon A Priori Thé, where you can stop for coffee, hot chocolate, or a selection of teas. Finally, if you’re a wine lover, I highly recommend not missing the famous wine shop Legrand Filles et Fils, which has been here since 1919 and has been considered one of the best wine shops in Paris since the end of World War II.
Want to read more about this passage and its neighbor, Galerie Colbert? Check out the article Galerie 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
Right next to Galerie Vivienne stands Galerie Colbert, built on the site of the former estate of Louis XIV‘s finance minister. Like Galerie Vivienne, it was built in 1826, and throughout the 19th century a rivalry brewed between the two passages. However, despite its elegant appearance, the businesses in this passage struggled, and it nearly faced demolition.
Luckily for us, the site was bought by the French National Library, which set up a research institute dedicated to art history there. The only business that still operates in this passage today is the famous brasserie Le Grand Colbert.
You can enter the passage from the following streets:
6 rue des Petits-Champs or 2 rue Vivienne.
Passage de Choiseul
This passage was built in 1829, and very little remains of its rich cultural past. Sadly, no trace is left of the bookshop and publishing house of Alphonse Lemerre (1838-1912), which published the works of Sully Prudhomme (1839-1907), the first winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature, and Paul Verlaine. The famous French writer Anatole France (1844-1924) worked here as an editor at Lemerre’s publishing house and later published his own books there.
Like many of the passages, this one declined toward the end of the 19th century, and Louis-Ferdinand Céline, author of “Journey to the End of the Night,” who lived here as a child, described the place as “reeking of gaslight and dog urine.” What saved the passage was the opening of a store for the famous fashion house Kenzo, which drew more shoppers back to the area. Since then the store has moved to Place des Victoires, and today you’ll find restaurants, bookshops, jewelry stores, and art galleries here instead.
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
This passage was built by two butchers, named Véro and Dodat, in 1826. Its glass ceiling, mahogany paneling, and black-and-white floor create a magical atmosphere straight out of a bygone era. You can almost picture elegant women in crinoline dresses and men in black top hats strolling through here on their way to a café or the opera.
In 1836, the famous actress Rachel (Rachel Félix, 1821-1858) moved in here, living on the third floor at number 38, while on the ground floor the satirical paper Le Charivari operated, employing caricaturist Honoré Daumier (1808-1879).
In a scathing review published in that very paper, art critic Louis Leroy (1812-1885) coined the word “Impressionists.” Today the passage is mostly home to antique shops and a few high-end fashion boutiques, including that of Christian Louboutin.
You can read more about this passage in the article on Galerie Véro-Dodat.
You can enter the passage from the following streets:
19 rue Jean-Jacques-Rousseau or 2 rue du Bouloi
Opening hours:
07:00-22:00. Monday through Saturday (closed on holidays).
A Walking Itinerary Through the Covered Passages of Paris
Now that you’ve read about the most charming passages in Paris, it’s time to head out into the City of Light and visit them.
Instead of a map: under each stop’s heading you’ll find its address, and every address is a link. Click it, and the spot will open right away in Google Maps.
- I suggest starting the walk at the Les Grands Boulevards metro station, which is close to Passage des Panoramas.
- After you’re done exploring there, head south on Rue Vivienne, taking in the Palais Brongniart (the old Paris stock exchange) on the way. From there, walk along Rue Saint-Augustin until you reach Passage de Choiseul.
- Exit through the Passage Sainte-Anne and head east through the area where the old Paris Opera once stood. Along the way you can see the Square Louvois and its charming fountain.
- Continue on until you reach Galerie Colbert, and once you’ve explored it, head over to the adjoining Galerie Vivienne.
- After touring these two lovely passages, walk to the charming Place des Petits-Pères, and if you’d like, step into the Notre-Dame-des-Victoires church, where the important French composer Jean-Baptiste Lully (1632-1687) is buried.
- From there, head out to Place des Victoires, and after admiring the statue of Louis XIV and the Kenzo store, go south until you reach Galerie Véro-Dodat.
- Exit the gallery onto Rue du Bouloi and continue east toward the Église Saint-Eustache and Rue Montorgueil, with its wealth of culinary attractions. Continue along Rue Tiquetonne until you reach Rue Dussoubs, from where you can enter the last passage of this tour, the Grand Cerf.
- And that’s where the walk ends. I hope you enjoyed it.
Looking for More Information on Paris?
- If you’d like to try another walking itinerary, why not take the walking tour of the Latin Quarter? If you’re feeling a bit more adventurous and want a route that strays a little further from the tourist attractions of Paris, I also highly recommend the walking tour through the 9th and 10th arrondissements of Paris.
- And finally, don’t forget the site’s interactive map of Paris, where you can easily find almost anything located in Paris.
- If there’s anything else you need that you couldn’t find on the site, don’t hesitate to reach out to me (my contact details are on the About page or at the bottom of the page).
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