The 16th arrondissement of Paris is one of the largest in the city, and even though it’s a wealthy arrondissement, part of which lies close to major attractions like the Eiffel Tower and the Bois de Boulogne, a good number of tourists miss it entirely and never walk through it.
I’ll admit I barely explored it seriously myself for a long time, since I often preferred to dig deep into neighborhoods I already loved, like the Marais. But in April 2024 I decided it was time to give the 16th arrondissement the respect it deserves, and I spent several days there, walking through it intensively.
These walks made me fall in love with this charming neighborhood, because it has exactly everything that makes me love Paris so much: fascinating history full of great stories, and stunning aesthetics. Since this is a very large arrondissement, you can’t cover it all in one walking route (or even two), so this time I decided to focus on the neighborhood of Passy, which used to be a village annexed to Paris in 1860.
This is a very elegant neighborhood, where Paris’s high society lived for many years, and together we’ll uncover quite a few stories that unfolded here during the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. This walking route is meant for “advanced Francophiles”, since there are no massive attractions here, but “beginner Francophiles” looking for something to do before or after climbing the Eiffel Tower can enjoy it too.
The starting point
A note about the map: under the heading of each stop you’ll find its address, and every address is a link. Click it, and the spot will open right away in Google Maps.
If you’d like to stay in Passy in an apartment, let me recommend Udi’s apartment on Rue Nicolo, where Dr. Orna Liberman stayed (feel free to read her review at this link).
We’ll start our tour outside the Passy metro station, served by line 6. If you want to start the walk “the right way”, I highly recommend riding this line from the Left Bank over the Bir-Hakeim bridge, so you can see the Eiffel Tower in all its glory, and then getting off at the next stop, Passy. That’s a great way to kick off the walk.
If you’ve already come out of the metro at Passy, or if you walked to the station on foot, it’s time to get going.
The Passy Walking Route
It Doesn’t Start Until the Fat Lady Sings
As you saw, the Passy metro station sits above ground. As soon as you exit it, head down the stairs until you reach the Square de l’Alboni.
The square is named after the singer Marietta Alboni (1826-1894), one of the most successful opera singers in Paris, who was discovered in Italy by none other than the famous composer Rossini.
Alboni had an extensive international career, during which she managed to marry a Roman nobleman, and after being widowed, married again, this time to a French officer.
During her career she amassed a considerable fortune and left instructions that upon her death, her money be distributed to various charities. Thanks to these charitable acts, and to the fact that she herself funded the square you are standing in, it was decided to name this square after her. If you’d like to lay a wreath on her grave, by the way, feel free to visit Père Lachaise Cemetery.
If you’d like to raise a glass (virtually) in honor of the noble opera singer, turn right onto Rue des Eaux, named after the healing springs that once existed in Passy (the clean, healthy water is still there, only the spa has closed), until you reach the wine museum.
This is a 19th-century building that is actually an imitation of an 18th-century one (that’s how it was in the 19th century: aside from the Haussmannian buildings, they had no style of their own, and everything else was neo-Gothic, neo-Baroque, and so on. Truthfully, I don’t say this to belittle the 19th century. Quite the opposite: in my opinion, it’s the century that produced the most beautiful buildings in Paris).
Beneath this lovely building is a 14th-century wine cellar that belonged to the Minim order (Les Minimes), who had a vineyard in the area. Today it houses a museum that presents the history of wine in the area through wax figures. Here’s a short piece (in French) that will help you understand what’s inside.
The museum is open every day except Sundays and Mondays, from 10:00 to 18:00. Tickets can be purchased on-site or on the museum’s website.
Where a Close Friend of Marie Antoinette (1755-1793) Lived, an Asylum, and the Turkish Embassy (All in One Building)
Backtrack a little and continue to 10 Rue Charles Dickens. This is a rather ugly block of buildings, but if you go inside and cross the courtyard, you’ll find Parc de Passy waiting for you. It’s a modern but pleasant park, and if you feel like it, you’re welcome to stroll through it and sit for a while.
Once you’ve done that, continue straight to the other end of the park, which ends at Rue d’Ankara. There, at number 7, lived the singer Dalida (1933-1987), about whom you can read in Dr. Orna Liberman’s comprehensive article, Dalida Forever.
As you walk along Rue d’Ankara, you’ll likely notice a stone wall and a gate. This is the side entrance to the Turkish embassy, and since it’s a rather hostile country, we can’t go inside, which is a shame.
The embassy is located in the Hôtel de Lamballe, which belonged to a close friend of Marie Antoinette and has a fascinating story. If you’d like to hear the tragic story of the princess, feel free to watch the following video.
If the princess’s story has caught your interest, check out the article on the Hôtel de Lamballe and read more about this mansion, which also served as an asylum for high-society people before becoming the Turkish embassy (which, honestly, given the behavior of their president, is a kind of asylum too).
Turn north on the street and walk until you reach the charming Rue Breton on your left. Step onto the street and, as if by magic, you’ll feel like you’ve left the city and ended up in a village.
Go to number 24 and you’ll find a sign from 1731 marking the former boundary between the county of Passy and the county of Auteuil. You can get to know the neighborhood beyond the sign in the Auteuil walking route.
The Houses of Balzac and Franklin
Continue along Rue Breton and turn right onto the path that will lead you to Rue Raynouard. There, at number 47, you’ll find the Balzac Museum.
Honoré de Balzac (1799-1850) lived in this building between 1840 and 1847, and here he wrote some of his greatest works while hiding from creditors. It’s a charming, free museum with a small garden and a shop where you can buy books and other items, and it’s worth visiting even if you’ve never read any of his novels.
There’s quite a lot to write about this house, so I created an entire article just about it. If you’d like to get to know the house before your visit, feel free to check out my article on Balzac’s house.
After you finish visiting Balzac’s house, head out to Rue Raynouard, to number 42, which is more or less across from the museum. Today there’s a Haussmannian building there, but in the 18th century this was the site of the Hôtel de Valentinois, which was rented in 1776 to Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790).
Franklin, who served as the ambassador of the colonies that would, within a few years, become the United States of America, got to meet here all the great figures of French culture and politics of the era. He also conducted scientific experiments here, the most famous being the construction of a lightning rod, to study the subject of electricity.
During the 19th century, the building where Franklin lived became a boarding school for boys, and it was eventually demolished and replaced with the beautiful building you see today. As you can see, there’s a plaque on the building’s wall noting the distinguished American guest who once lived here.
Clemenceau’s House and the Perfect Spot for an Eiffel Tower Selfie
8 rue Franklin, and avenue de Camoëns
Continue along Rue Raynouard, and as you walk you’ll get to enjoy quite a few Art Deco style houses. Take, for example, this house at number 15, which has a small, charming garden overlooking the Left Bank.
Continue on to Place du Costa Rica and from there to Rue Franklin, where you’ll find the house of Georges Clemenceau (1841-1929). Clemenceau led a long and action-packed life, from his days as the mayor of Montmartre during the Commune, through his activity during the Dreyfus Affair, to his time as prime minister during the most critical periods of World War I.
One day I’ll write an article summing up the fascinating life story of “the Tiger” (as he was nicknamed), but until then I highly recommend visiting his house, which has become a museum dedicated to his life.
The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday, from 14:00 to 17:30. The museum is closed on Sundays and Mondays, and is also closed throughout August and on holidays, so plan your visit carefully. More information about the museum can be found on its official website.
After visiting the museum, continue along Rue Franklin and turn right onto Avenue de Camoëns. The street is named after the Portuguese poet Luís de Camões (1525-1580), and the buildings on it were built in the early 20th century, but that’s not why I brought you here.
This is one of the most beautiful spots to take a photo with the Eiffel Tower perfectly framed. That’s why if you come here early in the morning, you’ll find a long line of people in their finest outfits, standing and posing, mostly for wedding photos, though I’ve also seen professional photo shoots of a sweet little Japanese girl in traditional dress.
I took a photo of her, but unfortunately, since she’s a minor, I’m not allowed to show you her picture. So instead, I’ve provided a photo of two bloggers taking a selfie, and if you’d like to see more photos from that same spot, here are a few couple photos.
In short, if you end up staying in Passy, as I recommended earlier in this article, and you love photography, get up early and head to this little street. I promise you’ll leave with a wonderful set of photos!
Paris’s Aristocratic Necropolis
2 rue du Commandant-Schloesing
Go back to Rue Franklin and continue until you reach Square Yorktown, where you’ll find a statue of Benjamin Franklin, who, as mentioned, lived in Passy.
Right across from this small garden is the Passy Cemetery, also known as Paris’s aristocratic necropolis, since quite a few of the neighborhood’s wealthy residents chose to be buried there.
This is a relatively small and intimate cemetery, with quite a few interesting graves. I highly recommend taking somewhere between half an hour and an hour to stroll leisurely among the graves, to enjoy both the morbid aesthetics and the stories that come out of them.
If you decide to take my advice and visit, feel free to check out the article The Passy Cemetery: A Final Resting Place with a View of the Eiffel Tower, where you’ll find not only practical information (opening hours and so on) but also stories about some of the people buried there.
One More Chance for an Eiffel Tower Selfie
place du Trocadéro-et-du-11-Novembre
After you finish visiting the Passy Cemetery, head to the Palais de Chaillot, located a short distance south of the cemetery.
The site has a few interesting museums, but that’s not why so many people come here every day. The reason, as you’ve probably guessed, is to photograph the Eiffel Tower, and even more importantly, to take a photo with it.
In May 2024, I was here at 7:00 a.m. to film a short video for the site. The cold was almost unbearable, but that didn’t stop brides in light dresses, or even a dancer in minimal attire (relative to the weather), from posing calmly on the esplanade, knowing that in a few hours it might be warmer and more pleasant, but the crowds that would arrive wouldn’t really allow for a one-on-one photo with the Eiffel Tower. Here are the two best photos I took there:
If you didn’t make it here at seven in the morning to photograph and be photographed, you’ll be glad to know there’s plenty to see and do at the Palais de Chaillot. To learn the fascinating story behind the palace and get all the information you need to visit the museums there, read the article The Trocadéro Gardens in Paris: The Untold Stories.
A Musical Love Story Between a Gay Man and a Lesbian
After you finish visiting the museums at the Palais de Chaillot (and maybe even went up the Eiffel Tower), head to Avenue Georges Mandel until you reach the point where the avenue crosses Rue du Pasteur Marc Boegner. What you’ll find there is a magnificent building with quite a story inside it.
This magnificent building, called the Hôtel de Polignac, belonged to Prince Edmond de Polignac (1834-1901) and his partner Winnaretta Singer (1865-1934). The Polignac couple’s story is quite unique, since the prince was gay and his partner was a lesbian, and yet (and maybe because of that) they remained close friends until the prince’s final day. If you’d like to read more about this unique couple, feel free to check out the article Happily Ever After.
Both of them loved music deeply. Winnaretta Singer was a patron of some of the most important composers of the 20th century, including Maurice Ravel (1875-1937) and Erik Satie (1866-1925). After her death, the magnificent building passed to the Fondation Singer-Polignac, which Winnaretta Singer had established in 1928.
Since its founding, the foundation has supported young, promising musicians, allowing them to rehearse and perform at the Hôtel de Polignac. Here’s a short video filmed at one of the concerts held there (sharp-eyed viewers might spot Winnaretta Singer’s portrait reflected in the mirror).
If you’d like to enjoy one of these concerts, feel free to visit the foundation’s official website to see which concerts will be held during your stay in Paris.
Continue along Avenue Georges Mandel, which will later become Avenue Henri Martin, and walk to number 71. There you’ll find the grand town hall building of the 16th arrondissement.
The town hall building was built between 1875 and 1876, and if you go inside you’ll see a number of interesting sculptures, including a bust of the famous writer Prosper Mérimée (1803-1870), who is responsible for the novella Carmen, which, thanks to Bizet, became a famous opera.
I visited the place in April 2024, and as beautiful as the building is, what moved me most was the sign calling for the hostages’ return that the town hall had hung on its facade.
The Hidden Tower and a Lovely Portuguese Restaurant
Backtrack a little and head toward Rue de la Pompe, continue until the intersection with Rue de la Tour, turn left and continue to number 86.
The building’s facade is rather ugly, and a high school now stands there, but if you’re allowed into the courtyard, you’ll find an impressive tower (which gave the street its name). What you’re looking at is a 19th-century reconstruction of a much older tower that stood here in the 14th century, where King Philip IV, known as “the Fair” (r. 1285-1314), stayed when he visited Passy.
If the sight of the tower, or the miles you’ve covered so far, have made you hungry, you’ll be glad to hear that at number 90 there’s a charming, unpretentiously named bistro, Bistrot Le 90. It’s a family-run restaurant with Portuguese touches, open all day (except Sundays).
I had chicken there with Portuguese seasoning, which was juicy, a bit spicy, and delicious. The service was also very warm, so I recommend eating there if you’re looking for a casual meal, with no Michelin-star pretensions.
Ending the Walk
Continue along Rue de la Tour and turn onto Rue Cortambert. Continue to the intersection with Rue Scheffer and turn left. Walk until you reach number 51, where you’ll find Villa Scheffer.
The street and villa are named after the painter Ary Scheffer (1795-1858), a highly talented Dutch painter who managed to make a name for himself not only through his talent, but also because he was the art teacher of the daughters of the last king of France, Louis Philippe (r. 1830-1848). For some of you, the name Ary Scheffer might sound a bit familiar thanks to the Museum of Romantic Life, located in the house where he lived and dedicated to him and George Sand.
If you were expecting a “villa” (meaning a large, grand house), you might be a little disappointed, since a “villa” in French actually refers to a small dead-end alley. But if you peek inside, you’ll find a charming 19th-century building that’s definitely worth a look.
And here, facing this house, we end our walk through the 16th arrondissement. From here, you can easily make your way back to Avenue Georges Mandel, and from there it’s just a few minutes’ walk to the Rue de la Pompe metro station (line 9), which will take you back to central Paris.
I hope this walk made you fall in love with the Passy neighborhood, just as it did for me, and that it left you wanting more.
Want to visit more of the 16th arrondissement?
Here are more articles about the neighborhood.
- Jardin du Ranelagh: a tour of a green sculpture garden, a paradise where time stands still
- Another day in Paris: visiting the Musée Marmottan Monet
- Paris: green walks in the 16th arrondissement, part 2
- Bois de Boulogne: the complete traveler’s guide
FAQ
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