Tour of Paris' Passages couverts Activity

A visit to a little-known part of the capital!

Shrouded in glass and metal, these "romantic shortcuts" into a Paris that was thought to have disappeared, the passages or galleries, were born in the 19th century. Celebrating the pleasures of commerce and shopping, they were built in Paris, mostly on the right bank. Now replaced by the department stores of which they are contemporaries, there are now just twenty or so passages that bear witness to the bygone splendours of a capital then in the throes of upheaval.

Born of speculative fever after the French Revolution, the passages and galleries were quickly adopted by Parisians.

Safe, aesthetic and comfortable, they were reserved for the exclusive use of pedestrians, who discovered new architecture in a Paris that looked like a medieval city.

Long sought-after symbols of freedom, equality and leisure, they were also elegant shortcuts where the whole of Paris congregated.

These Parisian versions of the "bazaars" or "souks" are great places to stroll around and film sets, but they also hold many secrets for us.

• Guided tour