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Free booking and cancellationFree payment tour, no set price, booking and cancellation are free
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Hello! I'm Christian (Kristen). I'm a proactive pensioner, involved in many cultural and social projects here in Paris. I'm a history buff, with a strong interest in European and French history. I've lived for several years in Paris - at a short walking distance from Montmartre. I've lived in six European countries and visited all of them. I speak fluently English, as I'm British educated. I am a Norwegian-born Italian.
A tour of 18th and 19th century Paris, through it's covered shop filled pedestrian passages, (or galleries).
Starting from the 9th arrondissement, through the Grand Boulevards area, through several galleries, ending at the Comédie Française square ( in front of Louvre museum).
Definition of passage: A roofed shop filled pedestrain gallery in the 18 th & early 19 th century style & decor.
This tour is more about illustrating various aspects of 19th century Parisian life, using the Galleries as a central point of interest.
- Meeting at Le Peletier (line 7) metro stop exit at the ground level. Google Maps gives it at 43 Rue La Fayette (9th arrondissement), which is 50 metres from where I’m standing.
I’ll be standing in between the top of the metro stairs and the ‘La Gargamelle ‘ restaurant.
I’ll be arriving at the meeting place, a few minutes before three , so there is no need to arrive 10 minutes before three. Try to avoid arriving later than three o’clock.
The minimum number of participants is three. If only two or less have reserved by 14.00 pm on the tour day, the whole tour will be cancelled. So if you see few reservations for this tour, make a back up plan for an alternative activity in case the Galleries tour gets cancelled.
Due to the fact we need to do light security checks at the library entrance, please do not bring luggage’s on the tour.
The meeting place is 20 minutes walk from the Layatte or Printemps department stores. Which is a nice personal pre tour visit very much related to the subject of 19th century shopping experiences.
I will be at the Le Peletier metro station exit, wearing a brown grey and holding a blue folder(or having a dark gray rucksack)
Walk down road to reach first Gallery/Passage
First Passage (gallery) , a few comments on Passage features and shops
Second Passage (gallery) , a few comments on Passage features and shops
Example of 19th restaurant with original decor, still working
19 th century wax museum, still working
Third Passage (gallery) , a few comments on Passage features and shops
19th century Stock market building
A few points of interest
National Library, visit two 19th century reading rooms
See example of Neo classical style gallery. Comment some shops.
Fifth and last Gallery, another neo-classical style Passage or Gallery
Example of a mini passage
Example of palace turned into a shopping center, but in the 1780’s. Still functioning.
End of tour, brief comment on surrounding buildings
Free tours do not have a set price, instead, each person gives the guru at the end of the tour the amount that he or she considers appropriate (these usually range from €10 to $50 depending on satisfaction with the tour).