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Amid disarray and chaos, the German army entered Paris on the 14th of June 1940. They will rule over Paris until the end of August 1944. Between grand and small history, the tour takes you to see the main buildings where the German invaders settled and ruled for four long years. Lives, actions and fates of a few unknown people living through this period will also be told along the way, between Occupation, Resistance, Collaboration, Deportation and Liberation. -
With the Russian Paris tour you will discover Russian culture throughout its history, all around the French capital, and above all religious institutions, well known and sometimes hidden, one of which containing two trees growing inside!
You'll get to see amazing nineteen century typical wooden Russian houses in a back alley usually closed to the public and learn about the lives in Paris of famous Russian representatives, such as Turgenev, Bunin, Pushkin or Chagall as well as a rather more contemporary Russian presence, through nightlife and gastronomy. Tour also available with a private VIP car.
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This is an enchanting tour in the Montparnasse area. Even if today, the neighborhood is more well known for a huge commercial centre, train station and its emblematic 1970's tower, Montparnasse is filled with back alleys, amazing stories, artists homes and workshops as well as a vibrant day and night life especially embodied with the famous great brasseries that made the area famous around the world in the first half of the twentieth century. -
This walk will uncover a unique place: a small village bordered only with Parisian villas, pedestrian and paved walkways bordered by pretty houses. The whole area surrounded by parks and small gardens. The tour will also take you in one of the last Parisian village, little known to Parisian and hidden in the 19th arrondissement. Nearby, the park of the Buttes Chaumont, created in the 19th century, is considered as the most charming and typically Parisian of all the capital's parks. -
Discover the luxurious mansions of the Plaine Monceau. This popular area of the city gives you an impression of being in a Parisian village. In the second half of the 19th century, wealthy people settled in the Monceau district, building beautiful mansions near its picturesque park. We will approach several, uncovering hidden and magnificent courtyards, detail the park and finish with a very unusual street favored by up and coming 19th century artists. -
Around the Montsouris park, there are several charming and bucolic streets that celebrities of the 1920s, after leaving Montparnasse, made their home. The architectural style of these houses is worth a look and corresponds to the technical and artistic criteria of a very precise movement. In the immediate vicinity, lies the imposing Cité Internationale Universitaire, made famous by its ideals, wide green spaces, student residents from around the world, and also renowned architects who worked on several of the buildings. -
The historic Jewish quarter is found in the charming preserved district of the Marais especially around the rue des Rosiers. The walk brings to life the fascinating history of the Jewish population that has lived in France for more than 2000 years. In between persecutions and forced exiles, there have been periods that have consecrated the Jewish community as one of the most important and active in culture, politics, and business. The tour presents places that often go unrecognized, from large synagogues to small hidden oratories, private mansions, typical streets and, of course, places of remembrance, followed by a reflection on the current status of the French Jewish community. -
Come and explore this unknown neighborhood of Paris, hidden between the Opera and Montmartre. From famous 19th century artists' mansions to small museums dedicated to romantic or symbolic painters, follow the path of vibrant artists such as Chopin or Delacroix. Discover hidden alleys, artists hideouts and amazing stories linked to this little known district. Two intiliate and beautiful Museums on option: the painter Gustave Moreau's house-atelier and the musée de la vie romantique (Romantic life Museum) -
The tour begins at Saint Denis, where we will visit the sprawling, lively market. The stalls lead to the pedestrian street, the town’s central artery. At the end of this road, a large open square offers a fantastic view of the majestic Basilica. The visit includes the tombs of the kings and queens of France, the crypt and its treasures, and the central part of the cathedral. You will also have the opportunity to admire other remarkable features of the town, like former buildings of the Saint Denis Abbey, the former Carmel monastery, and the pretty Légion d’honneur park. The walk ends near the metro and tram stops in the newer area of Saint Denis. -
Strolling under the beautiful glass walkways of Paris. From the Palais Royal pleasures galleries to the performances of the Grands Boulevards, discover the vibrant life of the city in the nineteenth century between elegance, roguery and marketing. The walk will explore the most well-known and beautiful passages of the right bank from North to south, strolling casually through houses, sneaking quietly from one street to another, the transition is definitely a Parisian invention. -
The tropical garden visit with the remains of the 1907 colonial exhibition is like journeying in totally different worlds, from Indochina with temples and lush vegetation to North Africa with various pavilions from Tunisia or Morocco, through Congo, Madagascar and many more. This tour takes the visitor to an exotic trip in the footsteps of the former French Empire's different cultures! A break is also planned at the vast greenhouses where an association of enthusiasts present and sell their locally grown fruits and vegetables produced by permaculture. -
The Faubourg Saint Antoine has gradually developed around the Royal Abbey of Saint Antoine des Champs, but the bulk of its activities developed when the wood craftsmen settled in this neighborhood. In the early 18th century, over 500 carpenters’ and cabinet makers’ shops thrived in the area thanks to royal commissions and the activity of the abbey. These traditions still exist; although manufacturers are increasingly rare to find, replaced by promoters' lofts or convenient stores. A meeting is organized with one of the last woodcrafters in his hidden workshop! -
Go back to Montmartre heydays, when dozens of cabarets were lining the Boulevards and people from all over the world flocking there for entertainment! Pictures and music will give you a bright idea of long gone buildings and different type of shows usually on. The tour starts with the small and unusual museum of recorded sound where amazing "talking machines" are showcased, reminding how Montmartre benefited this invention with cafés, dancing halls and cabarets. Learn also how Pigalle became the world famous red light district synonym of entertainment, crime and sex. -
Immigration and multi cultural Paris : From the first migrant workers who came as a result of the Industrial Revolution in the 1840’s to massive immigration in the 1960’s, explore different faces of Paris through various districts in the North and East of the city, a colourful market and a mint tea at the superb Paris Great Mosque where today's situation as well as related topics and overall immigration questions will be debated. -
Discover six masterpieces by Le Corbusier in the 13th and 14th arrondissements, from his first building in Paris for a painter friend to a student residence inaugurated in the 1950s. During the tour, there's a stop to enter and visit one of the buildings, with the chance to admire the interior as well as furniture and paintings by Le Corbusier. A guided tour in English lasting around 2 hours and 20 minutes. -
This route through the 16th arrondissement aims to explore the places and history linked to the German Occupation through the formidable security and police services as well as their French auxiliaries. The tour will also reveal the roles of several characters, French or German, notoriously known for their activities during these events. -
The administrative court of appeal of Paris, located in the hotel de Beauvais, is rarely open to the public. On very special occasion, the court has no session, this is why some reserved areas will be exceptionally open! On the day of the visit, on top of the overall history of the building, we'll be able to admire the magnificent courtyard, the grand staircase, the main court room and special waiting room as well as the rare medieval cellars. -
Société Générale imposing headquarters at la Défense, set in three towers next to the Grand Arche, houses a beautiful contemporary art collection. At first destined to the group's collaborators, works of art are now dispersed into the group main centres, but the most valuables ones are housed in a gallery, with an overview of the vast hall where converge daily 20 000 workers. Along with the permanent collection, a tour of American artist Fahamu Pecou's impressive temporary exhibition is also programmed. -
The Jérôme Seydoux Pathé cinema foundation is an amazing place, housed in a beautiful building created by the famous architect Renzo Piano. On top of the building itself, the tour will allow access to research and archive rooms, a temporary exhibition of 1900's posters, and the permanent collection of movie camera through the ages. At the end, experience a silent movie with live piano in the superb Charles Pathé movie theater! -
The walk will show mansions and places once occupied by Napoleon's most famous generals or ministers. If most of them are hidden behind closed doors today, a few will allow us to go and feel the quiet atmosphere and luxury with lavish decor and beautiful trimmed inner parks. One of the most unusual shop in the world will also be one of the tour's highlights.
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The walk will highlight the life and fate of the Menier family, who were at the head of the largest chocolate factory in the world in the end of the 19th century. Around park Monceau, they left us three beautiful mansions in an area favored by the financial elite of these days. One of them will open to allow visitors to admire a unique staircase, two unexpected courtyard, and the little known pharmacy museum.
