r/TheParisianGuide

Many Parisians pass by this splendid building without ever looking up, even though its summit features one of the most beautiful clocks in Paris.

Originally constructed in 1911 for the famous newspaper Le Temps, the building adopted a post-Haussmannian style rather than the trendy Art Nouveau of the era. Great figures such as Georges Clemenceau, Émile Zola, Jean Jaurès, and André Gide visited its offices to meet journalists and exchange ideas.

During World War II, Le Temps left Paris and stopped publishing in 1942. The building was requisitioned by the German forces, who used its presses for propaganda. After the Liberation, the newspaper Le Monde moved in in 1944, making the building a symbol of the French press.

Later used by the financial division of the Paris court system until 2018, the building is now occupied by offices. You can admire its stunning façade at 5 Rue des Italiens, especially from the corner of Boulevard des Italiens for the best view.

The name will probably sound familiar to fans of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. In the first installment of the series, the young wizards searching for the Philosopher’s Stone mention Nicolas Flamel as its inventor. And unlike most of the saga’s characters, he really did exist.

Nicolas Flamel (1330–1418), who according to legend succeeded in turning lead into gold after uncovering the secret of the philosopher’s stone, was a wealthy Parisian bourgeois who decided to build several houses to shelter the poor. He was a wealthy man (thanks to alchemy? Apparently not, far from it).

Over the centuries, this myth grew and transformed him into a figure of esoteric literature. After the death of his wife Pernelle (1320–1397), he had this building constructed to provide shelter for the poor of the neighborhood. In return, he asked them to recite their prayers morning and evening, as confirmed by the inscription at the entrance to the house.

He and his wife Pernelle were buried in the parish of Saint-Jacques de la Boucherie, of which only the Saint-Jacques Tower remains today. Nearby, two streets bear their names.

If the inscription on the facade is to be believed, the house was inaugurated in 1407. It is impossible to know whether it truly is the oldest house in Paris, but it is indeed the oldest one “known” today. That would make it 615 years old! Although Flamel initiated the construction of this charming residence, he himself never lived there.

Today, the building houses a gastronomic restaurant which pays tribute to the history of the place through its name: the Auberge Nicolas Flamel. Too bad meals are no longer offered free of charge as they were in the 15th century!

In Paris’s 5th arrondissement, precisely at 7 bis Boulevard Saint-Germain, stands one of the narrowest buildings in the capital. Nestled between two beautiful Haussmann-style buildings, it stands out with a width of barely three meters façade.

This architectural peculiarity is said to originate from the city’s medieval history. According to a well-established tradition, the building would occupy the very site of the former enclosure of Philippe Auguste, King of France from 1180 to 1223. Built between 1190 and 1215, this fortification once protected Paris from enemy attacks, particularly from the north and west during the Anglo-French conflicts of the Middle Ages.

Constructed in the 20th century, this five-story micro-building thus sits on land that once formed part of the medieval ramparts, still quietly reflecting the defensive past of the French capital.

Square Louvois, located on Rue de Richelieu opposite the National Library, takes its name from the former Hôtel of the Marquis de Louvois.

The site originally hosted the Opéra de la rue de Richelieu (also known as the Salle Montansier), built between 1792 and 1793 for the actress Mademoiselle Montansier. It served as an opera house in Paris from 1794 until 1820. The building was demolished after the assassination of the Duke of Berry on 13 February 1820, who was killed outside the opera by Louis Pierre Louvel, a Bonapartist worker.

Following these events, an expiatory chapel was planned in memory of the Duke of Berry, but it was finally abandoned after the Revolution of 1830.

In 1835, the planned monument was removed, trees were planted, and the space was converted into a public square, and a fountain was then commissioned; the Louvois Fountain.

Completed in 1844 by architect Louis Visconti (at the request of King Louis-Philippe), the fountain is dedicated to four major French rivers: the Seine, Garonne, Loire, and Saône. You may admire four female allegorical figures sculpted by Jean-Baptiste Klagmann rest on the lower basin, while tritons riding dolphins decorate the base.

This is an old footage from my last visit to the Louvre, I had filmed part of the French Crown Jewels collection in the Galerie d’Apollon just a few months before the heist.

Strange feeling knowing moments like this can disappear from history overnight.

Rue Daviel, Paris 13e.

With its bright green plumage and piercing call, the ring-necked parakeet (Psittacula krameri) can no longer be overlooked. Today, according to the latest estimates, there are about 8,000 of them in the Île-de-France region alone, and this number is continuing to grow.

This parakeet is sold as a pet around the world. In 1974, it first appeared in the skies of the Paris region. Although it was initially discreet and mostly confined to the areas around Roissy–Charles-de-Gaulle and Paris–Orly airports (possibly escaped from shipping containers), the species quickly spread across the entire region.

If you’re strolling through Saint-Germain-des-Prés, more precisely along Rue Jacob, you’ll probably come across a small pale green bookstore, the Librairie des Femmes. It’s a rather unique place because, since 1974 (around the same time as the women’s liberation movement), the bookstore has specialized in books about women, written by women.

The selection includes many different kinds of works, philosophy, novels, essays, social sciences, and children’s books, all tied together by a strong sense of coherence and commitment.

The Hôtel de Sens is one of the finest private mansions in the Marais, the historic district of Paris. Many people stop in front of this 15th-century façade. Visitors admire its corbelled turrets, mullioned windows, and French-style garden... Yet few people look closely enough at the façade to notice the cannonball hidden within it!

Beyond the remarkable beauty of this former mansion converted into a library, if you stand just in front of the entrance gate and look high above, you will spot a cannonball embedded in the building’s façade. You can easily see it from Rue du Fauconnier. This cannonball, fired during the riots of the July Revolution, has remained lodged in the stone ever since. It was fired during the revolutionary days of 1830. With the naked eye it is not easy to spot, but with a good zoom lens you can even read the date engraved in the stone: July 28, 1830.

The July Revolution, also known as the “Three Glorious Days” because it lasted only three days (July 27, 28, and 29, 1830), may not mean much to you. The fighting was extremely violent, and the army fired many cannon shots into the crowd. One of them remained stuck in the wall and is still there today!

Yet it was a crucial event in the making of modern France. It led to the fall of Charles X and the House of Bourbon and established the “July Monarchy” of Louis-Philippe I of Orléans. During those days, the people of Paris revolted against King Charles X. The political change was fundamental: the “July Monarchy” was no longer an absolute monarchy but a constitutional monarchy based on the Charter of 1830.

From a distance, it may seem surprising that a revolution against the monarchy ended up putting... another king on the throne! But Louis-Philippe, who came to power after the revolution, recognized democratic institutions and even republican assemblies around the “Citizen King.” People began speaking of freedom of the press, political parties, and elections...

He abdicated in February 1848, making way for the proclamation of the Second Republic. But the French do not like kings, and Louis-Philippe himself would also fall victim to another revolution!

🕒 Public athletics track hours
Mon–Sat: 12:00–14:00 & 18:00–22:00
Sun: 08:00–18:00

📍 Address
2 Avenue de Suffren 75007 Paris, France

🚇 Closest stations
• Bir-Hakeim (Metro Line 6)
• Champ de Mars – Tour Eiffel (RER C)

Located in Paris’ 6th arrondissement, the building designed by architect Paul Bigot between 1925 and 1928 has been listed as a historic monument since 1996. At the time of its construction, the building stood against the two dominant styles of the era, modern architecture and Art Deco. It features references to Sienese and Venetian architecture, but also Moorish and Sub-Saharan influences, especially in the small structures pointing toward the sky along the cornice.

You can also notice an archaeological bas-relief frieze running across all four façades. This frieze is made up of terracotta casts of Greek, Roman, Medieval, and Renaissance sculptures. Really stunning!

Here is a restaurant you absolutely need to try if you love Japanese cuisine, and especially ramen.

As soon as you walk through the door, you are transported into another world. Kodawari Tsukiji offers a true immersion in the vibrant atmosphere of a historic Tokyo fish market. It serves delicious ramen at affordable prices in a setting that plunges you straight into Japan.

They also run another ramen restaurant focused on meat (at 29 Rue Mazarine, 75006 Paris), I’ll try it next time.

Place des Vosges is one of the oldest squares in Paris, perfect for strolling beneath its arcades or along the paths of its central garden. But at number 5, visitors may notice rails at the entrance to the carriage gate of the Hôtel de Rotrou.

Embedded between the cobblestones, the rails are still visible in front of the gate and along the carriage passage leading to the courtyard. Here stands a brick building erected in 1914 that housed the kitchens of the International Sleeping Car Company (Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits).

In these premises, until 1954, sandwiches and small dishes were prepared and packaged to supply Parisian train stations and the Wagons-Lits Grand Hotels. The rails were used to transport the food from the courtyard to Place des Vosges, where it was then loaded onto refrigerated trucks.

A small detail and a remarkable piece of Parisian history.

I took a small detour to take some photos of Villa Daviel, this beautiful little dead-end street off Rue Daviel. It features lovely small brick houses with their little front gardens, creating a very harmonious and cohesive setting.

Just across from its entrance, you’ll also find the picturesque Petite Alsace, a set of former workers’ houses built in brick and half-timbered style, inspired by Alsatian architecture. The whole area is very bucolic and charming, I highly recommend taking a walk around this neighborhood :)

6,000! That was the number of seats available at the Gaumont Palace, a legendary movie theater in Paris, on Rue Caulaincourt in the 18th arrondissement.

Nicknamed “the largest cinema in the world,” the Gaumont Palace dominated the golden age of cinema between 1907 and 1972. Before becoming a movie theater, the building originally opened as the Montmartre Hippodrome for the 1900 Universal Exhibition, hosting circus performances, horse shows, and spectacular productions involving hundreds of performers and animals.

From 1911 to 1973, the Gaumont Palace was the paradise of movie-loving Parisians, devoted first to silent films and later to talking pictures.

To accompany films starring Charlie Chaplin, Laurel and Hardy, or Max Linder, the Gaumont Palace had an orchestra of 30 musicians, and in 1931 a giant “Christie” organ was installed there. Miraculously saved from demolition in 1973, it is now housed in the Pavillon Baltard in Nogent-sur-Marne.

The Christie organ, entirely electric and made up of more than 1,500 pipes of tin, zinc, and wood, was installed 25 meters above the stage.

The Gaumont Palace was more than just a cinema. Often, the movie theater would give way to music-hall performances.

As for the films themselves, the highlight of the show, they were preceded by newsreels, a sort of early television news broadcast, followed by live acts featuring clowns, trapeze artists, singers, comedians, and more. During the intermission, the theater ushers sold ice cream, popcorn, and sweets, while advertisements featuring the famous “little miner” mascot were projected onto the screen. Nostalgia, when it grips you!

Movie screenings were true events. Programs began with “Gaumont-Revue du Monde,” presenting the week’s news, followed by documentaries, live attractions, and finally the feature presentation on a gigantic 35 mm screen. During intermission, spectators could enjoy tea rooms, bars, and promenade galleries inside the theater.

One of the theater’s greatest triumphs was the screening of Abel Gance’s “Napoléon,” which filled the auditorium for ten consecutive weeks. In 1962, the Gaumont Palace also installed a giant curved Cinerama screen measuring 600 square meters, then considered the largest in the world.

With the arrival of multiplex cinemas, single-screen theaters began to disappear. The Gaumont Palace closed its doors in April 1972 after the final screening of a cowboy film starring the unavoidable John Wayne. Developers began demolishing the building in early 1973. In place of the Gaumont Palace now stands, far less glamorous, a hotel and a DIY hardware store.

The demolition marked the disappearance of one of Paris’s greatest entertainment landmarks. Most of the theater’s archives were discarded during the destruction, leaving behind only fragments of the history of what was once considered the world’s greatest cinema palace.