Paris is brimming with secret places that bear witness to the History of the City of Light, and discovering them helps you understand the capital's past. Take the covered passages, for instance. In the 19th century, thanks to the sweeping urban renewal plan of Baron Haussmann, the city boasted more than 70 of them!
Their aim was to shield the city's well-off from the mud and street chaos by offering them covered passages protected from the elements by elegant skylights, and by bringing together numerous shops and restaurants in one place. Today, Paris counts only 21 covered passages open to the public. Take a moment to stroll, look up, and discover the many decorative details.
There's still shopping to be done there, but you can also settle in for a drink sheltered from the rain, or even enjoy a quiet lunch. With the guide that follows, you can map out your own tour of Paris's covered passages. Not complicated at all, since the most beautiful covered galleries are concentrated in the same area: the 2nd and 9th arrondissements.
An architectural curiosity that whisks visitors back to the ambience of the 19th century, and sometimes even the 18th!
The Passage des Panoramas, the covered arcade where people have been strolling for over two centuries
Opened in 1799 on the Grands Boulevards, the Passage des Panoramas takes its name from two grand trompe-l'œil spectacles that are now gone. More than two centuries on, restaurants, collectors and vintage décor continue to keep the place alive. [Read more]
Verdeau Passage, the covered arcade beloved by bargain-hunters and collectors.
Old books, collectible cameras, postcards, and antiques line the space beneath its soaring glass roof. Opened in the mid-19th century in Paris’s 9th arrondissement, Passage Verdeau extends the Jouffroy and des Panoramas arcades and has since been a magnet for collectors. [Read more]
The Grand Cerf Passage, a covered passage with the air of a glass cathedral
With its 12-meter-high glass roof, the Passage du Grand-Cerf houses Paris's tallest skylight among the city's covered passages. Discover the striking architecture of this former coach terminus, now a haven for artisans and creators. [Read more]
Le Passage Brady, Paris's glass-roofed passage that evokes Little India
Indian restaurants, grocers, the scents of spice and colorful shop fronts... The Passage Brady stands out among Paris's covered passages. Opened in 1828 in the 10th arrondissement, it lost its rotunda and part of its layout in the 19th century before becoming one of the defining faces of the capital's Indian quarter. [Read more]
The Ancre Passage, a covered arcade unusually lush with greenery
Nestled in the 3rd arrondissement, the Passage de l’Ancre is a narrow, cobbled alley lined with colorful façades and greenery. This private passage, whose history goes back to the 17th century, is said to have hosted Paris’s first fiacres, long before taxis rolled into the capital’s streets. [Read more]
The Passage des Princes, a covered passage that was completely razed... only to be rebuilt.
A stone's throw from the Grands Boulevards, the Passage des Princes has a rather tumultuous history. Opened in 1860, it was completely demolished in 1985 and rebuilt ten years later; this covered passage in the 2nd arrondissement is also regarded as the last of its kind to be erected in Paris in the 19th century. [Read more]
La Galerie Vivienne, the glass-roofed arcade with stunning mosaics near the Palais-Royal
Discover the Galerie Vivienne, a historic gem in the heart of Paris, open since 1826 and listed as a historic monument. It's a must-see in Paris, especially when it rains. [Read more]
The Véro-Dodat Gallery, a covered passageway that exudes 19th‑century Paris charm
Discover the Galerie Véro-Dodat in Paris, a 19th‑century gem and one of the city's finest covered passages, tucked between Rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Rue du Bouloi. Here’s its story and what you’ll find there! [Read more]
Le Passage Jouffroy, the covered arcade that housed Paris's first fast-food restaurant.
Passage Jouffroy, tucked between the Grands Boulevards and Rue de la Grange-Batelière, is a treasure trove of surprises and historical anecdotes. Completed in 1846, it is famed for its ironwork architecture and its glass vault, which inspired many other Parisian passages. [Read more]
La Galerie Colbert, the covered passage that conceals a spectacular glass-roofed rotunda
Connaissez-vous la Galerie Colbert ? Dans le 2e arrondissement, elle révèle une rotonde imposante coiffée d’une coupole de verre, vestige d’une galerie parisienne née en 1826 pour rivaliser avec sa célèbre voisine, la Galerie Vivienne. [Read more]
Le Passage du Caire, one of Paris's oldest—and indeed longest—covered passages.
Located in the lively Strasbourg-Saint-Denis district, the Passage du Caire is setting records. Built in 1798, it is one of the oldest covered passages in the capital... but also the longest! [Read more]
The Passage Choiseul, one of Paris's longest covered passages
Under its long glass roof, the Passage Choiseul stretches nearly 200 meters through Paris’s 2nd arrondissement. Opened in 1827, this shopping arcade has welcomed writers, publishers, fashion designers, and theatergoers from the nearby venues. [Read more]
The Bourg-l'Abbé Passage, a covered arcade saved from Paris's transformations
A stone’s throw from the Passage du Grand-Cerf, the Passage du Bourg-l’Abbé has become more discreet. This covered arcade in Paris’s 2nd arrondissement, built in 1828, now stretches only 47 meters. Behind its monumental entrance lie a glass roof, ancient decorations and two imposing caryatids laden with symbols. [Read more]
Passage des Deux-Pavillons, Paris’s smallest covered passage.
Just a few metres from the Palais-Royal, a covered Parisian passage winds its way between two streets in the 1st arrondissement. Measuring a mere 33 metres, the Passage des Deux-Pavillons dates back to 1820 and still preserves decor inspired by its famed neighbour, the Galerie Vivienne. [Read more]
The Passage du Prado, a covered arcade that predates the French Revolution
In the 10th arrondissement of Paris, the Passage du Prado hardly resembles the elegant galleries of the Palais-Royal. Created in 1785, this historic passage waited until 1925 to gain its Art Deco glass roof. With its right-angled layout, its rotunda and its colors, it conceals a history dating back over two centuries. [Read more]
The Madeleine Gallery, a covered passage hidden behind the Church of La Madeleine
Just steps from the Madeleine Church in Paris’s 8th arrondissement, a 19th-century gallery slips quietly under the radar. Built in 1845, the Galerie de la Madeleine preserves its glass roof, its caryatids, and its elegant storefronts across a mere 53 meters. [Read more]
Discover the locations of these addresses by clicking on the map at the bottom of the article
