Kings, revolutionaries and legends along the Seine.
Paris was born on an island in the Seine and grew into the great stage of French history: cathedrals, royal palaces, guillotine squares and monuments built for the World's Fairs. Three free routes to explore it on foot, at your own pace, always keeping documented history apart from legend.
Choose your free tour
All routes are free and can be combined. If it’s your first visit, start with the essentials.
Kings, revolutionaries and architects on a walk from the cathedral to the garden where 1789 caught fire.
From Nicolas Flamel's house to the street of the murderous barber, along the line between record and legend.
The most famous postcard view in Paris and the monuments of the great World's Fairs, on a riverside walk.
The map
The routes cross in the old town. Tap a point to see which story awaits you there.
Filled points already have a published article; the rest are in the works.
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A day in the city
Link the three routes and you will see the best of the city on foot, for free: the essentials in the morning, history in the afternoon and legends as the sun goes down.
Morning
Afternoon
Early evening
Where to eat. Try French onion soup at Au Pied de Cochon.
What to eat
The dishes you can’t leave without trying, and the classic spots that have been serving them for years.
The classic of late nights at Les Halles, when night owls rubbed shoulders with market porters: caramelised onion broth, toasted bread and a thick layer of grilled cheese. Au Pied de Cochon, opened in 1947 beside the old market, still serves it in its period dining room.
Where to try it
Snails baked in their shells with garlic and parsley butter, eaten with tongs and a tiny fork. L'Escargot Montorgueil, with the golden snail on its façade, has been serving them on the same street since the nineteenth century.
Where to try it
Rooster slowly braised in red wine with mushrooms, small onions and bacon: French bourgeois cooking at its purest. You can try it at Le Procope, founded in 1686 and considered the oldest café in Paris, where Enlightenment philosophers used to meet.
Where to try it
A light, springy cake soaked in rum syrup, often served with cream. Stohrer, the pâtisserie opened on Rue Montorgueil in 1730 by the pastry chef of Queen Marie Leszczynska, wife of Louis XV, claims to have invented it.
Where to try it
Two almond shells, crisp outside and soft inside, sandwiched with a flavoured cream or ganache. Ladurée, opened in 1862 on Rue Royale, a short walk from Concorde, popularised the double macaron now known the world over.
Where to try it
