Summary
- Introduction: Experience Paris’s urban evolution through an expert-led walking tour.
- Pros: Highly knowledgeable guides and extensive historical insights.
- Cons: Certain entry fees not included; may require prior knowledge in related fields.
- Tour Details: Insights about the tour operator and current pricing.
- Conclusion: A recommendable tour for those interested in Paris’s rich history and architecture.
When I was invited by Context Travel to join a walking tour exploring how the layout of Paris was transformed in the 19th century by city planner Baron Georges Eugène Haussmann, I gladly accepted. I wanted to get a better understanding of the profound urban transformation that Paris underwent—but more importantly, learn more about the social and political forces behind these changes.
This turned out to be an excellent, informative tour that I would recommend to anyone looking to get a better understanding of Paris history. I can also confidently assume that Context’s other Paris tours are equally good.
Pros
- Tours led by highly qualified, personable docents.
- Thorough coverage of Paris history through the lens of art, architecture, and other disciplines.
- Longer, fact-packed tours will satisfy those looking for more substantial insights into Paris.
- Tours are reasonably priced in relation to length and content.
- Tours avoid clichés and old standbys, instead offering a more authentic encounter with Paris.
Cons
- Long stretches of walking and standing may not be suitable for elderly or disabled visitors.
- Some attractions on tour not covered by listed tour price (out-of-pocket additional fees).
- Highly specialized: may require basic knowledge of architecture, art history, etc., to enjoy fully.
Company Details
- Tour Operator: Context Travel is based in Rome and offers extensive walking tours and travel tips for European destinations.
- Current Tour Prices: As of June 2019, The Making of Modern Paris walking tour is currently priced at $484 for a two-person private tour or $107 per person for a semi-private tour.
My In-Depth Review of the Tour
I knew Context had a reputation for offering tours that are more substantial and specialized in content than average counterparts. I set out to take the Haussmann tour expecting to be led by someone with a professional background in the topic.
I met up with a group of visitors and our guide, docent Michael H., outside the famed Comedie Francaise theatre, where playwright Moliere worked his magic. Michael’s background turned out to be even more impressive than expected: he’s a practicing architect who’s won prizes including the Fulbright Fellowship and the Rome Prize in Architecture, and recently collaborated on the design of the recently opened Quai Branly Museum with heavyweight Jean Nouvel.
Sights on This Tour
The first leg of the tour takes us across the nearby Palais Royal, which was the site of the city’s first “purpose-built” shopping center and also housed the first covered passageway built for expressly commercial purposes. Guiding us through a series of ornately decorated, interconnected passageways, Michael explains that these were revolutionary when they were built in the 18th and 19th centuries, since they provided ordinary Parisians respite and shelter from the dangerous, smelly medieval streets.
Aside from a mind-boggling variety of shops, restaurants, and trinkets, the passages offer many interesting visual details, from sculptures and reliefs to (faux) marble columns. The post-revolutionary, democratic-minded city planners who built the public arcades couldn’t afford to import the real stuff but wanted the general public to bask in the grandeur of Greco-Roman design details.
We’re eventually led to the Avenue de l’Opera, one of the wide boulevards that appeared under Haussmann and seems exemplary of the pomp and circumstance dreamt up by the Baron. Michael provides a detailed explanation of the events that led to Paris’s overhaul by the Haussmann team and clarifies why the Avenue de l’Opera was purposefully left treeless.
The Opera Garnier Experience
We move on to visit the Opera Garnier, built in 1875 and one of the first great public buildings to be commissioned to a young architect through a democratic competition. We drift through opulent space after another, including a heavily gilded reception hall modeled after the Gallery of Mirrors at Versailles. The main auditorium is too dark for us to more than vaguely make out the ceiling painting by Marc Chagall, yet it’s easy to imagine the grandeur that must be felt when viewing a ballet here.
Conclusion
Overall, this was an excellent tour. Docent Michael H. was entertaining, highly knowledgeable, and amiable, and he did a great job of pointing out details we may have otherwise missed. He also made a point of engaging with participants individually—a nice touch.
One downside was that participants were required to purchase their own tickets for entry into the Opera Garnier. It would make more sense to include the ticket as part of the quoted tour price, as the extra expense came unexpectedly. This also consumed valuable time, which could be mitigated with pre-purchased tickets.
Nonetheless, I recommend this tour to visitors aiming to grasp Paris’s political and social history, architecture, and urban planning. You will come away with a transformed perspective of the city and will likely distinguish between pre-and post-Haussmann buildings and monuments on your own.
