When Context Travel invited me on a walking tour to explore how city planner Baron Georges Eugène Haussmann transformed the design of Paris in the 19th century, I gladly agreed. I wanted to better understand the profound urban transformation that Paris underwent, but more importantly, learn more about the social and political forces behind these changes.
It turned out to be an excellent informative tour that I would recommend to anyone who wants to better understand the history of Paris. I can also confidently assume that Context’s other tours in Paris are just as good.
Pros
- Tours led by highly qualified and personable teachers.
- A comprehensive coverage of the history of Paris through the lens of art, architecture, and other disciplines.
- Longer, more data-packed tours will satisfy those seeking a more substantial glimpse of Paris
- Tours are reasonably priced in relation to duration and content.
- The tours avoid clichés and old devices, and instead offer 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 the tour are not covered by the listed tour price (additional out-of-pocket fees)
- Highly specialized: may require basic knowledge of architecture, art history, etc. to fully enjoy
Company details and reservation
- Tour Operator: Context Travel is based in Rome and offers extensive walking tours and travel tips for European destinations.
- Book this tour: visit the Context Paris website. You can also explore other tours of Paris, including the Louvre Italian Masters.
- Current Tour Prices: As of June 2019, The Making of Modern Paris walking tour is currently priced at $ 484 for a private two-person 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 the average counterparts, and I set out to take the Haussmann tour in hopes of being led by someone with a professional background on the subject.
I met a group of visitors and our guide, Professor Michael H., outside the famous Comedie Francaise theater, where playwright Moliere worked his magic. Michael’s background turned out to be even more impressive than expected: he is a practicing architect who won awards including the Fulbright Scholarship and the Rome Architecture Prize, and recently assisted in the design of the recently opened Quai Branly Museum. with heavyweight Jean Nouvel.
From the Grand Palais to the Belle Epoque: views on this tour
The first leg of the tour takes us through the nearby Royal Palace, which was the site of the city’s first “specially designed” shopping center and also housed the first covered walkway built for commercial purposes. Guiding us through a series of ornately decorated and interconnected corridors, Michael explains that these were revolutionary when built in the 18th and 19th centuries, providing common Parisian relief and refuge from dangerous and smelly medieval streets.
In addition to an incredible array of shops, restaurants, and trinkets, the passages offer many interesting visual details, from sculptures and reliefs to (faux) marble columns. The post-revolutionary and democratically minded city planners who built the public gambling halls couldn’t afford to import real stuff, but they wanted the general public to have a chance to enjoy the grandeur of Greco-Roman design details.
They finally spat on us near the Avenue de l’Opera, one of the wide boulevards that appeared under Haussmann and seems exemplary of the pomp and circumstances dreamed of by the Baron. Michael gives us a detailed explanation of the events that led to the Paris review (and, some might argue, the destruction) by Haussmann’s team (I’ll let you discover the details on the tour) and clears up the mystery as to why the Avenue de l’Opera was deliberately left without trees.
We went on to visit the Opera Garnier, built in 1875 and one of the first great public buildings to be commissioned from a young architect through a democratic competition. We move through opulent space after opulent, including a very gilded reception room that was inspired by the Gallery of Mirrors in Versailles. The main auditorium is too dark for us to vaguely make out Marc Chagall’s ceiling painting, but it’s still easy to imagine how great it must feel to see a ballet here (despite the misleading name, no operas are performed at the Opera Garnier : these are shown at the ultramodern Opera Bastille).
After leaving the wonders of Garnier behind, we head to the bustling Boulevard Haussmann shopping district, where Michael takes us past the (very busy) Belle-Epoque Galeries Lafayette and Au Printemps department stores. The tour culminates on the spacious terrace of Au Printemps, which offers spectacular panoramic views of the entire city.
The verdict?
Overall this was an excellent tour. Docent Michael H. was entertaining, highly knowledgeable, and personable, and did a great job of pointing out details that we might have otherwise missed. It was also proposed to exchange with the participants individually, a nice touch.
The only downside I noticed was that participants had to buy their own tickets to enter the Opera Garnier. I felt it would make more sense to include the ticket as part of the price of the trip, as this additional expense came as a surprise. Buying the tickets also took a long time, which could be avoided with pre-purchased tickets.
Overall, however, I recommend this tour to visitors who want to learn about the political and social history, architecture, and urban planning of Paris. You really come out looking at the city in a different light, and you should even be able to distinguish between the pre and post Haussmann buildings and monuments on your own after the tour.
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