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Offered languages
- English
Ever wondered what's really going on—and why Parisians keep taking to the streets? Who are the peaceful marchers, and who breaks windows? On this one-hour walking tour, a local guide answers these questions along the route Paris demonstrations take today, from Place de la Bastille to Place de la République, and connects today’s anger to more than 230 years of revolt.
Start where the Bastille fortress once stood and hear how its fall in 1789 launched the French Revolution. Look down Faubourg Saint-Antoine, a rebellious workers' district where barricades rose in 1830, 1848 and 1851. Stop on Boulevard du Temple at the site of an 1835 assassination attempt on King Louis-Philippe. Continue along Boulevard Beaumarchais, a main march route, and finish at Place de la République, a key rallying point for the 2015 vigils, Nuit Debout and today's protests. Learn how demonstrations work today: who organizes them, who joins, and who uses them to smash and burn.
What's Included
Meeting and pickup
Meet your guide outside the Banque de France, near Bastille metro station (lines 1, 5 and 8). Your guide will hold a sign with the ElysiaGo blue bird logo. Coordinates: 48°51'12.3"N 2°22'05.8"E
Itinerary
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1Place de la Bastille
See where the Bastille fortress stood until crowds stormed it on July 14, 1789, and spot its outline still marked in the pavement. Learn why the July Column honors the 1830 revolution, not 1789, hear about Napoleon's elephant fountain from Les Misérables, and find out why unions still start their marches here.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
2
Look down the street of Paris's most rebellious workers' district, whose craftsmen stormed the Bastille and toppled the monarchy in 1792. Hear the stories of the barricades of 1848 and 1851, including the archbishop shot while trying to make peace and the deputy who died defying Louis-Napoléon’s coup.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
3
Continue along the protest route which was updated by Baron Haussmann during the mid-19th century
5 minutes • Admission ticket free -
4
Continue your tour along the protest route and hear how the history of the streets parallels the current state of affairs
5 minutes • Admission ticket free -
5
Beaumarchais Boulevard Walk the main corridor of modern Paris marches, named after the playwright whose Marriage of Figaro mocked the aristocracy before the Revolution. Learn how a Paris demonstration works today, from routes negotiated with the police to union trucks, the black bloc and shops boarded up on march days.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
6
Discover the "Boulevard du Crime," once lined with melodrama theatres, and stand opposite the window at number 50 where Fieschi fired his 25-barrel "infernal machine" at King Louis-Philippe in 1835. See how that attack led to sweeping press censorship, and hear the story of the first human ever photographed, on this very boulevard.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
7Place De La Republique
Finish at the square Haussmann redesigned to control the rebellious east of Paris, now its main rallying point. Explore the Monument to the Republic and its bronze panels of French history, and learn how the square became the heart of modern protest, from the 2015 vigils and Nuit Debout to today's marches.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free
Additional info
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Tags
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Cancellation Policy
- For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
- If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
- Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
- This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
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