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Offered languages
- English
- French
During this two-hour walk, we will explore the remarkable and scandalous lives of Paris's most legendary courtesans. Along the way, we learn how to tell a courtesan from a lorette, a grisette, and even a soubrette, and uncover the social worlds that separated them.
We trace how Esther Lachmann, a girl from Moscow, reinvented herself as the dazzling Marquise de Païva, and revisit the woman who captivated Alexandre Dumas fils and became the inspiration for The Lady of the Camellias. We also ask one of the tour’s most unexpected questions: did France ever have a real courtesan turned resistance fighter, and what connection did she have to brothels?
The walk also touches on the secret love affairs of President Félix Faure which ended in spectacular scandal, and leads us to the neighborhood where the woman who inspired Zola’s Nana once lived. This is a story of ambition, reinvention, desire, and survival in the shadows and salons of Paris.
What's Included
Meeting and pickup
Your guide will contact you and arrange meeting point
Itinerary
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1Hotel de La Paiva
Admire one of Paris's most extravagant private mansions while discovering how Esther Lachmann reinvented herself as the legendary Marquise de Païva and became one of the city's most powerful courtesans.
15 minutes • Admission ticket free -
2
Outside the historic Théâtre Marigny, hear how Parisian high society, entertainment, and the world of courtesans were closely connected during the Belle Époque.
20 minutes • Admission ticket free -
3Élysée Palace
Standing near the French presidential palace, uncover the scandalous love affair of President Félix Faure and the courtesan that became part of French political history.
15 minutes • Admission ticket not included -
4Place de la Concorde
Walk through one of Paris's grandest squares while exploring how wealth, power, and public reputation shaped the lives of the city's most famous courtesans.
30 minutes • Admission ticket free -
5La Madeleine
Discover how the Madeleine district became closely linked to Parisian high society and hear the story of Marie Duplessis, the woman who inspired The Lady of the Camellias.
25 minutes • Admission ticket free -
6
Visit the neighborhood where the woman believed to have inspired Émile Zola's Nana once lived, and learn how fiction and reality became intertwined.
15 minutes • Admission ticket free -
7Palais Garnier
Admire the magnificent opera house while hearing how Paris's cultural elite, luxury, and the world of elite courtesans often overlapped.
15 minutes • Admission ticket free -
8Eglise Notre-Dame de Lorette
Explore the neighborhood that gave rise to the famous "lorettes" and learn the differences between lorettes, grisettes, soubrettes, and high-class courtesans.
25 minutes • Admission ticket free
Additional info
- 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 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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