Expat with Kids in Paris: Two lesser known Paris' covered passages

September 24, 2016

Two lesser known Paris' covered passages

What I love about Paris is no matter how long you've lived in this city, there is always more to discover. All you need to do is put yourself out there.

Yesterday I decided to venture across town in search of a rather boring specific kitchen accessoire. Needless to say the sales clerc was utterly unhelpful. Rather than wasting my time, I decided to step outside the shop and explore the area.

Sure enough within minutes I came across an intriguing looking passage. Covered passages in Paris are always worth venturing into, they are an early form of shopping arcades built primarily during the first half of the 19th century. The common characteristics of these covered passages are that they are pedestrianised with beautiful glass-ceilings, highly ornamented and lined with small shops, usually connecting two streets.

Passage Bourg l'Abbé with its muted, pastel interior is enhanced by the natural light that drenches this quaint and charming passageway from its long and unusual curved glass ceiling above.
The combination of pretty tones, delicate detail and light provides a certain sense of serenity and calm that the other Parisian arcades don’t seem to have.
Passage Bourg du l’Abbé may not boast to be the longest or most glamorous covered passageway in Paris but it most certainly has charm and elegance and some wonderfully, enchanting detail, if you take a moment to pause and explore.

Passage du Grand Cerf filters natural light through the spectacular 12 metre high glass ceiling, the highest of all the covered passageways and in my view one of the prettiest in Paris. The magnificent architecture comprising of glass, steel and timber and the quirky artistic shops makes Passage du Grand Cerf a wonderful way to step into a place of times long past.