The historic covered shopping arcades are wonderful to explore. Built at the end of the 18th century Paris’s charming covered passages have an interesting mix of cafes, bookshops, antique shops and more. Some of Paris’s covered passages are better known than others but all are worthy of discovery. All have stunning architecture and historic features and signage. These are some highlights from a recent visit.
Galerie Vivienne
Galerie Vivienne has beautiful mosaic-tiled floors and elegant shopfronts. Amongst our favorites are the Iconic bookshop Librarie F Jousseaume, Si Tu Veux toy shop, the stunning candle shop Mad et Len and antique store Etna.
Passage du Grand Cerf
The 12-meter-high glass ceiling affords the Passage du Grand Perf lots of natural light. We enjoyed browsing at the vintage shop, Rickshaw.
Passage des Panoramas
Considered to be the oldest of Paris’s covered passages, Passage des Panoramas is renowned for its antique stamp and postcard shops popular with philatelists. We paused to enjoy a coffee at the lovely % Arabica.
Passage Verdeau
Nearby to the Passage des Panoramas, Passage Verdeau was the last covered passage we visited. There is an intricate paned glass ceiling and lots of classic shopfronts to admire.
