Paris through the Ages: A Walking Tour from Notre Dame to Pont de la Concorde

(17 reviews)

Paris audio tour: Paris through the Ages: A Walking Tour from Notre Dame to Pont de la Concorde

This is a 2.9mi walking tour

It takes an average of 90 mins to complete.

Paris

France

$11.99

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About the Tour

Few visitors to the City of Light know the depths of its fascinating, but often brutal and bloody, history. On this walking tour through the French capital, you’ll trace Paris’ evolution from medieval times, through revolution and empire, to the present day.

Starting at Point Zéro des Routes de France, a small disc-shaped plaque in the shadow of Notre-Dame Cathedral, you’ll learn about this architectural marvel’s construction and survival through the centuries. From there, you’ll make your way to Saint-Julien-le-Pauvre, where you’ll discover Paris’ oldest tree and hear tales of the city’s first patron saint. You’ll marvel at the Palais de Justice’s magnificent black and gold gates before encountering the famous chapel, Sainte-Chapelle, King Louis IX’s stunning tribute to faith and power.

As the city’s story unravels, you’ll cross over several notable bridges including Pont au Double, Pont au Change, St. Michael’s Bridge, and Pont Neuf. Your journey continues through the Tuileries Garden, the former Roman vineyards that became France’s first public garden under Louis XIV. The tour concludes at Pont de la Concorde, where you’ll gain a fresh perspective on the Eiffel Tower and its significance to Paris.

Along the way, you’ll have a chance to:

Discover the bloody history behind Saint-Germain l’Auxerrois’ church bells and the St. Bartholomew’s Day massacre
Admire the Tour Saint-Jacques monument and hear how Baron Haussmann transformed medieval Paris into a modern metropolis, on Napoleon’s orders
Take in the romantic Square du Vert-Galant from the equestrian statue of Henri IV, and hear tales of his flamboyant lifestyle
See the magnificent Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel and understand its imperial significance
Hear stories of revolution and resistance as you make your way towards Place de la Concorde
Stand before the statue of Louis XIV sous les Traits de Marcus Curtius and learn why the Sun King shunned his capital

This 90-minute walking tour brings together centuries of Parisian history, from Roman settlements to royal intrigue and revolutionary fervour. There are several cafés and patisseries along the way where you can stop for refreshments.

Tour Producer

Peter Groark

2 tours

I was born and raised in County Durham, in the north east of England. I'm a geography teacher by trade and set up my first walking tour business- Walkabout Durham- in 2019. Inspired by a trip to Florence that year, I decided that I would create a walking tour of my native Durham to bring to life the amazing history of a place that Bill Bryson calls 'A perfect little city'. It is so full of character, stories and architecture, I never get bored with guiding people round.
My ambition was always to expand my tours outside of Durham and when I revisited Paris in 2024, I knew that this was where I wanted to expand to. I set about creating my first Parisian walking tour under Walkabout Paris, which will launch in 2025.
Aside from tours, I love to go hiking in the hills and countryside with my wife and we spend as much time as possible travelling.

Preview Location

Location 2

Statue de Charlemagne

When you reach the statue, please stop.

The man on the horse is Charlemagne, or Charles ‘The Great’. The statue, installed here in 1882, is entitled ‘Charlemagne and his Guards’ and depicts the king with two legendary characters - Roland and Olivier. They are two of Charlem... When you reach the statue, please stop.

The man on the horse is Charlemagne, or Charles ‘The Great’. The statue, installed here in 1882, is entitled ‘Charlemagne and his Guards’ and depicts the king with two legendary characters - Roland and Olivier. They are two of Charlemagne's paladins who feature in the oldest major surviving work of French literature- The Song of Roland.

Charlemagne is regarded as the greatest of the Carolingian kings who would rule France up until 987. The Carolingians were the second dynasty or so-called ‘second race of the Franks’. In 732, his grandfather Charles ‘Martel’ (The Hammer) defended Paris against the newly emerging Islamic armies from the east. He gave his name to the Carolingian dynasty (named for the number of kings who bore the name Charles).

Charlemagne is often celebrated in mythology as one of the city’s greatest heroes. In fact, his firm rule did ensure a period of stability in the region and relative peace in Paris. However, all is not as it seems. In fact, Charlemagne only visited Paris twice. And those were for celebrations. His main base was in the powerful western German city of Aachen, from where he controlled much of the region. Because of this, Paris actually shrank in significance during his reign.

Also, this statue depicts a tall, glorious king. In fact, the real-life Charles ‘The Great’ was squat and bald.

After Charlemagne, there were more Charles’: Charles ‘The Bald’ saved the city by paying off a band of invading Norsemen on Easter Sunday in 842. He sent them instead to Burgundy with the promise of riches. The Burgundians never forgave the Parisians for this and would side with the English during the Hundred Years' War several centuries later.

Charles ‘The Fat’ came along later that century. He went down in history as a coward after he paid the Norsemen a hefty sum of money to pacify them. This did however seem to work, despite crippling the city, and no foreign force would invade Paris for the next few hundred years.

Let’s get moving. Go behind the statue and walk away from it in the direction of the cathedral.

You should see some green fences, go between these and this will take you to the bridge - the Pont au Double. Read More

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Major Landmarks

Louvre Museum
Point zéro des routes de France
Statue de Charlemagne et ses leudes
Pont au Double
Square René Viviani
Saint-Julien-le-Pauvre
Shakespeare and Company Café
Petit Pont
Pont Notre-Dame
Square of Saint-Jacques Tower
Tour Saint-Jacques
Pont au Change
Sainte-Chapelle
St. Michael's Bridge
Pont Neuf
Equestrian Statue of Henri IV
Saint-Germain-l'Auxerrois
Cour Carrée
Louis XIV sous les traits de Marcus Curtius (copie)
Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel
Jardin du Carrousel
Tuileries Garden
Place de la Concorde
Statue de Marseille
Pont de la Concorde

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Getting There

Route Overview

VoiceMap tours follow a route from a set starting point. It’s how we give turn-by-turn directions and tell a story greater than the sum of its parts.

Start location
Parvis Notre-Dame - Pl. Jean-Paul II, 75004 Paris, France
Total distance

5km
Final location
Pont de la Concorde, 75007 Paris, France
Distance back to start location

2km

Directions to Starting Point

The tour starts in front of the cathedral of Notre-Dame in the centre of Paris. You will see a disc on the floor- about 20m from the doors of the cathedral. This is Point Zero des Routes des France. Work on the cathedral is due to be complete within the coming weeks. If there is still scaffolding or building works covering this disc, please get as close as you can to the start point and force the start.

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Tips

Places to stop along the way

Just off the Pont-Neuf is the hidden gem of the Place Dauphine. It has three or four restaurants and cafés for a stop on route and, despite it's location, is remarkably off the beaten track.
Towards the start of he tour you can visit the Shakespeare and Company Bookshop on Rue de la Bûcherie. Across the street from this there is often street stalls selling local produce of food, drink and arts and crafts.
There are places to eat ad drink around the Place du Châtelet.
If you want something decadent, I recommend taking a slight detour from the Tuileries Gardens, towards the end of your tour, and heading to Angelina (226 Rue de Rivoli). Famous for it's deserts and hot chocolates.

Best time of day

You can do this tour all year round. Because the tour goes though three public parks, including the Tuileries Gardens, there are restrictions on visiting times. She shortest window for parks is 9am to 5pm during the winter months and opening later from sprint to Autumn. The shortest window for the Tuileries is 7:30am- 7:30pm during the winter months of November to March. It is open from 7am-9pm in April, May, September and October and from 7am-11pm in the summer months.
I recommend starting the tour early- around 9am or later in the afternoon- to avoid the busy periods. It is spectacular at sunrise and sunset/dusk.
The Louvre Courtyard is accessible between the hours of 7:30am and 10pm.

Precautions

Please be aware of the opening times of the public parks, Tuileries Gardens and the Louvre Courtyard.

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