Timeless shopping

The passages of Paris, peaceful pedestrian walkways more often than not crowned by glass roofs, are a pleasant way to move between neighbourhoods. They are unusual settings in which to stroll and browse, combining architectural appeal with the delights of window-shopping. The finest examples are known as “galeries” and can be found in the area around Palais Royal: Galeries Vivienne, Colbert or Véro-Dodat. The elegance of their early 19th-century decor is only matched by the luxuriousness of their antique and fashion boutiques, their collectors’ bookshops and art galleries. Near to the Grands Boulevards, the popular Passage Jouffroy and Passage des Panoramas retain their old-world charm with shops of a more accessible kind: stamp collecting, old books and postcards, traditional toys, picture-framing… Certain arcades are entirely given over to one theme, for example the Passage du Grand-Cerf, on either side of the rue Saint-Denis, appropriated by contemporary designers; or the Passage du Caire, in the Sentier district, with its Egyptian-inspired decor, domain of clothes wholesalers and tailors’ supplies. Along the Champs-Elysées, the busy arcades packed with a variety of boutiques resemble luxury shopping centres. More recently, a new generation of arcades has arrived, their architecture a mix of traditional and modern materials, like the Passage du Havre, near the Gare Saint-Lazare, or the glass construction on the place du Marché Saint-Honoré. They house all kinds of retail premises, from affordable to ultra chic.