Discover the very first shopping centres!

The covered passages, created in the first half of the 19th Century, were the forerunners of today’s shopping centre. Built in the Neo-Classical style, they were beautifully decorated and featured glass skylights, marble or tiled floors, and wooden facades for the boutiques. Abandoned when the department store was invented, many were destroyed. Today there are some 25 passages still standing, most lovingly restored to their original decors. We will discover these architectural gems during this tour.