Passage des Panoramas

The oldest of the glass-roofed arcades, full of stamp dealers and bistros

Area 2nd arrondissement
Type Shopping
Time needed 40m

The Passage des Panoramas opened in 1799 and is the oldest of the covered arcades still standing in Paris, running between Boulevard Montmartre and Rue Saint-Marc in the 2nd arrondissement. It was named after two rotundas of panoramic paintings that once stood at the boulevard entrance and was among the first Paris streets lit by gas. Today it is a glass-roofed lane of stamp and postcard dealers, old-coin shops, engravers and small bistros, and forty minutes walks it properly.

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Getting there

Grands Boulevards on Métro lines 8 and 9 is at the north entrance, a minute away. Bourse on line 3 and Richelieu-Drouot on lines 8 and 9 are each five minutes. From Châtelet, line 8 or 9 reaches Grands Boulevards in about ten minutes, with one change at République or Opera depending on the route. The north entrance is set between shopfronts on the boulevard and easy to walk past; look for the glass roof rather than a sign.

What you see

Enter from the boulevard and the arcade narrows immediately: mosaic and tiled flooring, shopfronts with their original carved and painted wood, and a pitched glass roof with iron ribs overhead. The stamp and coin dealers are the character of the place, several of them with windows of loose stock and albums, and there is a long-established engraver near the middle whose shopfront is itself worth stopping at. Side branches lead off to the Galerie des Variétés, the stage door of the Théâtre des Variétés, and to Rue Vivienne. Restaurants have colonised the second half, with tables down the middle of the passage and a handful of well-regarded wine bars. It ends quietly at Rue Saint-Marc, from where the Passage Jouffroy continues north across the boulevard.

What to pair it with

The Passage Jouffroy and the Passage Verdeau run on directly north of the boulevard. The Galerie Vivienne is five minutes south-west, and the Palais Royal gardens and the Bibliothèque Richelieu are both within fifteen minutes.

When to go

Weekday late mornings and early afternoons are when the dealers are open and the restaurants are not yet full. Many shops close on Sundays and some on Mondays, which makes a weekend visit a walk past shutters. Evenings are for the bistros rather than the shops. The glass roof makes it a good wet-weather stop and a warm one in July.

What is hard about it

It is shabbier than the photographs suggest: patched roof panels, worn flooring and a run of empty or closed units. The restaurant tables take up most of the width at mealtimes, so you will be edging past diners. The Galerie Vivienne is the handsomer arcade if you only see one, and the stamp shops hold little interest unless you collect. Hours are at the individual shopkeepers' discretion, so allow for closed doors.

Common questions

How long do you need at the Passage des Panoramas?

Forty minutes to walk it, look into the shopfronts and take the side branches. Longer if you stop to eat.

Is it the oldest arcade in Paris?

It is the oldest still standing, dating from 1799. Several earlier ones were demolished in the nineteenth century.

Can you combine it with the other passages?

Yes. Cross the Boulevard Montmartre at the north exit and the Passage Jouffroy and then the Passage Verdeau continue the walk for another half hour.

Nearby

Rue MontorgueilA pedestrian market street of bakers, fishmongers and cafés