From Bastille to Canal Saint-MartinHistory, Architecture & Photography

The walk, stop by stop

1. 

   StartSquare+0 min · 20 min on site

   Place de la Bastille

   Place de la Bastille, 75004 / 75011 / 75012 Paris

   The Bastille fortress-prison, stormed on 14 July 1789, stood right here. Today the square brings together the July Column and the Opéra Bastille, a striking contrast between two eras.

   What to see · The fortress site, the July Column (commemorating 1830) and the Opéra Bastille: three eras on one square.

   Did you know?

   • The July Column (1835–1840) does not celebrate 1789: it commemorates the July Revolution of 1830, the "Three Glorious Days".
   • The Opéra Bastille, designed by Carlos Ott, was inaugurated on 13 July 1989 on the site of the former Bastille railway station; its first opera performance only took place in March 1990.
   • Demolished after the Revolution by the contractor Palloy, the fortress left almost nothing behind; some of its stones went into the Pont de la Concorde (then the Pont Louis-XVI).
   • A remnant you can see: on the Line 5 platform of Bastille metro station (towards Bobigny), a section of the fortress moat's counterscarp wall is exposed.
   • Where Rue Saint-Antoine meets the square, part of the fortress outline is marked on the ground.

   Photo and visit tips

   • At blue hour, car light trails around the column are perfect for long exposures; in daytime, focus on architectural lines and the movement of the crowd.
   • From the Opéra side, a wide-angle lens fits the modern geometry and the column into a single frame.

   Practical

   • Bastille metro station (lines 1, 5 and 8).
   • Free public toilets: 14 place de la Bastille (6:00–22:00) and 2 boulevard Richard-Lenoir (24/7).

   Wikipédia RATP – histoire de la station Bastille

   8 min · 600 m — walk to the next stop
2. 2

   

   Stop 2Square+28 min · 25 min on site

   Place des Vosges

   Place des Vosges, 75003 / 75004 Paris

   Built between 1605 and 1612, it is one of the first planned royal squares in Paris: red-brick and stone façades, continuous arcades and a square garden in the middle, in perfect symmetry.

   What to see · Walk around under the arcades: symmetry, red brick and the central garden.

   Did you know?

   • It was first called Place Royale. The name "Place des Vosges" appeared in 1800, honouring the first département to pay its taxes; the square went back to Place Royale in 1814–1848 and 1852–1870, and took its present name for good in 1870.

   Photo and visit tips

   • The arcades shelter you from the rain, so you can keep shooting in bad weather, and people taking cover there make for natural, candid scenes.
   • Overcast skies bring out the texture of brick and stone; after rain, reflections on the wet ground make great foregrounds.
   • Stand on the axis of an arcade gallery: the pillars become leading lines for silhouettes of passers-by.

   Practical

   • Free public toilets in the square's garden (1 place des Vosges), during the garden's opening hours.
   • Metro Chemin Vert (line 8), Saint-Paul (line 1) or Bastille (lines 1, 5, 8).

   Wikipédia

   2 min · 170 m — walk to the next stop
3. 3

   

   Stop 3Museum+55 min · 20 min on site

   Maison de Victor Hugo (Victor Hugo's House)

   6 place des Vosges, 75004 Paris

   The apartment at 6 Place des Vosges where Victor Hugo lived for sixteen years, from 1832 to 1848, now a City of Paris museum.

   What to see · At no. 6 on the square, Victor Hugo's apartment (1832–1848).

   Did you know?

   • When Hugo moved in, in October 1832, the square was still called Place Royale.

   Photo and visit tips

   • Even without visiting the museum, the façade and the rhythm of the arcades are worth a stop: frame the entrance through an arch, with passers-by.

   Practical

   • Open 10:00–18:00, closed on Mondays and on 1 January, 1 May and 25 December.
   • During the exhibition "Hugo et l'architecture" (until 22 November 2026 according to the official website, which also mentions 13 December), admission to the whole museum is paid: check prices and dates on the official website.

   Site officiel Wikipédia

   11 min · 800 m — walk to the next stop
4. 4

   

   Stop 4Street+1 h 26 · 30 min on site

   Rue des Rosiers (the Pletzl)

   Rue des Rosiers, 75004 Paris

   The main street of the Pletzl, the Marais's Jewish quarter: old Jewish shops, bookshops, fashion boutiques that moved in from the 1980s, stickers and old walls, ideal for street documentary.

   What to see · The heart of the Pletzl: shops, street details and a falafel break.

   Did you know?

   • The Jewish shops still observe Shabbat: they close from Friday evening through Saturday and on Jewish holidays, but open on Sunday. Since 2006 the street has been pedestrianised on Sundays.

   Photo and visit tips

   • Respect the privacy of shopkeepers and passers-by; when shooting stickers or doorbells up close, don't block the pavement.
   • Look for "micro-exhibitions" where street signs, shop shutters and old walls meet: shoot the setting first, then the details, for a coherent series.

   Taste

   Falafel in pita, for instance at L'As du Fallafel (34 rue des Rosiers), closed on Saturdays.

   Practical

   • For falafel, avoid Saturdays: most Jewish snack bars, including L'As du Fallafel, close from the end of the day on Friday.
   • Free public toilets at 10 bis rue de Moussy (24/7, about 240 m away).

   Wikipédia – rue des Rosiers Wikipédia – Pletzl

   6 min · 480 m — walk to the next stop
5. 5

   

   Stop 5Museum+2 h 02 · 25 min on site

   Hôtel de Soubise (National Archives Museum)

   60 rue des Francs-Bourgeois, 75003 Paris

   A town mansion rebuilt in 1705–1709 by Pierre-Alexis Delamair, with Rococo interiors by Germain Boffrand. It houses the National Archives Museum.

   What to see · The mansion's façade and decor; free museum, closed on Tuesdays.

   Did you know?

   • In 1808 Napoleon assigned the mansion to the Imperial Archives: a private residence became the home of public memory.

   Photo and visit tips

   • A telephoto lens (70–200 mm) isolates carvings, ironwork and stone textures; from the opposite pavement it compresses the perspective between the carved decor and a passer-by.

   Practical

   • Museum closed on Tuesdays. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 10:00–17:30; Saturday and Sunday 14:00–17:30 (until 19:00 during major exhibitions).
   • Free admission: princely apartments, permanent display and exhibitions.
   • Free public toilets at 2 rue des Quatre-Fils (6:00–22:00, about 220 m away).

   Site officiel Wikipédia

   9 min · 710 m — walk to the next stop
6. 6

   

   Stop 6Garden+2 h 36 · 20 min on site

   Square du Temple – Elie-Wiesel

   64 rue de Bretagne, 75003 Paris

   A quiet garden laid out in 1857 by Alphand on the former Paris enclosure of the Knights Templar; it has also borne Elie Wiesel's name since 2017.

   What to see · A quiet break on the former Templar estate; look for the tower's outline in Rue Eugène-Spuller.

   Did you know?

   • The Temple tower, built from 1240, served as a prison for Louis XVI and his family from 1792. Napoleon had it demolished from 1808 so that it would not become a royalist pilgrimage site.
   • The tower stood not in the garden but at the north corner of today's 3rd-arrondissement town hall: its outline is drawn on the ground in Rue Eugène-Spuller.

   Photo and visit tips

   • After the busy streets, play on the contrast of calm: tree shadows, people sitting still on benches; a tree trunk in the foreground adds depth.

   Practical

   • In winter (late October to end of February) the garden closes at 17:45; in summer it stays open until 21:30.
   • Free public toilets inside the garden (50 rue de Bretagne), during opening hours; another one at 158 rue du Temple (6:00–22:00).

   paris.fr Wikipédia

   17 min · 1250 m — walk to the next stop
7. 

   FinishWaterfront+3 h 13 · 40 min on site

   Quai de Jemmapes (Canal Saint-Martin)

   102 quai de Jemmapes, 75010 Paris

   One of the most cinematic stretches of the Canal Saint-Martin: cast-iron footbridges, railings, locks, stone steps and reflections, by the Hôtel du Nord.

   What to see · The Hôtel du Nord, the Arletty footbridge and the locks: end the walk along the water.

   Did you know?

   • The canal's six cast-iron footbridges were built between 1860 and 1890.
   • At no. 102, the Hôtel du Nord inspired Eugène Dabit's novel and then Marcel Carné's 1938 film, which was actually shot in a studio in Billancourt, where the hotel and footbridge were rebuilt as sets.
   • The nearby footbridge, formerly the Passerelle de la Grange-aux-Belles, is now named after Arletty, unforgettable as Raymonde in the film with her line "Atmosphère ! Atmosphère !". For the canal's 200th anniversary in 2025, nine actresses gave their names to its footbridges and bridges.
   • "Le Clan des Siciliens" (1969) was filmed at 64 Quai de Jemmapes, and the Canal Saint-Martin is where Amélie Poulain skips stones.

   Photo and visit tips

   • An overcast sky gives a film-like look; in bright sun, a polarising filter tames reflections on the water.
   • Walk parallel to the quay for a tracking-shot feel: the railing lines lead the eye to a figure or a footbridge.
   • There are plenty of cafés on Rue des Vinaigriers and along both banks to sit down and sort your photos.

   Practical

   • Jacques Bonsergent metro (line 5) about 400 m away, or Gare de l'Est (lines 4, 5, 7).
   • Free public toilets at 81 quai de Valmy (24/7) and 82 quai de Jemmapes (6:00–22:00).

   Wikipédia paris.fr – les passerelles du canal