podtour
The Eiffel Tower and the Champ de Mars
You start on the Trocadéro esplanade, named after a pair of forts in the Bay of Cádiz taken in 1823 to restore Ferdinand VII to absolute power, and where the Universal Declaration was adopted in 1948.
From the Statue of Liberty to the Vel d'Hiv: audio walk in Paris
You walk the Isle of Swans from end to end: the little Liberty and the big one that was put together in Paris, an island that's really a river wall, a Joan of Arc in disguise, the two-storey bridge from the films and the desert well it's named after. You finish, quietly, where the velodrome stood, which had already been filled with refugee women in 1940, and at the monument to the round-up of July 1942.
What this walk is about
You start in front of a Statue of Liberty and discover that the New York one was put up in full in Paris, with an iron skeleton by Eiffel. You walk along a narrow promenade between two arms of the Seine that isn't the island it claims to be, look across at the round house of radio on the far bank, and arrive beneath the Bir-Hakeim bridge: a fairground footbridge turned into a two-storey viaduct, with an official statue that looks every inch a Joan of Arc in disguise, a film set, and a tribute to a battle in the Libyan desert. A month after that battle, two hundred metres away, the French police shut thousands of Jewish families inside a velodrome. It wasn't the first time it had been filled with detainees: in May 1940, women of German origin, refugees from Hitler, were locked up there, among them Eva Lewinski, who walked free with a stamped piece of paper. The walk ends at the monument that remembers them, and with the words with which, in 1995, the State acknowledged its part.
- Start
- The little Statue of Liberty that moved
- Finish
- The French state's responsibility
- Who it is for
- For another visit, when you want to look beyond the familiar sights. A walk for anyone curious about twentieth-century history and remembrance.
- Languages
- Spanish and British English
- Underfoot
- The route notes mention stairs or steps on the walk or its approaches.
The route, stop by stop
An outline of the walk. The full stories are in the app.
Loading the map…
Open a marker to see its page. Use two fingers to move the map on mobile.
- 1
The little Statue of Liberty that moved
- 2
The giant statue assembled in Paris
- 3
The round house and the unrecorded voice
- 4
The island that isn't an island
- 5
From exhibition footbridge to a two-level bridge
- 6
Joan of Arc under another name
- 7
The passage made famous by films
- 8
A well in the desert
- 9
The Vel d'Hiv roundup
- 10
The earlier roundup at the Vel d'Hiv
- 11
The sculptor who survived by drawing
- 12
The French state's responsibility
Walking directions are based on mapped pedestrian routes. Check local access and signs; the route is not an accessibility guarantee. Times are approximate.
Paris, before you go
Paris works best a neighbourhood at a time. Combine a walk, a pause and another look: the distances on the map can be deceptive.
More walks nearby
The Arc de Triomphe and the Upper Champs-Élysées
You start at Fouquet's, where in 1919 a group of offended pilots planned an impossible flight, and two doors along you hear how a dancer who'd come from Madrid was arrested as a spy.
Les Invalides, the Pont Alexandre III and the Palaces of 1900
You start by the moats where the crowd leapt in after muskets on the morning of 14 July, picture the wooden pavement that, in 1900, moved along on its own at first-floor height with people standing still on top, and walk across the Esplanade where Victor Hugo watched Napoleon arrive between plaster statues.
Good to know
What is Podtour?
An app for self-guided audio walks. Choose a city and a route, then listen to the stories behind its streets. You decide when to start and when to stop.
When can I download the app?
Podtour is coming to iOS and Android. There is no confirmed launch date yet. Join the waitlist and we will let you know when it is ready.
Does Podtour include attraction tickets?
No. Street walks and monument audio tours do not include admission tickets, transport or a guide accompanying you.
Can I listen without an internet connection?
Download the audio in the app before heading out, then listen offline. Loading the online base map and calculating a new route from your location require a connection.
What languages are included?
Every route includes Spanish and British English. The English version is adapted for English-speaking travellers, rather than translated word for word.
How do I get a whole city for free?
Join the waitlist, choose a city and confirm your email address. When the app launches, we will email you with access details. No card is required. You can also try one free route in every city.
Can I buy for myself or for a group?
Yes. Your own access is included and you can choose 0–5 guests: up to 6 people including you. Each guest saves up to €0.50 on a walk, €1 on a pack or €2 on a whole city compared with buying separately. The counter shows the total before you confirm one payment.
How do I share, and when must guests accept?
After paying, share your purchase’s invitation link. Each guest opens it in Podtour and accepts their place on their own iPhone or Android phone. They must redeem it within 30 days of purchase. Unclaimed places then expire and cannot be recovered or renewed. Access accepted in time is kept. Opening the link does not use a place; one account takes just one place, and no more people can join once all places are taken.
Can I add guests after buying?
No. Choose all your guests before confirming the first purchase. Afterwards you can share the places you paid for, but you cannot increase their number or restart the 30-day deadline.
Your first city,
on Podtour.
Join the waitlist. When we launch, your chosen city is yours to explore.
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A little welcome gift
Your first city,
on Podtour.
Join the waitlist and get one whole city free when Podtour launches. You choose where.
Podtour manages your launch request with your consent. You can withdraw it and exercise your rights as explained in our privacy policy. Privacy details.
One city per person. All its Podtour routes in Spanish and English. Available at launch. Offer details.