podtour
The Revolution on the Rue Saint-Honoré
You start at the end: the steps of Saint-Roch, where a young general called Bonaparte brought the Revolution to a close with cannon fire.
From Vendôme to the Opera: audio walk in Paris
From the most luxurious square in Paris to the Opéra Garnier: the bronze horse whose belly, people said, could hold a banquet; Sade turned revolutionary orator; the column a painter was made to pay for; the jewellers' street that was once a convent; the insult that named Impressionism; 33 people at the first film show; and the Phantom, kept apart from what really happened.
What this walk is about
You start in the Place Vendôme with a bronze horse so big that, people said, twenty men could fit in its belly. It fell in August 1792, and in 1793 a murdered deputy was laid out on its empty pedestal; the city's own panels say the Marquis de Sade spoke, and you find out what he really left in writing. Then the column made of cannon, pulled down by the Commune and charged to Courbet, and the house where Chopin died. The Rue de la Paix was once a convent of barefoot nuns and a banknote factory. On the boulevard, on either side of the road, Impressionism and paying cinema were born. You finish by circling the Opera: the gates on the Rue Scribe that appear in the novel, the ramp built for an emperor who never got to use it, the lake its architect hid with a lie, the bottle of ink thrown at The Dance, and the counterweight of 1896 that a novel turned into a killer chandelier.
- Start
- A horse large enough for twenty diners
- Finish
- The accident that became a falling chandelier
- Who it is for
- A good starting point for your first visit. A walk for anyone curious about art, film and music and mystery with rigour.
- Languages
- Spanish and British English
- Underfoot
- The walk is mostly level.
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
A horse large enough for twenty diners
- 2
Sade speaks in the renamed square
- 3
Chopin's farewell at number 12
- 4
The column Courbet had to pay for
- 5
Barefoot nuns and a banknote factory
- 6
The insult that named Impressionism
- 7
Thirty-three people at the first paid film screening
- 8
The Opera gates where the phantom began
- 9
The emperor's entrance he never used
- 10
The lake and Garnier's story
- 11
An ink bottle thrown at The Dance
- 12
The accident that became a falling chandelier
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
From Orsay to Furstenberg along the Quai Voltaire
You start beneath the clocks of Orsay, a station built in two years for 1900 that in 1945 welcomed people coming home, and discover that the quay it's named after was once the Grenouillère, a port of timber and mud, and took its name from a provost of the merchants, Charles Boucher, lord of Orsay.
The Louvre and Saint-Germain-l'Auxerrois
You start by looking towards the Tuileries, the palace Catherine de' Medici began beside some tile works, and which ended in flames in 1871.
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.
iOSAndroidComing soon
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.