podtour
From the Statue of Liberty to the Vel d'Hiv
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.
The Eiffel Tower and the Champ de Mars: audio walk in Paris
From the Trocadéro to the École Militaire, with the tower in between: a name that comes from the Bay of Cádiz, the 1948 Declaration, the pavilions of 1937 face to face, a bridge a king refused to let them blow up, the artists who protested too late against the tower, the radio that saved it, a balloon in the rain, the whole of Paris digging, the first exhibition of inventions in 1798 and the school where Bonaparte scraped through.
What this walk is about
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. You walk down to the bridge where, in 1937, the pavilions of Germany and the USSR stared each other down, with Republican Spain and Guernica close by, and you cross the bridge that Louis XVIII vowed to defend from Prussian mines. Beneath the tower, the letter from the artists who called it bolted sheet metal, and the concession that was due to run out in 1909. Across the Champ de Mars, the hydrogen balloon of 1783, the week when the whole of Paris dug for the festival of 1790, and the afternoon in 1791 when the same altar ended in gunfire. Then the first exhibition of French industry, in 1798, with its Temple of Industry designed by Chalgrin, the future architect of the Arc de Triomphe: the habit that would eventually bring the tower to this field. You finish at the École Militaire, paid for with a tax on playing cards.
- Start
- A corner of Cádiz above Paris
- Finish
- The school paid for by playing cards
- Who it is for
- A good starting point for your first visit. A walk for science and engineering fans. A walk for anyone curious about and anyone interested in Spain's threads in Paris (Cádiz. You can also enjoy it as a family.
- Languages
- Spanish and British English
- Underfoot
- The walk has slopes or changes in level. There are cobbles or uneven surfaces. 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.
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- 1
A corner of Cádiz above Paris
- 2
A piece of Paris lent to the world
- 3
Two powers face to face in 1937
- 4
The bridge they threatened to blow up
- 5
The artists who opposed the tower
- 6
The tower meant to last twenty years
- 7
A balloon in the rain
- 8
A week with a shovel
- 9
The altar and the red flag
- 10
The field of exhibitions
- 11
The school paid for by playing cards
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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Your first city,
on Podtour.
Join the waitlist and get one whole city free when Podtour launches. You choose where.
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One city per person. All its Podtour routes in Spanish and English. Available at launch. Offer details.