podtour
Cluny, the Sorbonne and the Rue Saint-Jacques
You begin in front of the Roman baths that an abbot let to a barrel maker.
The Panthéon and the Rue Mouffetard: audio walk in Paris
From the dome of the Panthéon down to the church of Saint-Médard: a sick king's promise, the pendulum that proved the Earth turns, the coffins of Voltaire and Rousseau opened in 1897, a crime inside a church, a penniless Hemingway and three thousand gold coins hidden in a house on the Mouffetard.
What this walk is about
You start in front of the Panthéon, which began as Louis XV's promise to Saint Genevieve and changed use six times. This is where Foucault hung his pendulum and invited Paris to come and watch the Earth turn, and where, in 1897, the coffins of Voltaire and Rousseau were opened to put an end to a rumour. Beside Saint-Étienne-du-Mont you'll hear about the murder of an archbishop in the middle of a ceremony, and about the little that's left of the Abbey of Saint Genevieve. On the rue du Cardinal-Lemoine, the Scots College kept the brain of James II for almost a century: the king who lost three kingdoms and died in exile. The Revolution left the monument without what it held. You head down to the Contrescarpe, where Hemingway lived in two rooms, and along the Mouffetard, the poorest district in Paris according to an eighteenth-century writer, where in 1938 workmen found Louis XV's gold inside a wall. You finish at Saint-Médard, the cemetery where people danced on a grave until the king closed it.
- Start
- A sick king's promise
- Finish
- God forbidden to perform miracles here
- Who it is for
- A walk for anyone curious about Science. A walk for readers (Hemingway). You can also enjoy it as a family.
- Languages
- Spanish and British English
- Underfoot
- The walk has slopes or changes in 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 sick king's promise
- 2
Come and watch the Earth turn
- 3
The coffins they had to open
- 4
A dark morning at Saint-Étienne
- 5
The tower that lost its church
- 6
The brain of a king without a kingdom
- 7
Very poor, very happy
- 8
The square lowered by five metres
- 9
Gold in the wall
- 10
The poorest quarter of Paris
- 11
God forbidden to perform miracles here
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
Latin Quarter: from Marat's House to Shakespeare and Company
You start in front of the faculty that stands on the site of Marat's house and beside the refectory where the Cordeliers Club met.
Notre-Dame and the Île Saint-Louis
You start by looking up: the monsters on the towers have a date, and it's nineteenth-century.
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.