podtour
From Vendôme to the Opera
You start in the Place Vendôme with a bronze horse so big that, people said, twenty men could fit in its belly.
The Revolution on the Rue Saint-Honoré: audio walk in Paris
Follow the street the carts took on their way to the guillotine: the steps where Bonaparte fired on the crowd, the Jacobin Club and its republican neighbours, the riding school where the King was tried, a queen sketched from a window and the site of the carpenter's house that took in Robespierre, all the way to the square of the scaffold.
What this walk is about
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. Then you go back. A convent where a thousand men argued and a group of women asked for weapons; a mansion where two teenagers, Lafayette and Adrienne, were married, and which ended up as a dance hall; a royal riding school turned parliament, with a kiss of peace that didn't last long and a king tried like any other citizen. Bonaparte wiped that building out with a street. Then Marie Antoinette's cart and the drawing someone made of her from a window, the site of the Duplays' house, the Thermidor afternoon when the street waited for Robespierre, the palace of the stolen jewels and the square of the scaffold, told without sensationalism.
- Start
- The steps of Saint-Roch
- Finish
- Where the scaffold stood
- Who it is for
- A walk for anyone curious about history and politics. For anyone who has already done the Palais-Royal walk.
- 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
The steps of Saint-Roch
- 2
Two political clubs in one convent
- 3
A child marriage and the butchers' dance
- 4
The kiss that didn't last
- 5
A king on trial in a riding school
- 6
Bonaparte replaces the Assembly with a street
- 7
A drawing from a window
- 8
The room at the carpenter's house
- 9
The street waits for Robespierre
- 10
The carts turn by a Spanish duke's palace
- 11
Carnival armour and the great jewel theft
- 12
Where the scaffold stood
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 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.
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.
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.