Welcome to the Passage du Grand Cerf!<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s one of the prettiest covered passageways of Paris, tucked away in the second arrondissement. This iron and glass arcade from 1825 houses 20 or so boutique shops and businesses, a few offices, and apartments. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Passage du Grand Cerf, like many other hidden Paris passageways, is many things. It\u2019s a private shortcut through the narrow Parisian backstreets; it\u2019s a shelter from the rain and the elements; it\u2019s a quiet place to shop and wander. And in essence, that\u2019s what it\u2019s always been: a space for Parisians to cut across the city, to do some window shopping, and to go about their day without worrying about a sudden downpour. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suffice it to say that the passageway itself is almost the same as it was in 1825\u2014it\u2019s the rest of Paris that\u2019s changed. <\/p>\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n

History of the secret passages<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Passage du Grand Cerf<\/a> used to be one of a network of more than 150 passageways providing a welcome respite from the hostile rues<\/em> of post-revolution Paris. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1825, when it was built, the surrounding streets were dark and dirty. Roads were not paved, and there was no waste collection or sewer system. In the rain, the streets became a mire of human, horse and household muck! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The streets at that time were also narrow, winding, and difficult to navigate, often ending in a random cul-de-sac or a dangerous dead end. Paris was still in political turmoil after the Revolution, so clashes between the lower classes and the controlling forces created pockets of violence and crime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The passageways provided respite from daily life in 19th century Paris. They were areas of pleasure: paved interior streets, lined with boutiques, sporting decorative facades. Plus, they were covered from the elements\u2014and the contents of the morning chamber pot! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the end of each passage there was a short hop over a muddy street and allez-hop!<\/em> into the next. They created another world: a peaceful place for a stroll, sheltered from the hurly-burly of street life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n