Haussmann's renovation of Paris : the birth of a mythical city

In the 1850s, in less than twenty years, Haussmann radically changed the face of Paris. The Opera House designed by Charles Garnier, an unknown architect at the time, is a perfect example of the official architecture of the Second Empire, but Baron Haussmann's town planning was much more than that.

Driven by the hygienic concerns that were in vogue at the time, he transformed the city along London lines.

He demolished whole swathes of the medieval city to bring it up to the standard of the most modern capitals of the time, opening up major straight arteries to improve traffic flow, creating pavements for pedestrians, building a gigantic sewerage system (and drinking water supply), landscaping parks, and constructing new, comfortable buildings with well-defined architecture...

He succeeded in making Paris a habitable city as we know it today.

We will see that today's Paris is still a Haussmann-style city, marked by the influence of this astonishing, visionary and sometimes controversial town planner.

Let's discover this leading figure, who design one of the most famous cities in the world, with L'Echappée Belle. Your guide is from L'Echappée Belle, a company of guide-lecturers set up nearly thirty years ago. They offer a wide range of tours and walks in Paris and the Ile-de-France region. Their guides have a solid background in art history and know Paris inside out. Their tours are lively, full of anecdotes, and they make sure that every participant has a great time.

If you want to know more about Paris and Grand Paris heritage, take a look at our other visits about this subject on Explore Paris!