History

Welcome to the world of the Parisian passages and Hotel Chopin... Take a tour back in time in the city of Paris, through covered galleries.

In 1850 the passages were very numerous in Paris, there were up to 150 at this time. You could then cross almost all of Paris weatherproof thanks to these covered and private pathways. The work of Haussman, which then open areas by drilling large avenues and competition department stores, led to the disappearance of most of the walkways. There is today only thirty left, but it still possible to take a nice walk through the passages

The passage Jouffroy is without doubt one of the most emblematic, which was opened in 1846 by the count Felix of Jouffroy - Gonsans, the ancestor of the current owners of the passage. It owes its fame to the Musée Grévin, who settled there in 1882. The Passage Jouffroy was at the time one of the most modern, it has even a floor heating system, to allow strollers to do their window shopping warm. It is actually the ancestor of the mall!

This passage was built on an ancient medieval road, which still exists, is now the basement! A few meters under the footsteps of tourists, lays the same exact Gallery, serving the cellars of all shops of the passage. There are steps leading down into the second part of the passage and the famous heating system by the grids on the ground. The cobblestones of this underground street prove the antiquity of this route over which was built the passage Jouffroy.