Walk: “Secrets of the Plaine-Monceau District”
What if you stepped away from the classic Parisian icons to explore a chic neighborhood… where Belle Époque fortunes, Resistance fighters, forgotten heroines, secret bank passages, and 18th-century chocolates all intertwine? Between Plaine-Monceau and the Batignolles, in the 17th arrondissement, this walk leads you through an elegant Paris on the surface—one shaped underneath by stories of war, slavery, science, and literature.
As you wander, you’ll discover why a square was named “Israel” a century after its creation, how an ocean-liner-style building hides memories of the Second World War, and in which private mansion a simple meeting between Paul Reynaud and a certain Charles de Gaulle quite literally changed the fate of France.
Further on, a calm-looking church reveals the rapid birth of a bourgeois district and the dreams of a saint who wanted to make faith accessible to all. Along an avenue lined with grand townhouses, you’ll learn what connects a scientist obsessed with seawater, a painter fascinated by redheads, a brilliant composer, and a consulate that carries an entire Caribbean history within its walls.
At the heart of Place du Général-Catroux, an extraordinary trio of monuments pays tribute to three Dumas: the general born enslaved who became a hero of the Revolution, the author of The Three Musketeers, and his son, writer of La Dame aux camélias. Nearby, a recent garden dedicated to Solitude—a Guadeloupean freedom fighter executed just after giving birth—upends the district’s polished image and inscribes the memory of slavery and anticolonial struggles into its landscape.
The walk then leads you to a flawless Haussmannian boulevard, where a statue of Sarah Bernhardt recalls the legendary actress who “cried on command” in the name of science. You continue toward a former banking palace transformed into the Cité de l’Économie—inside which a real secret passage leading to the vault room was uncovered.
To end the journey, you slip into a village-like atmosphere around Place and Rue de Lévis: a lively market, old façades, and a chocolate and confectionery shop open since the 18th century, selling sweet treats already enjoyed during the reign of Louis XV.
During this visit, you will:
- explore the Plaine-Monceau district on foot, from Place d’Israël and Avenue de Villiers to Place du Général-Catroux and the bustling Batignolles streets;
- discover fascinating, little-known stories: a decisive political meeting, the Black general nicknamed the “Black Devil,” a heroine of the fight against slavery, a legendary actress, a visionary scientist, and the painter “of redheads”;
- enjoy elegant photo spots: ocean-liner-style buildings, grand townhouses, monumental statues, the Solitude Garden, the former bank façade, and the lively Rue de Lévis market;
- experience an immersive, sensitive, and surprising walk—far from typical checklist-style tours.
More than a visit, this is a journey into a seemingly bourgeois Paris, shaped by stories of rebellion, courage, and sweet indulgence.
Download the Audio Guide Paris app for free and unlock the complete walk through the Plaine-Monceau district—a refined, secret, and deeply vibrant Paris waiting to be revealed.