If you don’t know about the passages, you must learn. I don’t mean to sound professorial, but I made the same mistake—coming to Paris for an embarrassingly long time before I finally made the discovery. The passages are old-fashioned shopping malls from the late 1700s and early 1800s that provided cover from rain, mud and horses for the chic shopping ladies of yesteryear. Let’s not even discuss the city’s open sewers during that era—you can understand why someone had the bright idea to build a passage. They come in all different shapes and sizes, so one will surely strike your fancy. All have skylights, and most have some serious interest for architecture buffs; many have unique shops and all are uniquely Parisian.

Not too long ago I took a tour of the passages with a tour guide—a lovely older lady who made up in kindness for a somewhat thin veneer of knowledge (I won’t offend her by outing her here). We toured the most famous passage, Vivienne, in the 2nd Arrondissement, plus Passage Colbert, Panoramas, Choiseul, Jouffroy, Brady and Verdeau, among others. There is something special about these secret little passageways. Walking into each one feels like you are unwrapping a different gift.

Vivienne is probably my favorite, with its spectacular mosaic tiles and great shopping. Here you’ll find a charming modern art gallery, Martine Moisan, which gives lessons on Saturdays; a fabulous florist, Emilio Robba; a killer tea salon, A Priori Thé; and a bookshop of rare finds. There’s even a bistro (Bistro Vivienne), plus a fine wine shop, Legrand Filles and Fils.

>read the complete article by Doni Belau