Paris is known for its art, culture, fashion, and sense of romance but it was once the center of the nation’s long and tragic history of revolutions, mass executions, and rampant disease among lower classes. This 2-hour guided tour around Ile de la Cité will take you through the dark side of French History, rarely explored by tourists.
The tour takes place under a cloak of darkness, winding down alleyways and cutting through the hushed silence of the night. Your English-speaking guide will lead you to the places that were a part of Paris’ darkest hours - the Place de la Vert Gallant where the last of the Templar Knights was burned at the stake; St Germain de Auxerrois where some estimates say 30,000 were killed in the St. Bartholomew Day massacre in 1572 and the Palais du Justice, where those found guilty by the court were routinely tortured and executed in front of live audiences.
Your guide will be with you every step of the way, pointing out places of interest and filling you in on the full details of the gruesome history of Paris. No stone will go unturned as you explore the dark heart of the city. Starting out with ritual worship in early Paris you will travel through generations wracked by the plague, French Revolution, Paris Commune, and Nazi rule. You will learn about the people that have molded the city, from Napoleon to Mari Antoinette, Henry IV and the serial killers that once wandered the streets in Paris.
Guided walking tour