Between June 1940 and August 1944 Paris experienced life under German occupation. This guided walking tour follows that history through the actual streets where events unfolded. Beginning at Place de la Concorde, participants learn how the city fell and how Parisians coped with curfews, rationing and the constant presence of occupying forces. The route continues along Rue de Rivoli to Hôtel Le Meurice, once headquarters of the German military governor, and to Place Vendôme, where high-profile occupants and controversial figures left complex legacies. Along Avenue de l'Opéra you will hear about the Kommandantur and its daily impact on city life, while the Opéra Garnier and the Palais Berlitz illustrate how monuments and institutions were implicated in wartime events. The tour passes the surroundings of the Louvre, revealing stories of evacuated masterpieces and the clandestine efforts of curators such as Rose Valland to record looted art. At Place Saint-Michel the narrative reaches the uprising of August 1944 and the scenes of fighting that helped free the city. For those who choose the extended option, the route continues into the Marais to address the persecution of Jewish Parisians before finishing near the Luxembourg Gardens, once a seat of German command. Throughout, careful interpretation combines visible traces, eyewitness accounts and historical images to bring wartime Paris vividly to life.
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