Passage du Grand Cerf

Passage du Grand Cerf

This covered passage has attracted boutiques and galleries with offerings of art, fine crafts, jewelry arts, antiques, and more.  The original tiles and the high ceilings attest to its authenticity.

Originating from the end of the 18th century, these covered shopping arcades provided shelter from the inclement weather and the muddy streets of Paris.  Even today it is a great option to explore on a rainy weather day in Paris.

Le Passage du Grand Cerf

145, rue Saint Denis

75002, Paris

Métro Etienne Marcel

Sapins de Noël - Passage du Grand Cerf

Christmas trees in Paris

Giggling on the first occasion of seeing 

Christmas trees dressed like sausages, 

I now find them totally charming.  

The stands made of split tree trunks are quite solid 

and they are ready to be carried off, 

through the Métro or by bus to a waiting Paris apartment.  

The scents of fresh evergreen are as omnipresent 

as those of the baguettes from the nearby boulangerie.

Messages du Grand Cerf

4, passage du Grand Cerf (Rue Saint Denis entrance)

75002, Paris

Le Passage du Grand Cerf

Le Passage du Grand Cerf (Big Deer Passage) is found just off Rue St. Denis in the neighborhood of Montorgueil. Designed in the 19th Century to protect pedestrians from mud and horse-drawn carriages, this elegant passage has been restored to its original grandeur. There are at least five of these passages clustered between Rue Etienne Marcel and Rue Réamur and others a short walk away.

Grand Cerf is distinctive in the height of the windows at 11.8m (almost 39 feet), the highest in Paris, and the unique offerings along the corridor. You will find handcrafted pearl jewelry, artists' workshops, interesting gifts, and recovered objects that have been restored. If you are left with a rainy, cold day in Paris these "shopping arcades" are a great option. Here is a link (en français) for all the passages, descriptions, and locations in Paris.

Note: You need to be attentive as many of the entrances are almost hidden from the main streets.

Le Passage du Grand Cerf

145, rue St Denis

Métro Etienne Marcel