Paris French Revolution Self Guided Walking Tour with an APP

At Place de la Bastille, the Spirit of Freedom rises above a buzzing roundabout where revolution once roared, now cafés, the Opéra Bastille, and Parisian life pulse with energy and history.

Square Henri-Galli hides a powerful relic the last visible remains of the Bastille fortress, nestled in a peaceful park where history quietly lives amid trees, flowers, and local life.

The Hôtel de Ville dazzles with Renaissance grandeur and history rebuilt after 1871, it now boasts Versailles-style interiors and has witnessed revolutions, speeches, and the soul of Paris.

Étienne Marcel, a bold reformer and champion of Parisian rights, led a 14th-century revolt for civic freedoms. His 1888 statue near Hôtel de Ville honors his enduring legacy and tragic end.

The Hôtel de Ville was a hub of revolution home to Robespierre’s rise and fall, and burned in 1871 during the Paris Commune, it stands today as a resilient symbol of Paris’s turbulent past.

The Pont d’Arcole’s bold 19th-century iron arch spans the Seine without pillars an elegant, engineering marvel linking the Right Bank to Île de la Cité with grace and groundbreaking design.

Notre-Dame has stood for over 850 years, witnessing Napoleon’s coronation and inspiring Victor Hugo’s iconic novel becoming both a symbol of French history and a beacon of Gothic beauty.

Once a royal residence, now a seat of justice, the Palais de Justice hides medieval towers and leads you to Sainte-Chapelle Paris’s breathtaking jewel of stained glass and Gothic glory.

Pont au Change, built under Napoleon III, connects Île de la Cité to the Right Bank. Its elegant arches and imperial "N" monogram mark a blend of history, architecture, and Parisian rhythm.

Place du Châtelet replaced a medieval fortress under Napoleon. At its center, the Fontaine du Palmier celebrates victory, crowned by a golden statue of Victory holding laurel wreaths.

Once part of a church, this tower survived the French Revolution in 1797 and was repurposed as a shot tower transforming from sacred steeple to a tool of war, yet still standing tall today.

From monarchy to republic, the Revolution turned radical toppling kings, rewriting time, and plunging Paris into the Reign of Terror led by Robespierre and the rise of revolutionary ideals.

Once a royal palace, the Louvre became a museum for the people in 1793 a revolutionary symbol of shared culture, where art and knowledge were no longer the privilege of kings, but of all.

Once Cardinal Richelieu’s palace, the Palais-Royal became a revolutionary stage when Camille Desmoulins rallied Parisians here in 1789 sparking the storming of the Bastille.

In 1789, Camille Desmoulins’ fiery speech at Palais-Royal sparked the storming of the Bastille. Its cafés and arcades became hotbeds of revolutionary debate and radical action.

Place du Carrousel links the Louvre and Tuileries, offering sweeping views and a moment to pause where art, history, and revolution once collided in the heart of Paris.

Commissioned by Napoleon in 1806, the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel honors his victories with marble columns, intricate carvings, and a golden chariot shining atop the arch.

The Tuileries became ground zero for revolution: the royal family detained, the palace stormed, and Robespierre’s radical festivals transformed its gardens into symbols of a new republic.

Flanking the Bassin Octogonal, statues of Caesar and Hannibal face off Rome’s calm authority against Carthage’s fierce defiance set in the heart of the Jardin des Tuileries.

Once the stage for over 1,100 guillotine executions, Place de la Concorde is now Paris’s grandest square anchored by an ancient obelisk, elegant fountains, and regal neoclassical beauty.

Pont de la Concorde was built using stones from the Bastille, letting Parisians symbolically walk over the ruins of monarchy turning revolution into everyday passage.

Originally a royal residence, Palais Bourbon became a symbol of republican power in 1795. Its grand neoclassical façade mirrors the Église de la Madeleine across the Seine.

Paris’s most elegant bridge, Pont Alexandre III offers stunning views of the Eiffel Tower, Les Invalides, and the Grand Palais an unforgettable moment in the heart of the city.

Now, turn left onto Rue Saint-Guillaume a quiet street today, but imagine it during the Revolution, where every corner could have hidden whispered plans, secret gatherings, and the restless energy of change.

Walk through Saint-Germain, once home to radical clubs like the Cordeliers, where revolutionaries Danton and Desmoulins stirred Paris with cries for liberty and justice.

At the quiet Bassin Soufflot, pause where revolution once roared. This tranquil spot leads to the Panthéon, where France’s heroes were carried in honor through liberty’s path.