Passage des Panoramas

Paris's oldest covered arcade, since 1799

Hours: Open to walk through daily (roughly 06:00–24:00; shops keep their own hours)
Address: Entrance at 11 Boulevard Montmartre, 2nd arr.; further entrances on Rue Vivienne and Rue Montmartre

Under a glass roof, narrow lanes of stamp dealers, postcard shops and small restaurants run on. It is one of the oldest arcades in Paris, and on a rainy day time slows down inside. The shopfronts and tiled floors are old, which makes it a good photo stop. In the evening the bistros light up. Walk on out of the far end and you reach Galerie Vivienne.