Medieval and Roman Paris
- 2h 15m
- Free cancellation up to 24h before
- 2 languages
- Instant confirmation
Highlights
This immersive walking tour begins at the heart of Paris on the Île de la Cité, in the shadow of Notre Dame, where we uncover the origins of Gothic architecture and how wine helped shape and restore the cathedral. Winding through hidden side streets, the stories shared evoke a tangible spirit of place—connecting you to Paris as it once was. From the Roman Baths at the Hôtel de Cluny to medieval centres of learning like La Sorbonne and the Collège de France, each stop deepens that sense of continuity through time. History unfolds at St-Étienne-du-Mont, the Panthéon, and remnants of the Philippe Auguste Wall. The rue Mouffetard, once a medieval market route, still pulses with life, echoing its past. The journey ends at Paris' Roman Arena and a hidden vineyard once owned by the 12th-century Abbaye St-Victor—where Roman roots and medieval traditions quietly endure. You’ll toast this living history with a glass of organic sparkling wine, feeling a lasting connection to the soul of Paris.
Inclusions
What's included
- A glass of sparkling wine, or juice for the abstemious or under age.
What's not
- Participants must make their own way to the meeting point and for the return.
Itinerary
Join us on a comprehensive overview of Medieval and Roman Paris, and discover how wine built Paris and how gothic architecture owes its existence to wine. Starting at the epicentre of the city on the Île de la Cité and Notre Dame, we learn the real beginning of the gothic style and how wine built and restored Notre Dame. We don't visit Notre Dame, but it is here we begin our tale of Roman and Medieval Paris.
The oldest tree in Paris can be found in this square. We also recount the story of Saint Julien le Pauvre, who murdered his parents, but still became a saint...
We don't enter this Byzantine style church, but admire it from the outside.
This church was originally frequented by students of the Sorbonne University.
The ruins of the Roman baths can be seen on the Saint Michel side of the Cluny Museum. The Cluny Museum itself has one of the world's most comprehensive collections of Medieval artefacts, including the tapestry series of 'The Lady and the Unicorn'.
We stop by the statue of Michel de Montaigne (who famously invented the essay) to recount the history of La Sorbonne University.
We pass by the statue of Dante Alighieri, the College de France, the Clos Bruneau, the Placette Jacqueline de Romilly, the Ecole Polytechnique and the Montagne Saint-Genevieve before reaching the Church of Saint-Etienne-du-Mont where we talk about the stain glass and 'Midnight in Paris'.
The Pantheon, which was once a church, became a mausoleum for 'the great men of France', seven of whom are women. It was also here that Foucault proved the rotation of the Earth with a pendulum.
A vestige of the 12th century wall of Philippe August can be seen on the rue Clovis. We can also see the Scottish College on the rue Cardinal Lemoine and the address where James Joyce finished writing Ulysses. Farther up the street we also see where Ernest Hemingway lived.
Once surrounded with vines, this square has been a meeting and drinking place since the Middle Ages. The lively, animate atmosphere of this picturesque square has carried on without interruption. It is also where La Pleiade, a group of French writers decided to stop writing in Latin and popularised the idea of writing in French.
On the pedestrian rue Rollin, we pay tribute to Rene Descartes who famously said, 'Dubito, cogito, ergo sum'. We carry on to Paris' Roman Arena, which is nearly 2000 years old. A vineyard called the Clos des Arenes existed here in the Middle Ages and has been revived with vines now planted on three slopes of the gradients that once hosted the thousands of spectators who came here to watch gladiatorial combat and nautical jousting matches.
Cancellation
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.
Reviews
5.0
- 53
- 40
- 30
- 20
- 10
Ratings come from 3 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.
Know before you go
- Meeting point
- We meet by the statue of Charlemagne, which is on the Seine side of the square, to the right when facing Notre Dame. The closest metro is Cite, Cluny la Sorbonne, or RER Saint Michel.
- Pickup
- Everyone meets at the starting point; there is no pickup.
- Ticket type
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Group size
- Up to 20 travellers
- Operated by
- Paris Wine Walks
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
How it compares in Paris
- Its from-price is 43% below the median of the 4664 experiences we list in Paris.
- Its length is typical for the group.
- By number of reviews it ranks 2160 of 4664.
- The operator lists free cancellation on it.
About Paris
Paris pairs grand boulevards and riverside monuments with café terraces, art collections of global stature and neighbourhoods that feel like villages.
The Seine runs through the heart of the city, past the Île de la Cité with Notre-Dame and the Sainte-Chapelle, the long façade of the Louvre and the Musée d'Orsay in its former railway station. Downriver, the Eiffel Tower rises over the Champ de Mars, and the Arc de Triomphe crowns the Champs-Élysées.
Top-ranked sights in Paris: Louvre Museum, Eiffel Tower, 4th Arrondissement.
Special offers in Paris
Was/now prices come from the operator, never from us.
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