Paris 1920: Lost Generation Writers of the Left Bank (Small Group Walking Tour)
- 3 hours
- Free cancellation up to 24h before
- Guided in English
- Instant confirmation
Highlights
There is a famous saying : “Everyone has 2 countries, their own & France”. This was especially true for numerous artists, writers & jazz musicians between the 2 world wars, many of whom flocked to Paris not only for artistic inspiration but also to find themselves. Known as the Lost Generation, these were men & women who had suffered through WW1, a war that had taken 20m lives. They were all between 20 and 30 years old & questioned the old regime as morally bankrupt – seeking to build a new system. Eager to share ideas they would gather in the numerous cafés of the Left Bank. Many of these struggling artists & writers stayed in the area’s cheap hotels or cold-water flats. We will visit the places they lived, worked & partied, bearing in mind that the bohemian Left Bank of starving artists & struggling writers has given way to chic boutiques & high end bistros. Drinks not included in the price. School groups are welcome on this tour - contact us for rates.
Inclusions
What's included
- Local guide
- A tablet is used by the guide to present photo & video documentation, and for reading excerpts of works from each author
What's not
- Transportation to & from meeting point
- Food & beverage not included
Itinerary
We start off in a pleasant café with a short introduction to the Lost Generation authors and their involvement in WW1. Guests are requested to enjoy a cup of coffee while we begin the tour.
We visit the first flat where Ernest Hemingway lived & learn about his early years. We also visit the place where James Joyce finished his masterpiece Ulysses, in the face of much opposition.
We visit the original location of the famed bookstore Shakespeare & Company, a 2nd home to so many of the Lost Generation writers - Hemingway, Pound, Stein & most especially Joyce.
We visit the homes of the Lost Generation authors around the Luxembourg gardens : Man Ray, William Faulkner, Hemingway (again)
We end the tour in one of the famed Montparnasse cafés, where all the Lost Generation writers came to party back in the 1920s. Guests are invited to enjoy a drink while we discuss the Fitzgeralds & their tragic end; Ezra Pound, with his outstanding talent & his despicable political views; then the controversial Gertrude Stein.
Cancellation
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.
Reviews
4.7
- 531
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Ratings come from 35 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
- Meeting point is in front of the Café la Contrescarpe, on the Place Contrescarpe
- Pickup
- Everyone meets at the starting point; there is no pickup.
- Ticket type
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Group size
- Up to 8 travellers
- Operated by
- Visit the Hidden Paris
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Please note that I have been vaccinated (5x)
How it compares in Paris
- Its from-price is 32% below the median of the 4664 experiences we list in Paris.
- Its length is typical for the group.
- By number of reviews it ranks 797 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.
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