Heart of Gold
The 18th arrondissement is no longer the Marais, but it is already Montmartre! And it is at the foot of the hill that the Goutte d’Or is hiding with its lively streets and their breathtaking and surprising views of the Sacré-Cœur itself! Because if you are wondering where to walk in Paris away from tourists, you have to take a look at this unusual district lying between Barbès, Château rouge and the 19th arrondissement.
The Goutte d’Or (literally, the ‘Golden Drop’) has historically always been a district of migration –first national, then European and finally from Africa– to nowadays become one of the most authentic ones in Paris, as well as one of the very few to somehow still resist gentrification. You can find there a multitude of nationalities and cultures that make the district manifold with an original and colourful bubbling mix nowhere else to be seen in Paris. It is also a place for the city to experiment on the social level –with many citizen groups– as well as on the architectural one –with a lot of buildings of remarkable shapes. Not to mention the local private initiatives that in a very short time have shaken up the small world of Paris fashion and design, as many young creative minds gather in the Goutte d’Or looking for low rents, but also and above all for a specific neo-Parisian, modern and mixed atmosphere and lifestyle.
Your guide Frederic has lived in this constantly mutating district for more than 2 years and invites you to a unique guided tour as a personal itinerary focused on the different evolutions of the place since its connection to the district of Montmartre to create the 18th arrondissement. Following his experience in architecture, but also his will to find back the people that hide behind the city, Frederic talks about a façade or a cup of mint tea with the same passion and will help you peel off the ‘rough’ label that has been sticking to the Goutte d’Or for many years. You should therefore not be surprised to discover with him the largest open-air African market outside Africa, some contemporary building of elegant simplicity or even a workplace to recycle orphan socks!
Highlights of your guided tour:
– Fall for the wax and admire the displays of the many shops selling this colourful cloth!
– Have a sip of mint tea of bissap juice in a hidden courtyard!
– Enjoy the largest open-air street art expo in Paris!
– Follow the steps of Emile Zola’s heroes from the novel “L’Assommoir” (“The Drinking Den”)!
Price
200€ from 1 to 10 pax
250€ from 11 to 15 pax
TheWaysBeyond is a signatory to the Caring Attitude charter of the Paris Tourist Office.
In this sense, the guided walking tour “Paris Differently, at the Goutte d’Or” complies with current health and safety instructions, with the guide wearing a face mask and respecting physical distancing practices and other government-recommended preventive measures.Participants are asked to please wear a mask and respect physical distancing practices when walking together on the tour.