Taking a Historical Walk Through Paris with Context Travel

I like strolling excursions. Very long time readers know I all the time advocate doing them very first thing once you’re in a metropolis. It doesn’t matter the kind you do. Meals, historical past, artwork – no matter! Simply do one thing. They’re an unbelievable strategy to study a vacation spot, get your bearings, and discuss to a neighborhood about life within the metropolis. (Plus, you’ll be able to ask your native guidefor recommendations on eating places, points of interest, or learn how to navigate town! Win-win!)

I’ve been taking strolling excursions since my first backpacking journey in 2006 after I joined a hostel’s free strolling tour round Prague. I used to be hooked and, through the years, I’ve taken a whole lot upon a whole lot of excursions run by dozens upon dozens of corporations. There are tons of strolling tour corporations on the market, however one in all my favorites is Context Travel.

Context was based in 2003 and I’ve been utilizing and recommending them since 2010 after I first stumbled throughout one in all their excursions in Rome. I walked with an artwork historian across the Vatican, the place I not solely realized in regards to the Vatican itself, however the tales behind the artwork. Since then, I’ve accomplished numerous excursions with them.

What has all the time set Context aside is that quite than use common individuals educated as guides, they use specialists (these with MA- or PhD-level levels!) of their fields to steer you round. This manner, you get somebody who actually is aware of w hat they’re speaking about. You get somebody who can share the little particulars that solely an professional of their discipline would know.

Throughout a current journey to Paris, I did Context’s Paris WWII History Tour. Now, I do know quite a bit about Paris. I’ve been visiting for 15 years, lived there for a brief interval, have in all probability accomplished over 50 excursions there, and have learn so many books on town that I typically really feel like I’m finding out for a level in Paris historical past.

However my curiosity within the metropolis is based totally across the Nineteen Twenties (I like the Jazz Age!) and medieval occasions. I don’t know quite a bit about World Warfare II Paris. Certain, I do know some issues from my basic research, however I don’t know quite a lot of particular information, so I used to be excited to take this tour to study an vital time interval in current Paris historical past.

The tour takes you from St. Germain via the Luxembourg Gardens over to the Latin Quarter then as much as Marias earlier than ending on the Lodge de Ville. It chronicles the beginning of the Nazi occupation, day by day life throughout this time, the resistance motion, what occurred to the Jews, and, lastly, liberation. (It lasts about three hours.)

As I discussed earlier than, what makes Context Travel so particular are the professional guides and my information, Gil, was no exception. He’d been in France for near twenty years, has a level in politics and literature, and had been a information for over a decade. (Word: There’s a few guides that run this tour, and they’re all specialists.) He knew all types of arcane particulars and introduced an iPad crammed with photographs and first hand materials.

We started in St. Germain discussing how the Germans entered Paris so shortly and the way, at first, life remained comparatively the identical as they arrange energy. Native Parisians type of continued their day-to-day life (albeit with restrictions). Since France fell so shortly, the combating by no means acquired to Paris so town was by no means broken.

As we walked, we stopped at buildings that have been used throughout the battle (the present Mandarin Oriental lodge was the Gestapo headquarters…creepy), and mentioned how finally the resistance fashioned and operated within the metropolis. The tour strikes ahead in time as you stroll, and Gil talked about collaborators, the eventual elimination of Jews, and the way bigger French military wins in Africa led to crackdowns within the metropolis. Lastly, we acquired to the Lodge de Ville (metropolis corridor) and the grand finale as Parisians and Resistance fighters liberated town from Nazi rule in August 1944. The images of individuals and first hand paperwork he had actually helped paint the image of life and resistance in WW2 Paris. I walked away feeling like I realized quite a bit.

And that’s why I Context Journey. You actually get minute particulars and info and a deep dive. There are tons of strolling tour corporations on the market – and I like to recommend all kinds – however Context has all the time stood out for the standard of their tour leaders. You aren’t getting a information educated in a script, however somebody with deep subject material information. One in every of my favourite excursions was strolling down NYC’s famed forty second avenue with an award-winning architect. From architects to historians to artists to cooks, the guides listed below are educated specialists and that’s fairly uncommon.

Context is nice for vacationers who need an actual deep dive right into a topic or place. Whether or not you might be doing a tour of the Louvre or a strolling neighborhood tour like this, you’ll get a degree of element not present in different excursions. In any case, with excursions lasting as much as 3 hours, there’s quite a lot of data coated. Plus, additionally they have full-day and half-day excursions you’ll be able to take in addition to day journeys outdoors Paris.

It had been awhile since I’d accomplished one in all their excursions and I’m tremendous glad that the standard that I fell in love with continues to be there. Context primarily runs personal excursions, which means they’re good for a bunch of individuals or households in search of a personal tour, however additionally they have plenty of excursions the place you’ll be able to be a part of current teams. And, when you simply wish to do your individual factor, they’ve a ton of audio excursions to select from too. They function in 70+ cities and canopy all the things from all of the well-known locations you wish to see to distinctive off-the-beaten-path locations.

I’ve beloved them since I began utilizing them and, within the final couple of years, they’ve expanded quite a bit so I wish to re-highlight Context Travel as an organization to make use of in your subsequent journey. Undoubtedly take into account them to your subsequent journey.