A vestige of the 13th arrondissement‘s working-class, artisanal past, the Passage Bourgoin is today one of the small, bucolic, discreet and unspoilt wonders of southern Paris. Overgrown with vegetation, lined with charming little houses and inhabited by a certain picturesque soul, it combines all the attributes that make a charming alley. We present it to you.
Passage Bourgoin, the 13th arrondissement’s best-kept secret
With their ancient village past, neighborhoods on the outskirts of Paris are full of little nuggets that bear witness to the historic and bucolic character of their surroundings. In the south of Paris, these enchanted alleys are legion, and we’ve told you about them many times before. Rue des Thermopyles, Square de Montsouris, Villa Santos Dumont: cobbled, leafy lanes are just some of the gems we love to share. Today, we’re heading for the 13th arrondissement, more precisely between Rue Nationale and Rue du Château des Rentiers, where the pretty Passage Bourgoin is located.
Unknown and intimate, this cobbled alley contrasts with the surrounding urban landscape, which underwent major transformations in the 1960s. Along the 150-metre passage Bourgoin, you’ll discover a number of small houses, shacks and courtyards facing each other in an almost religious atmosphere. Indeed, it’s the peaceful character of this little street that takes us so far from the hustle and bustle of Paris. A rare, flat calm in which one could almost engage in metaphysical reflections without being disturbed for a moment.
Another feature of this timeless charm is the lush greenery that seems to have reclaimed its rightful place in the maze. Over fences, climbing up facades or growing in small gardens, vegetation is everywhere, offering us a rural interlude in the heart of Parisian pavement. A “place of memory, charm and breathing space”, the Passage Bourgoin owes its condition and survival to its inhabitants, who have fought decade after decade against urban development plans and maintained the harmony of the alley.
All in all, a visit to this authentic haven of peace is almost a must if you’re passing through the neighborhood… It’s up to you!
Passage Bourgoin – Access via 32 bis, rue Nationale and 41, rue du Château des Rentiers, 75013