Taking a Historical Walk Through Paris with Context Travel

I really like walking tours. Very long time readers know I at all times advocate doing them very first thing whenever you’re in a metropolis. It doesn’t matter the sort you do. Meals, historical past, artwork – no matter! Simply do one thing. They’re an unimaginable technique to study a vacation spot, get your bearings, and discuss to an area about life within the metropolis. (Plus, you possibly can ask your native guidefor recommendations on eating places, sights, or how you can navigate the town! Win-win!)

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

Context was based in 2003 and I’ve been utilizing and recommending them since 2010 once I first stumbled throughout certainly one of their excursions in Rome. I walked with an artwork historian across the Vatican, the place I not solely discovered concerning the Vatican itself, however the tales behind the artwork. Since then, I’ve completed numerous excursions with them.

What has at all times set Context aside is that fairly than use common individuals educated as guides, they use consultants (these with MA- or PhD-level levels!) of their fields to guide 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 knowledgeable of their subject would know.

Throughout a current journey to Paris, I did Context’s Paris WWII History Tour. Now, I do know lots about Paris. I’ve been visiting for 15 years, lived there for a brief interval, have most likely completed over 50 excursions there, and have learn so many books on the 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 across the Twenties (I love the Jazz Age!) and medieval instances. I don’t know lots about World Conflict II Paris. Positive, I do know some issues from my common 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 essential time interval in current Paris historical past.

The tour takes you from St. Germain by way of 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 knowledgeable 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 consultants.) He knew all types of arcane particulars and introduced an iPad stuffed with photographs and first hand materials.

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

As we walked, we stopped at buildings that have been used throughout the conflict (the present Mandarin Oriental lodge was once the Gestapo headquarters…creepy), and mentioned how ultimately 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 received to the Lodge de Ville (metropolis corridor) and the grand finale as Parisians and Resistance fighters liberated the 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 discovered lots.

And that’s why I Context Journey. You actually get minute particulars and information and a deep dive. There are tons of strolling tour firms on the market – and I like to recommend all kinds – however Context has at all times 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 here are educated consultants 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’re 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 lined. Plus, additionally they have full-day and half-day excursions you possibly can take in addition to day journeys exterior Paris.

It had been awhile since I’d completed certainly one of their excursions and I’m tremendous glad that the standard that I fell in love with remains to be there. Context primarily runs personal excursions, that means they’re good for a gaggle of individuals or households on the lookout for a non-public tour, however additionally they have quite a few excursions the place you possibly can be a part of present teams. And, when you simply need to do your individual factor, they’ve a ton of audio excursions to select from too. They function in 70+ cities and canopy every part from all of the well-known locations you need to see to distinctive off-the-beaten-path locations.

I’ve cherished them since I began utilizing them and, within the final couple of years, they’ve expanded lots so I need to re-highlight Context Travel as an organization to make use of in your subsequent journey. Undoubtedly contemplate them on your subsequent journey.
 

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