Christmas Mystery in the Covered Passages of Paris

Your guide needs your help! To find the holiday treat lost in the covered passages, your children will have to solve the Christmas game. They will follow clues to find magical numbers. Each magical number will unlock the next clue. Your guide will be by your side the entire way to drop hints when necessary and to inform you about the rich history that every passage conceals. Firstly, what are the covered passages? Archways appeared in Paris at the end of the 18th century and mostly during the 19th. Built like Arabian souks (traditional marketplaces) with skylights as roofs, they allowed people to do shopping sheltered from the rain, in a place gathering different types of businesses. It was the new public place to be. And decked out for the holiday season in Christmas lights and décor, it still is! Your Christmas scavenger hunt will start at the covered archways of the Palais Royal. Admire the architecture of this decadent location while your kids locate the first magical number. Next, head to the Passages des Deux-Pavillons. This passage may be the smallest passage of them all, but beware, as it could hold the biggest of secrets!

One of the so-called ‘twin passages,’ your youngsters will have to look past its stylish ornamentation, twinkling with holiday lights, to find the next number.

In the second ‘twin passage,’ your guide will tell you all about the historical moments that have taken place here. Amongst all the stories and the neo-classical Pompeian style, will you be able to find the next magical number?

Your little sleuths will step back in time to many Christmases past when they step into the Passage des Panoramas. Built in 1799, there is much history (and many hints!) to discover.

Travel through time again and enter the next passage; Passage Jouffroy was built in the late 19th century, but was renovated in the 1980s. The juxtaposition of modern glass and metal structures, much older wooden décor, and Christmas garlands will surround you as you search for the next number.

Finally, head to Passage Verdeau to find your last magical number. Be quick, before your Christmas treat is lost forever! With the location unlocked, you’ve almost completed your mission! Go to the shop indicated by your guide and find your well-earned reward! Congratulations: you have defeated the Christmas mystery! With the scavenger hunt completed, sit back and relax with a warm drink and your guide. Take this time to reflect on your family scavenger hunt, marvel at the Christmas lights all around you as you enjoy the holiday spirit with your family, or ask the local in front of you about other secrets you can uncover in Paris during your stay.