THE SMALLEST STREET IN PARIS
Tiny street located in the district on a small hill that, until the century, was known as Mont Orgueilleux
It's a little street that's not worth a detour for the buildings that line it, or for any particular activity, but because rue des Degrés is the smallest in Paris: its name isn't due to any micro-climate, but rather to the 14 steep steps (known as degrees of inclination) linking rue de Cléry to rue Beauregard, which make up the whole of this thoroughfare. However, you won't be able to meet any of the inhabitants of this tiny street, as the last door opening onto this passage was bricked up in the 17th century. So why such a steep staircase? Because the district is located on a small hill which, until the 15th century, was known as Mont Orgueilleux! I'll leave you to make the comparison with the rue Montorgueil just a few steps away... Yet there's nothing proud about this elevation, which was located behind the Charles V enclosure that ran alongside the rue de Cléry and rue d'Aboukir. Even less so when you consider that the Parisians themselves created this elevation by dumping their rubble and refuse on it! Times have changed, and today this district is one of the most sought-after! Once you've climbed the steps of this street, you'll be able to read a sign installed by the city of Paris reminding us that on this very spot, on the morning of January 21, 1793, Baron de Batz and a few men tried to save King Louis XVI from his sad fate, but were unable to change the course of history..
Book the Best Activities with Get Your Guide
Members' reviews on THE SMALLEST STREET IN PARIS
