Hidden Paris: 7 Places Even Guidebooks Miss
By Hafid Assaoui · 2026-07-01
A licensed Paris guide shares 7 hidden places most guidebooks miss — the Roman arena, Passage Jouffroy, the Promenade Plantée, and other quiet corners.
Every Paris guidebook lists the same 40 sites. Here are seven we save for clients who have already ticked those boxes. 1. Arènes de Lutèce — the Roman arena in the Latin Quarter A 1st-century amphitheatre buried under Paris until 1869, when road works uncovered it. Today it is a public park where locals play pétanque on the sand where gladiators once fought. Entrance on Rue Monge. 2. Passage Jouffroy — the covered arcade with the wax museum O…