Walk Paris Like a Flaneur

"A flâneur originally was an urban stroller, who was passionate about observation, and who experienced their surroundings as if they were in an art gallery or a museum."

Faith Bleasdale at The Weekend Walk Show has suggestions for real-world and virtual Paris walks.

A flaneur (a 19th century Paris term) is the romantic notion of a slow walker, who wanders about the streets of the city in no hurry and with no fixed destination. A flâneur originally was an urban stroller, who was passionate about observation, and who experienced their surroundings as if they were in an art gallery or a museum. Because it originated in Paris, it was applied to meandering the city watching and learning about urban life. Since the 19th century, it has been rolled out to other cities, countries and can even be applied to any surroundings.

The history of the flâneur is entwined with the changing nature of 19th century Paris. As its narrow streets became crowd-filled boulevards, public parks were opened and covered shopping arcades sprung up, city life became something to observe and enjoy. The terms was initially coined as an insult – the idea that the flâneur was a lazy, idle figure with nothing useful to do, however, literature transformed it to represent an elite and refined person – a gentleman with enough leisure time to wander around and observe his surroundings.

The Weekend Walk Show, which I edit on Substack, has more suggestions for you.

 Paris Walks on Substack – Real and Virtual

The Earful Tower: Over 12,000 people tune into The Earful Tower podcast and Substack newsletter with Oliver Gee on a regular basis. We do too. If you want an insider’s view of the best flaneur-style strolls in the city, this is it. https://theearfultower.substack.com

Paris By Night: This is a YouTube video from HP Walking Tours which takes you back to 13th century streets, by night – and allows you to admire the patisseries, even when they’re shut. People-watching with their camera and commentary (or subtitles) is private. And – you can do it on your walk pad.

Faith Bleasdale

Faith Bleasdale grew up in Devon, studied History at Bristol University and then moved to London. After sampling a huge variety of jobs, she decided that she would put her passion for writing to good use. She has lived in London, Bristol, Brighton, and Singapore but moved home to Devon, which is where she grew up to have her son. Her son, who is the light of her life, has Down’s Syndrome and Autism so a big passion of Faith's is working for awareness and acceptance. She writes fiction under her own name and also Rachel Wells. As Rachel Wells she is the author of the Alfie The Doorstep Cat Series. She writes full time.

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