In Paris, tour guides show the city through the history of minorities

Wrapped up in a blue puffer jacket, Anna, 26, a medical student from Rennes (northwestern France), stomped her feet in front of the Moulin-Rouge, blowing on her hands. A small group of 15 or so had woken up on a Saturday morning in January to take part in the “Black Paris, Right Bank” guided tour. The young woman, who was in Paris for the weekend, had long wanted to take this tour: “I heard about it a while ago on a podcast. It’s a topic that interests me, about which I know very little, so it was the perfect opportunity.” The Black Paris tours – between six and eight a month – are often fully booked several weeks in advance.

Like these, which show visitors the capital through the prism of Black communities, initiatives offering walks around dedicated themes have emerged over the past few years in Paris and other cities. Through the eyes of sometimes forgotten personalities and symbolic places, these tours, open to all, give substance to the often little-known history of different minorities.

Created by tour guide Kévi Donat, the Black Paris tours are the only ones to focus on the living spaces of Black celebrities and people. “I became a guide somewhat by chance in 2011, after studying political sciences in Rennes. I started this project in 2013 in response to questions from foreign tourists wondering why we didn’t talk more about diversity issues in classic guided tours,” he said.

Three different tours are offered, on the Left Bank, the Right Bank and along the Seine, and he has just added a podcast, in collaboration with the Foundation for the Remembrance of Slavery, as well as conferences. This desire to talk about Paris in a different way is also what drives Doina Craciun, co-founder of Queer Tours France in 2023. “We’re offering four tours,” she said. “One around the monuments of Paris tells the queer story behind, for example, the Hôtel de Ville, where homosexual people were condemned to the stake in the 18^th century. Another, in the Marais neighborhood, focuses on more recent LGBT+ struggles.” There are also two itineraries, one in the Louvre and the other in the Père-Lachaise cemetery.

Lots of fantasies

For this experienced tour guide, who worked for many years in traditional tourism companies, these tours meet a genuine demand: “Agencies are realizing the financial potential of minority history,” she said. “Some of them are trying to create tours, but at the same time, when it’s a niche subject, it remains drowned in the rest of what’s on offer. It’s much more about getting money from the LGBT+ public than getting involved by creating inclusive tours.”

You have 29.95% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.