Liberation of Paris – WW2

To mark the 72nd anniversary of the liberation of Paris, we offer you the possibility to  enjoy our last tour about Paris under the German occupation. The occupation would last for 4 years from June the 14th 1940 when the germans entered Paris , to the 25th of August 1944 when Paris was liberated.

When Paris Went Dark …

Your Licensed English Speaking Guide will pick you up in front of your hotel or apartment in a private, luxury vehicle. Before starting the tour, he will give you a complete introduction to the occupation of France during 4 years. Thanks to his photos album he will make history come alive. You will begin your tour with the Arc of Triomphe and the Champs  Elysees where the Germans entered on June the 14th 1940 with no resistance. Eight days later, France accepted defeat along with foreign occupation. Parisians were stunned, humiliated and curious to see how the Germans will treat them.

Paris under the German Occupation : 

Your professional guide specialized in World War II, will share with you all the secrets of Paris during this tragic and sad period. Discover the everyday life during the Occupation where military installations, trafic signs were in German, cinemas and theaters reserved for the Wehrmacht. Your guide will tell you somber stories of life in Paris under the occupation (razzias, deportations, executions, collaboration, denunciation) and you will learn about the plight of the Jews and the round ups. Explore the Jewish quarter by foot and the famous rue des Rosiers. Discover the Gestapo Headquarter on the 8th arrondissement were hundreds, if not thousands of resistance fighters and other hapless victims of the Nazi Occupation were tortured and condemned to die, the Majestic Hotel (german blockhouse)

Paris and the French Resistance :

Learn about the story of the resistance and listen to some many poignant and revealing stories and the heroic acts of ordinary people under the Occupation. Your guide will point out some important buildings of the Resistance (Place Denfert Rochereau where is located the French resistance headquarter and where the 2^nd Armored Division entered Paris, acclaimed by the population) and plaques on walls that recalled executions. You will also  discover the locations of street battles between German forces and members of the French resistance.

The Liberation of Paris :

Thanks to your guide you will relive the last days of the liberation and you will discover how Paris was saved from bombing. On 22 August Paris was covered with barricades and it tooks a week to liberate the capital. Paris was first liberated by the Parisians and the first building occupied by the resitance was the Police Prefecture in front of Notre Dame Cathedral. You will learn what happened  to collaborators, and the . Discover numerous bullet holes all over the city, learn about the Meurice Hotel  (German headquarter where the General von Choltitz surrendered), the City Hall of Paris (where Charles de Gaulle greeted the crowd from the balcony and made his famous speech on the 25th August 1944 «  Paris liberated ! Liberated by its people with the help of the French armies »), the Lutetia Hotel (after the defeat of Germany, the hotel became a repatriation center for survivors of the concentration camps) and so much more … At the conclusion of the tour, your guide will drop you back at your hotel, or wherever you wish, in Paris.

Category : Thematic tours

Tags: Liberation, WW2