Food and drink Paris, France

Medieval and Roman Paris

5.0 (3 reviews) 2 h 15 min Free cancellation

out of 5

3 reviews

5.0

Medieval and Roman Paris — Photos: the activity supplier, via Viator

Medieval and Roman Paris, photo 2 — Photos: the activity supplier, via Viator

About this activity

This immersive walking tour begins at the heart of Paris on the Île de la Cité, in the shadow of Notre Dame, where we uncover the origins of Gothic architecture and how wine helped shape and restore the cathedral.

Winding through hidden side streets, the stories shared evoke a tangible spirit of place—connecting you to Paris as it once was. From the Roman Baths at the Hôtel de Cluny to medieval centres of learning like La Sorbonne and the Collège de France, each stop deepens that sense of continuity through time.

History unfolds at St-Étienne-du-Mont, the Panthéon, and remnants of the Philippe Auguste Wall. The rue Mouffetard, once a medieval market route, still pulses with life, echoing its past.

The journey ends at Paris' Roman Arena and a hidden vineyard once owned by the 12th-century Abbaye St-Victor—where Roman roots and medieval traditions quietly endure. You’ll toast this living history with a glass of organic sparkling wine, feeling a lasting connection to the soul of Paris.

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At a glance

Duration: 2 h 15 min
Confirmation: Instant confirmation
Ticket: Mobile or paper ticket accepted
Group: Up to 20 people
People per booking: 1–20
Guide: English, French
Operated by: Paris Wine Walks

Ages: Children (0–17 years) · Adults (18–101 years)

What is included

Included

Included: A glass of sparkling wine, or juice for the abstemious or under age.

Not included

Not included: Private transportation: Participants must make their own way to the meeting point and for the return.

Itinerary

Cathedrale Notre-Dame de Paris

15 min

Join us on a comprehensive overview of Medieval and Roman Paris, and discover how wine built Paris and how gothic architecture owes its existence to wine. Starting at the epicentre of the city on the Île de la Cité and Notre Dame, we learn the real beginning of the gothic style and how wine built and restored Notre Dame. We don't visit Notre Dame, but it is here we begin our tale of Roman and Medieval Paris.
Square Rene Viviani

10 min

The oldest tree in Paris can be found in this square. We also recount the story of Saint Julien le Pauvre, who murdered his parents, but still became a saint...
Eglise Saint Julien Le Pauvre

5 min

We don't enter this Byzantine style church, but admire it from the outside.
Eglise Saint-Severin

5 min

This church was originally frequented by students of the Sorbonne University.
Musee De Cluny

10 min

The ruins of the Roman baths can be seen on the Saint Michel side of the Cluny Museum. The Cluny Museum itself has one of the world's most comprehensive collections of Medieval artefacts, including the tapestry series of 'The Lady and the Unicorn'.
La Sorbonne

10 min

We stop by the statue of Michel de Montaigne (who famously invented the essay) to recount the history of La Sorbonne University.
Eglise De Saint-etienne-du-mont

15 min

We pass by the statue of Dante Alighieri, the College de France, the Clos Bruneau, the Placette Jacqueline de Romilly, the Ecole Polytechnique and the Montagne Saint-Genevieve before reaching the Church of Saint-Etienne-du-Mont where we talk about the stain glass and 'Midnight in Paris'.
Pantheon

10 min

The Pantheon, which was once a church, became a mausoleum for 'the great men of France', seven of whom are women. It was also here that Foucault proved the rotation of the Earth with a pendulum.
Wall of Philip II Augustus

15 min

A vestige of the 12th century wall of Philippe August can be seen on the rue Clovis. We can also see the Scottish College on the rue Cardinal Lemoine and the address where James Joyce finished writing Ulysses. Farther up the street we also see where Ernest Hemingway lived.
Place de la Contrescarpe

10 min

Once surrounded with vines, this square has been a meeting and drinking place since the Middle Ages. The lively, animate atmosphere of this picturesque square has carried on without interruption. It is also where La Pleiade, a group of French writers decided to stop writing in Latin and popularised the idea of writing in French.
Arenes de Lutece

20 min

On the pedestrian rue Rollin, we pay tribute to Rene Descartes who famously said, 'Dubito, cogito, ergo sum'. We carry on to Paris' Roman Arena, which is nearly 2000 years old. A vineyard called the Clos des Arenes existed here in the Middle Ages and has been revived with vines now planted on three slopes of the gradients that once hosted the thousands of spectators who came here to watch gladiatorial combat and nautical jousting matches.

Meeting point and pickup

Everyone meets at the meeting point.

Meeting point

We meet by the statue of Charlemagne, which is on the Seine side of the square, to the right when facing Notre Dame. The closest metro is Cite, Cluny la Sorbonne, or RER Saint Michel.