Passage du Grand-Cerf

In the Montorgueil district, this covered passage is admired for its unusually high glazed roof, which floods the walkway with daylight and creates an airy sense of space. Dating from the 1820s, it has been restored and now shelters design studios, jewellers, craft workshops and small boutiques behind its wrought-iron balconies and vintage shopfronts. Less crowded than the grander arcades, it retains an artisanal, creative atmosphere. The intricate metalwork spanning the upper levels is among the finest of the surviving Paris passages.