Paris WW2 The German Occupation Small group or Private tour
Description
Led by one of the top guides in Paris who is an expert in this field, this is a premium small group tour with limited numbers to maintain high quality You WILL be able Interact and discuss the subjects with your guide at all times unlike generic large group tours that most companies run ! A tour for people who want to gain a broader and deeper understanding of the Occupation of Paris that exposes and breaks stereotypes and idea`s that stood for over 70 years after it`s end and tells them the TRUE story! From Collaboration, to resistance, to Liberation. This is the REAL story On this tour we ask WHY not just where and when?! Learn why for the French this period is often referred to as 'les annees noir' or the dark years but also hear stories of incredible bravery as ordinary people risked their lives to fight back and save those of others This tour Itinerary remains flexible
Tour Options
Itinerary
IMPORTANT The Information written above under "WHAT TO EXPECT " is NOT written by me and is INCORRECT It is written by VIATOR using what seems to be AI and It just makes things up we don't even do ! WE DO NOT MEET AT THE TUILERIES METRO nor do we visit any cinemas or Maxims usually or go to the SHOAH MEMROIAL on the GENERAL GROUP tour or finish the tour in the Marais UNLESS this has been REQUESTED as part of a Private Shoah tour We actually meet at the Palais Royal Metro Exit 5 on Place Collette opposite the Comedie Francaise Theatre We then proceed to visit the surrounding area between the Louvre to the and Place de La Concorde to the West and the streets around which includes a collection of Important sites linked to all aspects of the Occcupation ThIs Information can be found under "MEETING POINT " and the CORRECT overview information under the numbered points below this so PLEASE IGNORE "WHAT TO EXPECT" and make sure to read all these instead Thanks everyone!
There is no totally fixed Generic Itinerary on this tour It focuses on QUALITY so the number of sites we visit may vary from tour to tour as I allow people to ask questions in more depth and spend longer at certain sites if they particularly interest them I will list selection of the sites in the area we do usually visit below though This Is not like visiting a museum where everything Is laid out chronologically or a set of landmarks telling the story of one area of Paris Its a story that took place all over a large City In a unique 4yr period As we have only a few hours I try to give you the best snapshot I can In the time we have of WHY people behaved thé way they did and the context directing their behaviour French and German and Foreign Its more about people than places , with the places being the stage for the actors So we çan go from looking at a Innocuous door that people walk past every day to a grand hôtel liké thé Meurice or Ritz All are part of the story equally
It Is around this area and Its streets that we will find many significant sites I let people have some flexibility , ask questions and don't rush them Amongst the sites we MAY visit are The first secret HQ of the Gestapo in Paris The HQ of Frances largest collaborationist group the PPF and their leader The Louvre (Exterior) The Hotel Meurice German Army HQ for Paris The Place Vendome - Site of the Ritz hotel (Chanel lved here the Anti-Nazis in the German forces met here and where the Final Solution was first introduced to France) The Societe Maurice Duclos- the secret site of the very first Allied Spy network in France and radio The Continental Hotel - Important German Army controlled hotel Rue Rouget de L'isle -Where the organic French Reisistance really began in October 1940 Jeu de Paume - where the Nazis stored, processed and looted art before being sent to Germany Place de La Concorde- Many secret and visible scars from the fighting for the Liberation of Paris
It is around this area that our tour will end The tour time can be between 3-3.5 hrs As mentioned above on this monumental square, origianlly Place Louis XV when it was completed in the 18th Century just years before the French Revolution , we will see many monumental buildings and landmarks of Paris's history as well as the occupation Louis XVI and Marie Antionette both faced the Guillotine here The huge twin Naval Ministry and Hotel Crillon both Important German HQs during the war The Grand Palais the largest freestanding building in Paris and only one actually destroyed during the occupation and Liberation The bullet holes and hidden scars of the Liberation The famous Obelisk from Luxor I am happy to chat and answer all your questions My tours are all SMALL groups or Private ,high quality and personable where everyone gets to talk with me and be Involved and I also ask you questions too ! Please see the window below for more information on Holocaust specific tours
The Shoah/ Holocaust is the subject I most often find people may have a more specific interest In On the General tour we do talk about it of course but there Is not the time to delve so deeply. In my view and experIence it is a subject that requires a whole tour devoted solely to it to come near to giving it the justice It deserves To claim to be able to do this on a General tour where there are multiple other subjects I need to discuss would be misleading so I do not On the Genral tour I will discuss the overall currents during the occupation that lead to Implemtation in France of the "Final solution" and the conditons for Jewish people in Paris and occupied France during the 2 years leading up to this and also their role in the resistance But If you want to specifically go deeper I reccomend contact me about a private tour But I am also happy to answer other questions on the Shoah on the General tour In greater depth if you wish but this may take time away from other subjects
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- IMPORTANT ALL TOURS REQUIRE A MINIMUM OF 4 PEOPLE TO RUN
- For this reason bookings made less than 2 weeks before the requested date will usually only be accepted if they meet the minimum required number of people OR the tour already has the minimum required number of people already booked
- Booking requests made 2 weeks or more before a tour may be accepted still even if at the time the tour deosn't have enough people to run This Is because there is still reasonable time for more people to join the tour
- The guide resrves the right to cancel any tour up to 24 hours before if the numbers on the tour fall below the required minimum number Including owing to LATE CANCELLATIONS by people ThIs is unfortunate but does occur and is Inconvinient to both myself and the other remaining people who may now be effected I am NOT a large tour company who provides LARGE group generic Impersonal tours and to whom even multiple late cancellations have no effect as their tours are so large , I am an Individual expert guide who ONLY works with small groups providing higher quality tours So this means I have a very small margin between having and not having enough people on a tour to run It so please be considerate and AVOID cancelling within 72 hours of a tour unless due to an emergency or medical reason even though a refund Is still available up to 24 hrs before of course
- The right to cancel a tour that falls below the minimum number of people is exclusive of cancellations due to so called "Acts of God," Force Majeur and Medical or health related reasons for which a tour may be cancelled at any point Obviously this does NOT occur very often
- All cancellations made for whatever reason by the guide themself ,even within 24 hours of a tour are of course subject to a FULL refund
- The guide does not take cancelling tours lightly , especially at short notice and will only do so for the reasons listed above However they wil also propose an alternative date when doing so or see if there is a solution to enable the tour to still run if possible
- If a booking request has been accepted and by 3-5 days before the minimum number of people has still not been met the guide will contact the guests to notify them and discuss possible solutions If the tour remains below ther minimum number required
Reviews(139)
I was very lucky to arrange a private history lesson with Chris. He is amazing. We could have talked for 10 hours! He knows it all!
This tour was a highlight of our visit to Paris! We thought we knew a lot about Paris during WWII but the depth of his knowledge was amazing! We learned about the “back story “ between the French (and the French Police) and the Nazis, their relationship and what happened between them. I feel we heard so much that we wouldn’t have been able to read about. I am obsessed with Paris in the 1940’s and the tour really put a framework around the history of our family who lived here - and left- at that time. The tour is excellent for people who are interested in that time period!
Thank you so much Drue It was a pleasure to spend the time with you from start to begginng and I really appreciatte you taking the time to leave this review as well Only around a 3rd of people who tell me they loved the tour end up leaving a review , whereas unfortunatiely 100% of the small minoriity of people who do not waste zero time jumping In here to leave a negtive review and cast untruths which can be disheartening It shows how ludicrous these peoples comments can be to rationalise their own pride , .apparently everything I told one person could have easily been found In a texbook ,, yet you , someone with actual vast knowledge of the period and years of passion for its history who I know has read many many books says you learnt t so much you woudn't have been able to read about in a text book .... !!?? I am also not a large tour conpany and one anonymous guide out of dozens you coud be doing the tour with I am a freelance expert guide so I do everything myself and put a lot of energy and effort into every single tour i do I try to contact every person before so I know the name of EVRYONE on my tours and a little bit of backgroud infomation because I care to know People on my tours are not a reservation number or bar code on a reservation paper to me ,I like to know who they are before and why they want to take the tour I was really Impressed with your knowledge and passion for this subject and eagenrness to learn the TRUE story As I said at the beggining my aim is not to please people on the tour with a simplisitc good guy/ bad guy story though there were plenty of them .... .I'm not there to just tell them some more stories that simply confirm and add to what they already thought they knew and then showing them some buildings just for photo ops No my aim is to increase peoples UNDERSTANDING of what REALLY happened and WHY things happened And this means challenging the long standing and highly pervasive but simplistic and totally Incomplete and unbalanced narratuves that people were taught or hold And this Is NOT for everyone I see people who run 2hr tours and claim not only to tell the story of the occupation but to answer peoples questions about a whole range of subjects ! Trust me they are not It Is IMPOSSIBLE In 2hrs All they are doing is giving people a superficial story that goes along with the simplistic and unbalanced narrative people already had going into the tour about the NAZIS in Paris, the Resistance and the Shoah They just give people MORE of the SAME and people go away feeling good because it always does to have your pr- existing views reinforced by additional new examples and information I do the OPPOSITE my aim if needed which It nearly always Is is to DECONSTUCT the siimplistoic narrtaives many people have been sold and told and the reconstruct It brick by brick with the truth And this Is not for everyone , as It requires people to think and CHANGE the way they saw things which can be unconfortable at the same time as It us fascinating IF you are open to learning If your reading this and just want to hear more of the same of what you read in your Faction books and get some photos of buildings then my tour Is not for you And yes I know this Is why I do get these occosianal wildly out if sync negtive reveiwslike t I received earlier this week I do expect them from time to time and I understand if my tour was not for everyone but they still hurt becasue they always seem to follow the exact same pattern where they just have to go beyond and start misrepresenting what occurred then sadly often end upeven lying So thank you so much just for having an open mind, an open heart and an eagerness and with It humility to learn even though you did have a lot of knowledge about this period yourself It was a pleasure and I am glad I can stay Im touch and send you more information directly as we discussed Best wishes and stay cool!
Chris's knowledge of the history of the German Occupation was encyclopedic matched only by his enthusiasm for presenting the material. He went beyond the scope of what we anticipated and his presentation was endlessly informative and entertaining. We would recommend this guide and this tour to anyone interested in this subject. Absolutely excellent! John and Beth
The guide gave us a lecture for 2 hours+ rather than a walking tour with information. . His information was not concentrated on the topic at hand until we spoke up. He obviously knows a lot but we did not benefit from his knowledge.
Thanks for the 3 stars Its better than 1 But what a totally weird and untrue account and once again someone Is manipulating the facts to cover up their OWN mistakes , misunderstanding and unfortunately arrogance First : Could you describe the 'topic at hand?" The subject at "hand " was the Occupation of Paris ? That's the title of the tour right ? Oh hold on , wait .....let's see what actually happened? So I had began the tour by explaining why the area we were In was so Important as It was the centre of the German command of and occupation of Paris I then explained the entry of the German forces into Paris and the establishment of the first German Police and SS head quarters? Correct? And their priority In Paris ? Correct? And then division of France following the armistice a week later and why this happened in the way it did ? Correct? We then moved to another location where we could get a better look at the Paris Opera house which I was about to explain the significance and Its use ,why was it a such an Important building to the Germans during the occupation How that helped us to understand the reason behind their occupation? Correct? So It is at this point you"spoke up " But not in the way you are trying to present It... Let's tell the truth... You spoke up to say quote "Isn't this a tour on the Resistance in Paris "? To which I replied ,no that's not the title of the tour , Its called the occupation of Paris so it's about the ENTIRE occupation of the city Check ? At this point you grimaced and furiously scrolled through your phone to check and then went quiet when you realised I was correct! And you were wrong Ouch Forgot to mention this "little" detail above didn't you when writing about your "speaking up"? and why? You found that hard to swallow and got a little bee under your bonnet Now next please explain how talking about the German entry into the City , the setting up of their Headquarters, the arrival of the SS and Gestapo and then the Importance of one of the most significant buildings nearby to where were to them during the occupation on a tour about "THE OCCUPATION OF PARIS" Is NOT " CONCNTRATED ON THE TOPIC AT HAND IE "THE OCCUPATION OF PARIS "!??? Care to explain? Because I have no idea what your on about unless maybe of course in YOUR head you were struggling to come to terms with the fact you were wrong about the title of the tour and therefore the emphasis of the subject matter? I had spoken about ALL this BEFORE you "spoke up" ( and found out you were wrong a about the tour title ) yet apparently it all had nothing to do with the Occupation of Paris and it was only AFTER you "Spoke up" ,that this changed ?!! ??? What is even MORE Ironic in you saying this is the following nugget that has also evaded your memory... Whilst I was attempting to talk about the "topic at hand " IE the occupation of Paris but wasn't apparently ,YOU were speaking over me to another person who had asked a question about a TV series they should watch about events that took place OUTSIDE of Paris ( certainly NOT the topic at hand ?) and continued to have these off topic at hand conversations THROUGHOUT the tour ! So you accuse me of giving Information that was not on the topic to hand , the OCCUPATION of PARIS whilst actually thinking you were on a DIFFERENT tour only to find out you were wrong and then continued to talk over and under me whilst I tried to talk about the topic at hand , the OCCUPATION of PARIS about things that had nothing at all to do with the OCCUPATION of PARIS or the actual "topic at hand ".....! Is this a joke? Look You made a point of telling me you worked In Tourism and emphasized your own "knowledge" .... And it felt straight from the beginning at that you were there more trying to judge me or catch me out rather than learn or listen to what I was saying talking over me ,and showing other people that YOU actually knew better when you didn't So I don't know what type of tour you expected , after all you openly had to accept you thought you were on a different tour then accuse me of not talking about the actual subject the tour WAS about! With your background and "knowledge" this seems It might have been hard to accept so you then psychologically rationalise your own mistake because of your own pride by projecting it on to me as the culprit and cause by ME not taking about the 'topic hand "... Honestly one thing I have learnt over the years from meeting certain people on tours who are disgruntled after Is It is in reality because they have made a mistake and didn't read the tour information correctly or have come along and projected their OWN Idea of what THEY think the tour SHOULD be about or they just don't Intellectually understand nuances or complex interactions make up this history and just want a photo op tour with a few stories about stereotypes but no actual critical historical analysis And instead of accepting this they try to blame me And I have seen the infinite capacity of these people to rationalise and embellish the truth and leave out conveniently little things that don't fit their narrative and and lose them credibility when they go about blaming me in their "review" Its depressing and as someone who puts so much effort into my tours Into going beyond simple narratives to tell people the TRUTH which IS complicated at times and DOES take time I feel really rock bottom So to finish and I say this 100% honestly.. You obviously know a lot but the tour did not benefit from your knowledge It felt the opposite After you left the tour carried on another 90 mins and honestly the atmosphere changed completely , a cloud lifted and we had a great time I'm sorry to say this but it's true
I know negative tour reviews are difficult to write. A guide may be a nice person, and after spending time with them, it can feel uncomfortable to say anything critical. But reviews are only useful to future travelers if people are honest about their experience. Vacation time is valuable, and it is frustrating to spend part of it disappointed because previous reviews did not clearly reflect the experience. This tour has many five-star reviews, but I strongly recommend reading the negative reviews as well, because they accurately describe the issues we experienced. If you are imagining a walking tour through the city, stopping at multiple sites and learning how each location was used during the German occupation or World War II, this is probably not the tour for you. If you want to stand or sit for long stretches while listening to a broad WWII history lecture, then you may enjoy it. The guide is clearly extremely knowledgeable and passionate about the German occupation of France. He would probably be an engaging professor or lecturer. However, as a walking tour guide, we found the experience very disorganized and disappointing. The storytelling jumped around the timeline, repeated the same points many times, and did not connect the history to the actual locations in a meaningful way. We spent about 1.5 hours sitting like students while he talked through general WWII history. He repeatedly said, “I can’t make this any shorter,” but in my opinion, much of what he covered could have been summarized far more efficiently. Most people booking this kind of tour already have a basic understanding of WWII history. They are there to connect that history to the place they are visiting. In the 2.5 hours we stayed with the tour before leaving early, we only stopped at three locations. At one stop, we stood near an empty fountain filled with trash and never learned how or if that specific location was actually used during the war. There were brief mentions of a few buildings used by the Germans, but most of the commentary was general historical information that could easily be found in a textbook. I tried to ask questions and gently redirect the tour toward the locations and their wartime significance, but that did not really work. After reading similar negative reviews going back years, it seems this has been a consistent issue. To be fair, the guide is knowledgeable and passionate. But this was not the walking tour we expected, and it was not a good use of our limited time. We left early because we were not enjoying the experience. For future travelers: if you want a lecture on WWII and the German occupation, you may appreciate this tour. If you want a well-paced, organized walking tour that connects specific city sites to what happened there during the war, I would book something else.
Hello Annette I'm sorry this was YOUR experience The tour was ovbiously not for YOU Anyone looking at my reviews can see clearly that now and again one of these pops up And I understand I dread It but I get It But come on what Is this evidence of a "Consistent issue" when 95%of my reviews are totally positive and beyond! What did you do scroll through a half dozen reviews out iof 130 + to then try to justify yourself? There a minority of people who my tours just dont suit And you were one of them It seems Its people who are better suited to a photo-op sight seeing tour with a bit of Information on the buildings and a few stories about what happened there, usually the resistance v the bad guys And of course It all seems new to people and they lap It up and think this Is great, I knew it was like this of course but , now I know even BETTER and I'm seeing where it happened But what they are not being told Is that they are wrong in theIr FUNDAMENTAL understanding of the Occupation Where Is easy and thats what you'll get on most tours and thats fine I know because years ago I freelanced for the same companies who run these type of WW2 tours and I know what they are telling people Is totally Incomplete BUT It is EASY to sell and not too hard to do But thats only part of the story and the least Important and I set myself a much harder task on my tours WHY did it happen? IE Do you know that France was NOT meant to be part of Hitlers 3rd Reich and as a result the Nazis had NO plans to deport ANY of Frances Jews when they arrived In June 1940? This meant that many Jews who had fled Paris when the Germans arrived to the South were desperate to RETURN before the end of Sptember 1940? WHO were the occupiers? Really . who were they and what did they really want from France ? IE The Germans In Paris were NOT all Nazis , In fact the Nazis were the minority and they never intended to occupy France in the first place WHO were the RESISTANCE? And who were NOT IE Do you know FRENCH MEN were NOT the majority of the resitance but a minority ? WHO were the Coollaborators? IE Do you know the "Puppet" collaborative French Vichy Government also SHOT nearly 200 people for spying for the GERMANS between 1940 and 1943 and arrested 2000? And held full knowledge of the Alles Engima code breaking but never told the Germans? See how quickly things can get complicated ? Fascinating but complicated You missed a lot of this because you left early and couldnt understand the purpose of the neccessary "General Information that you can get from any text book " apparently I was explaining to people for them to be able to understand all this in CONTEXT You just wanted to see a few buildings , take some pics , hear some cool stories etc And thats fine I do cool stories You missed the best But I do FAR more too So I make sure people on MY tours go away NOT with just more of the SAME Information but completely NEW Information and a NEW understanding of the occupation And IT TAKES TIME to explain So they are not for people who want nothing too deep that really peels the onion and completely challenges the view they had People who just want to have what they already THINK they know confirmed by MORE Information or stories that add to this And people like that would make exactly the same complaint you do because for me to do what I do in my tours means I HAVE to take some time to first UNBUILD or UNRAVEL the false narratives and THEN rebuild the reality and truth And It can seem complicated at first because well It IS , It cannot be explained in just 15 mins My tours are NOT for those people and My tour was obviously not for you They are not about confirming what people already know, or have heard In the often Faction books they have read or films they have watched by adding MORE of the SAME stories Conifrmation Bias So they go away THINKING they have learned more about the Occupation and that It was just as they thought Oh they have , MORE of the SAME but NOT the actual TRUTH of the Occupation Now you coud have just left It there but you couldnt and had to make this claim of evidence of a "Consistent issue" which just actually makes you look non credible To tell people to read the apparent "negative reviews" going back YEARS showing this "consistent" problem and use THEM to form their judgement of my tours in place of 95% of reviews that say something very very different ? You do know what "Consistent "means right? IE Pray tell how MANY of these "Negative reviews going back years " there are that show this "consistent issue"? Anyone who does may see what a LUDCIROUS and contradictory thing this Is to to say How can a tour with a handful of negative reviews and 95% positive and the majority being 5 stars have a "consistent Issue" going back years" thats negative enough for people to give 1 star reveiews? Thats the exact OPPOSITE of "Consistent ",your review and the ones you claim to reference are the EXCPETION Previous reviews very clearly DID reflect the experience of the people on the tour too and on those tours we did pretty much the same as we did on the day you took the tour and they say something very different Why not equalky tell people to go back and read them AS WELL and THEN form their judgement? So what they did was not reflect YOUR experience of the tour which of course Is subjective and dependent on YOUR expectations NOT a CONSISTENT problem, Stop the hyperbole and attempt to create a false narrative to back up YOUR exeptional subjective experience which you are quite entitled to have of course and I am sorry you had You know that one person once gave a 1 star review becasue THEY never turned up for the tour and left me standing in the rain for 20 mins after i had travelled 2 hours in and out of Paris and wanted a refund for example ? Another person gave me a 2 star review because It was apparent they never actually read what the tour content was or how long it may go on claiming It was a 2hr tour in the review I think they may have actually booked the wrong tour One titally vile couple gave me one star review after abusing me for over 2hrs I ran a GROUP tour under numbers just for them , so basically i only got half my fee but they treated It like a Private tour and were disrespectful to me the entire time , cutting me off mid sentence telling me they had a "history degree" as if that Impresses me and already knew what I was telling them when In reality they knew virtually nothing because I questioned them and they didn't actually know the answers And compaining when I simply followed the tour Itnerary THEY had signed up for Thats one reason sinsce I have refused to ever run a group tour under numbers NO WAY So I am sorry this was YOUR very unique experience Let me clear a couple of things up though that are NOT true You didn't leave after 2.5 hrs You left after 2 hrs I dont want to be pedantic but this Is important because the tour was 3.5 hrs that day In total and that day we visted 10 sites if you had stayed but you decided to leave before so missed them Also come on stop being fruity with the truth I hate It when people do this, to use your own words "To gently MISDIRECT " and create a false narrative about me You did not ask "questions" in the plural, you asked ONE question , yes One and that was when we were by the supposed "trash filled fountain" You obviously thought we had spent too long talking about the context and were going to see more "Things" , (which we later did) and wanted to know when we were moving on Thats It To which I replied I understand and we will asap but If I didn't finish explaining the context of Frances place In RELATION to the 3rd Reich , how the Nazis saw It and WHY then when we did later see more things then you wouldn't understand properly the significance of the events that were associated with them That was IT So stop It There was no "multiple questioning" trying to gently redirect me towards the locations and there war time signficance , something I had already done in detrail, making It seem like I was some run away train of mad autocratic professor ignoring you while you martyred yourelf for the group on an alter of "gentle redirection" No you had just lost your attention span because the Information I was giving you was not of the level you expected prehaps , it was In fact far deeper and more complex meaning you just lost interest as you only wanted few basic facts you can get from textbooks ! Most people on my tours actually have little understanding before of what I teach them about the history of the occupation and the real German plans for France Unless you understand these things then you will not understand properly the occupation and WHY certain things happened and certain people behaved the way they did Or you can just look at a bunch of buildings and learn a few thIngs you CAN actually learn from a textbook about them ! Yes thats the ridiculous Irony of what you claim You actually WANTED a tour where we look at buildings and learn things you can learn from a textbook about them But then you compalin that apparently we didn't do this and that most of the commentary was Infirmation that couLd easily be found IN A TEXTBOOK E So its funny how people who dont even know the date Germany Invaded France let alone the date they occupied Paris suddenly turn Into "historical experts" who according to you have basic undertsanding of WW2 history and know better what we shoukd be talking about? The tour is NOT museum tour or sightseeing tour with buildings laid out In a nice chronoloigical pattern There is no one place you can go In Paris and learn the history in a set timeline and in just a few hours , its all OVER the City and NOT in chrnonolgical order So yes I'm afraid i HAVE to jump around the time line as you put It , I'm sorry If you struggle to remember information because for your benefiut in my "disorganistaion" I actually bring 9 folders , yes 9 folders full of maos and photos , plus a whiteboard I write upon tohelp show you this Thus tour Is about the OCCUOPATION OF PARIS AND FRANCE and in my experience 90% of people on my tours have hardlly any understanding of this history and what they do have is often wrong and fueled by sensationalist "Faction books " that can reinforce very simplistic existing narratives because thats what sells books rather than the ACTUAL facts of history and experience of 96% of the French population And I wish they did have more knowledge ,It would make It an easier tour to run properly but the fact is they and you DONT and its my job and my pleasure to educate you properly not give you some self confirming microwave meal version of the Occupoation that enforces the simplistic stereotypes you may have read about in Faction books or been "sold" as the story of the occupation by people running tours who just want to show you abunch of photo ops were the "Nazis" hung out rather than go deeper Into whin these people REALLY were ans what they were REALLY doing here So you have a cheek saying this about me for soemone , and your not the only one because most people dont understand the subject at all really But then they also appreciatte learning this hard to find information and real history I teach and don't come on here after leaving 1 star reveiws claimiig what I told them was general historical Information you can find in a text book !!!! Well if you can so easily , Iand I'd like you to name the text books as well , then how come YOU didn't know any of the following .... The date WW2 began in the West , the date Paris was occupied the difference between the SS and the Army command , the Nazi planned constituition of the 3rd Reich ,that FRANCE was not meant to be part of it ,that the Germans therefore had NO plans to occupy France for more than maybe 6 months Initially or deport ANY of Its Jews and the ideological between the Eastern war and in the west , one a genocide the other a traditional STRATEGIC war , the origins off the Gestapo and range of Its power in France ,the internicine confict between the German Army and the Nazi Militias and Police units trying to operate In France the way the battle for appropriation of cultural capital and art work demonstarted this and the structure and relationship between the French police and the German and Nazi police units m hiw they wroked togther and mire crucially WHY and how this changed over time ?? I could go on and on and on So in your own words For future travellers this may well not be the walking tour YOU expect If you want to REALLY understand the TRUTH about France and the German Occupation during this period understand Its probably NOT what you thought and It Is complicated So if you have a little patience It takes TIME to explain and this requires me to talk more than I would wish for the first hour of the tour but you will I gurantee go away knowing more than 98% of people including the French do about this subject and most people who claim they are "buffs" on the subject If I do not explain this to you then you will NOT learn the truth or understand WHY the building , places, sites we see after In the tour were Important as STAGES for the PEOPLE who made the history and WHY they did the things they did Now if you already know "basic WW2 history" because apparently thats all I communicate or If you just want to look at a bunch of buildings and get a bunch of basic information about what happend there during the occupation but not WHY and the way its ALL connected then feel free join Annette on a different tour or just buy this "textbook" she's on about I have about 100 in the subject and Ive yet to find It Really Annette ibefore you wrote this and exaggerated so much If you were that dissapointed I wish you'd just asked me for a refund, I'd have happily given you one, do you think I want people to go away feeling like you obviously did ? Or that I want to write all this too ? But I have no choice becasue I won't let people misdirect or push a false narratives that are not true and unfortunately I have found THIS a consistent Issue with a handful of people over the years who leave negatiuve reviews just have to try to justify themselves and end up adding their little embelliishments to the story , their little twrils but just dig themselves Into a hole of dishonesty Toodle pip as they say !
Chris was very knowledgeable and passionate about his subject delivering facts and anecdotes in a straightforward and often amusing manner. We were often reminded that the German occupation and the French resistance were complicated and nuanced in many ways. He had boundless energy and tailored his presentation to the group. We learned a lot and had a good time in the process.
Chris was an exceptionally knowledgeable guide, providing a comprehensive and deeply engaging narrative of the Nazi occupation of France. He brought history to life by highlighting places and stories that most people walk past every day without realizing their significance. It was a fascinating journey back to the 1940s and the perfect way to conclude a terrific week.
Chris was a fountain of knowledge about Paris during the WW2 occupation of Paris. And all the way he shared how Paris had changed over many centuries (for example we had no idea that an entire wing of the Louvre was torn down many years ago as the palace was seemed to be made into a big “U” which was opened to the public. There were so many great examples. And Chris had so many pictures and maps that helped to develop our understanding.
We had a wonderful 4 hour tour with Chris, our guide!. He was pleasant, professional, WELL RESEARCHED and filled with many “”hidden” stories about German occupation in Paris!
The knowledge Chris had on this subject was amazing. We learned a great amount of history that we had no idea existed.
