Passage des Panoramas (Passageway of Panoramas)

Located between the Bourse and the Opera districts, the Panoramas Passageway is the oldest covered passageway in Paris. It was built in 1799 on the location of the Hotel Montmorency-Luxembourg. The point of interest of this passageway was its two high towers located at the main entrance of the gallery, where panoramic paintings were exhibited. In 1807, the Variétés Theater settles in, where Offenbach had his fame in the 1830s. In 1831, both towers were demolished and reconstruction works started. The Passage des Panoramas is 133 meters (436 feet) long, composed of five galleries; nowadays it is the center of philatelic, or stamp-related trade.