Eighteen-year-old Napoleon lost his virginity to a prostitute that he met in the arcades of the beautiful Palais-Royal in 1787. Years later he and Josephine often dined at the Grand Vefour, still open today and one of the most luxurious and historic restaurants in France. 

The Luxembourg became home to the French Senate in 1799, and the imposing neoclassical crimson throne Napoleon used while presiding over Senate meetings is still in the palace. In early 1800 Napoleon and Josephine lived next door in the elegant Petit Luxembourg, now the residence of the Senate President. 

One of Napoleon’s hats is on display at Le Procope, a Left Bank cafe he frequented while a young officer. Opened in 1686, Le Procope, now a restaurant, originally served sorbets and aperitifs; it claims to be the first place in Paris to sell coffee to the public. 

This magnificent Renaissance palace was one of the Emperor’s favorite homes. After he abdicated in 1814, Napoleon bid an emotional farewell to his troops in the front courtyard before leaving for Elba.  

Although Napoleon never lived in the main chateau at Versailles, he enjoyed staying at the Grand Trianon, a small palace on the grounds. His private apartments there, including his simple bedroom, can be toured. 

Napoleon and Josephine spent their happiest years at this charming house just west of Paris. Today it houses a museum full of memorabilia and art from the Consulate and First Empire.  

Josephine used Malmaison as her retreat following the couple’s divorce in 1809. She died here in her regal swan bed, built by Jacob-Desmalter, five years later. 

One of Napoleon’s early commissions from his favorite architects, Charles Percier and Pierre Fontaine, was Malmaison’s library. This colorful rectangular room, built in 1800, still holds Napoleon’s famous mechanical desk. 

This mini-tour features several stores and restaurants that were patronized by Napoleon and Josephine. Several monuments and streets that date to the First Empire are also included. Most stops are grouped together in a small area on the Right Bank, but the last two (Le Procope, one of Napoleon’s favorite haunts as a young officer, and Debauve & Gallais, his official chocolate-maker) are on the Left Bank. A short trip on the Métro is necessary to visit them.

Take the Métro to the Concorde stop in Place de la Concorde. Walk north on rue Royale.

Ancienne Manufacture Royale de Limoges has made exquisite luxury china for over two centuries. Their patterns are identical to the ones created for French royalty as part of the Sèvres porcelain workshops. One of their most interesting items was made in 1810 for Josephine: an ornithological cup, saucer and matching desert plate hand-painted with colorful birds. The design, from Royale’s collection of historic cups, is called Aux Oiseaux (With Birds ). Josephine owned several parrots; exotic birds reminded her of her childhood on Martinique. One of Josephine’s original cups is on display at Malmaison, her country home. Royale also carries a series of plates designed for Jérôme Bonaparte, Napoleon’s brother, and decorated with various scenes taken from frescoes found at the ancient city of Pompeii.
 
At the intersection of rue Royale and rue Saint-Honoré, walk east on rue Saint-Honoré passing rue Saint-Florentin and rue Cambon. Turn left onto rue de Castiglione.
 
In 1802 Napoleon ordered rue de Castiglione (on the south side of the Place Vendôme) to be built as a road connecting the Tuileries palace, where he was living, with the Square. There was no direct route and Bonaparte, then First Consul, was impatient for a quicker way to reach the Place. The street was named for Napoleon’s victory over the Austrians at the battle of Castiglione during the Italian campaign of 1796.
 
Continue north on rue de Castiglione, and you will see Place Vendôme, which has a column in its center.

A statue of Napoleon stands at the top of the Vendôme Column. Napoleon commissioned this monument to commemorate the battle of Austerlitz, fought in 1805 and considered his greatest victory. The column features a spiral relief showing scenes from camp life and the battles of the French army during this campaign. Originally called the Austerlitz Column, this monument was made from the bronze of 1250 melted-down cannons captured from the Austrian army and hauled back to Paris.

                       20, Place Vendôme
                       Phone: 01 47 03 65 00 · Métro: Madeleine, Opéra
Napoleon bought three timepieces from Breguet when he left for Egypt in 1798: two watches and a traveling clock a almanach. Upon his return, they were sent back to the great clockmaker for repair as Napoleon had gotten sand in them. In 1810 Breguet created the world’s first wristwatch for Napoleon’s sister, Caroline Bonaparte Murat, who became Queen of Naples. A gold watch of Caroline’s can be seen in the MuséeBreguet, a small museum under the boutique in Place Vendôme. Many historic timepieces are on display along with the company’s original ledgers. The museum is open to the public by appointment only.

                       12, Place Vendôme
                       Phone: 01 44 77 26 26 · Métro: Madeleine, Opéra
This famous jeweler, founded in 1780 by Marie-Etienne Nitot, was first commissioned by Napoleon, then First Consul, to make his ceremonial sword. This sword held the Regent diamond, which at 140 carats was the most valuable stone in the French crown jewels. In 1804 Nitot was named official court jeweler to Napoleon and designed an Imperial Sword that also featured the Regent diamond. Napoleon wanted the women in his family to wear tiaras at court, so Nitot designed dazzling head ornaments for the Bonapartes, including a famous cameo and pearl tiara for Josephine. Napoleon even commissioned this jeweler to make a crown for Pope Pius VII.

                        7, Place Vendôme.
From October 1795 to March 1796, Napoleon’s office was located in this corner building, then part of the Department of War.
 
Exit the Place Vendôme on the north side of the Square using rue de la Paix, commissioned by Napoleon in 1806 and originally called rue Napoleon.
 
STOP 4 · MELLERIO (DITS MELLER)
                       9. rue de la Paix
                       Phone: 01 44 55 35 70 · Métro: Madeleine, Opéra
Still owned by the same family as during the Empire, this jeweler, the oldest in Paris, created numerous items for Josephine and was one of her official purveyors. Their shop was originally located slightly further east near the Palais-Royal; they moved to their current location in 1815.
 
Continue on rue de la Paix, turn left onto rue des Capucines which becomes boulevard de la Madeline. Bear left on boulevard de la Madeline and continue straight until you see the church of the Madeline with its 52 columns.
 
La Madeleine
On December 2, 1806 Napoleon issued a decree ordering a ‘ Temple of Glory’ to be built in honor of his soldiers. He wanted the monument to bear the inscription “From the Emperor Napoleon to the Soldiers of the Grand Army” and was insistent that only iron, marble and gold be used in the construction so that the building would resemble an ancient Greek temple. Napoleon, in Imperial costume with a tablet marked “Concordat 1802,” is depicted inside as part of a giant mural.
 
Continue past la Madeleine to the far side of the place de la Madeleine
 
STOP 5 · ODIOT
                        7, place de la Madeleine
                        Phone: 01 42 65 00 95 · Métro: Madeleine
Official silversmith to Napoleon, Odiot made the elaborate scepter used in his coronation. Several pieces created for the Emperor and his family can still be purchased. Perhaps the most delightful is the breast cup used by Napoleon’s younger sister, Pauline Bonaparte Borghèse, and her guests to drink punch. Since this cup is still made from the original mold taken from her body, it is not considered a reproduction. Its delicate handle is shaped like a butterfly, Pauline’s emblem. Odiot also sells the silver sweet box called drageoir aux maréchaux that Napoleon presented to generals who had performed well in battle. This renowned silversmith, founded in 1690, made the table service seen in wedding portraits of Napoleon with his second wife, Marie-Louise. These paintings and pieces from the service are displayed in the Napoleon 1 er museum at Fontainebleau.
 
To continue the tour, take the No. 8 Métro at place de la Madeline (towards Balard) to the La Motte Picquet-Grenelle stop. Transfer there to the No. 10 Métro (towards Gare d’Austerlitz) and get off at the Odéon stop. Cross to the north side of boulevard Saint Germain and continue west a few feet to the intersection of boulevard Saint Germain and rue de l’Anciènne Comédie. Turn right onto rue de l’Anciènne Comédie. (If you pass rue Grégoire de Tours, you have gone too far.)
 
STOP 6 · LE PROCOPE
                        13, rue de l’Anciènne Comédie
                        Phone: 01 40 46 79 00 · Métro: Odéon
Le Procope, named for owner Francesco Procopio, opened in 1686, and its patrons have included Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and Victor Hugo. The restaurant is full of historic artifacts, but souvenirs pertaining to Napoleon are what many visitors come to see. Pictures of Bonaparte and a letter signed by him hang on the wall, and one of his famous gray hats, still bearing its little tricolor cockade, is prominently displayed. As a young officer, Napoleon, continually short of funds, became known at le Procope for leaving his hat as security while he went to search for money to pay his bill. Le Procope, which did not serve meals during Napoleon’s day, is credited with being the first spot in Paris to offer coffee to the public. Napoleon usually drank coffee after meals and preferred his sweetened and with milk.

Retrace your steps from rue de l’Anciènne Comédie to the Odéon Métro. Take the No. 4 Métro (toward Porte d’Orléans) to the Saint-Germain des Près stop. Walk west on boulevard Saint Germain, pass rue Bonaparte (which is now the only street in Paris named after Napoleon), and turn right on rue des Saints-Père.
                      ······
If you would rather walk to the last stop, retrace your steps on rue de l’Anciènne Comédie, turn right onto boulevard Saint Germain, continue past rue Bonaparte, and turn right on rue des Saints-Père. This walk takes around thirty minutes.
 
STOP 7 · DEBAUVE & GALLAIS
                        30, rue des Saints-Pères
                        Tel: 01 45 48 54 67 · Métro: Saint-Germain des près
Debauve & Gallais, Napoleon’s official chocolate purveyor, was the most famous chocolatier of the 1800s. Their candy is still made using the original recipes that delighted Napoleon. A specialty is milk chocolate with almonds, a combination invented here. This building dates from the First Empire and was designed by Percier and Fontaine, Napoleon’s official architects who decorated his home at Malmaison. The shop, recognizable by its fan-shaped windows, is classified as a historical monument. The old apothecary jars in the boutique serve as a reminder that when Debauve & Gallais began making chocolate, it was considered a medicine used both as an analgesic and to ease muscle spasms. The tops of the columns in the store are adorned with a caduceus, the ancient symbol of medicine. The distinctive half moon-shaped oak counter is typical of Parisian pharmacies from the 1790s and early 1800s.