The Bestiary of Passy and Dauphine

Starting point and access: Place du Trocadéro.
- Metro – Lines 6 and 9. Take Exit 5 (Cimetière de Passy).
- Bus – Lines 22, 30, 32, 63.

The main animal depictions and key features to look out for are indicated in italics within the body of the description.

(S) On leaving the metro station, turn right and walk past the monument to the glory of the French Army 1914–1918 (Paul Landowski, 1956): a soldier on horseback and, on the central figure’s shield, Saint George on horseback slaying the dragon. Cross Avenue Georges Mandel in two stages and follow it to the left. Take the first right onto Rue Greuze. The gateway at No. 2 is adorned with wrought-ironwork featuring two small lion heads. At No. 1 stands a neo-Gothic building, dating from 1883, whose gateway is framed by bas-reliefs depicting animals (it is unclear whether they are zodiac signs or dogs...). At No. 16, there is another neo-Gothic building.

Cross Rue des Sablons and continue to the end of the street (on the left, the chimney and chapel of the Lycée Janson de Sailly). Turn right into Rue Descamps. At numbers 12 and 10, there are two large lion heads beneath the top-floor balcony. You’ll come out at Place de Mexico.

(1) Walk round the square and take the third street on the right, Rue de Longchamp. At numbers 83 and 81, there are plant motifs on the façade featuring cornucopias. Continue straight ahead and cross Avenue Raymond Poincaré. Then cross Avenue Kléber and note, at number 77, the mosaics depicting lion’s heads. Continue along Rue de Longchamp. At number 33, beneath the top-floor balcony, there is a lion’s head. Take the next left onto Rue du Bouquet de Longchamp. At number 5, there are decorations featuring flowers and lion-headed mascarons.

(2) At the end, turn left into Rue Boissière. Shortly afterwards, take a quick detour into Villa Boissière, lined with buildings featuring bow windows. Continue along Rue Boissière and cross Avenue Kléber at the traffic lights. On the corner building on the right, there are mascarons halfway up the façade and numerous lion heads beneath the top-floor balcony.

Follow the avenue to the left and take the first right, Rue Léo Delibes. At No. 9, there is a building dating from 1894, in the Neo-Gothic style with various ornaments: musicians, gargoyles, reptiles and a dragon. At the end, turn left onto Rue Lauriston and you’ll come to a junction.

(3) Take the first right onto Avenue Raymond Poincaré. There is plenty to see as you walk down this avenue, which may mean you need to change pavements frequently (taking all necessary care):
- At No. 45, lion heads framing the gateway.
- At No. 59, decorations featuring pine cones.
- At nos. 61–63, a building dating from 1928 with an Art Deco-style gate: sculpted eagles; bas-reliefs featuring, amongst other things, on the far left, a rural scene with two oxen, and on the far right, an urban scene with two greyhound-like dogs.
- At No. 64, a richly decorated building featuring, from bottom to top: balcony corbels in the shape of ram’s heads with their tongues sticking out; scallop shells above the windows; and peacocks beneath the top-floor balcony.
- After No. 64, a chapel.
- At No. 77, a lion’s head above a window.
- At No. 83, lion heads framing a window.

(4) Come out onto Place Victor Hugo, go round it to the right and take the second exit, Rue Copernic. At No. 50, the gate of the Ecuadorian Embassy is surmounted by a condor. At No. 48, a lion’s head above the gate. Masks at Nos. 44 and 46: a human head covered by a lion’s head and a pair of wings. Masks at No. 28.

At the junction, turn left onto Rue Lauriston and walk along the left-hand side of the Passy water reservoir wall. At the next junction, turn left into Rue Paul Valéry. Take the first left, Rue Georges Ville. Follow this street, lined with buildings richly decorated with plant motifs, and turn right as it curves.

(5) You’ll come out onto Avenue Victor Hugo; follow it to the left for about twenty metres. Then turn right to cross the avenue at the pedestrian crossing and head into Rue Leroux. When you reach a small square, take the first left into Rue Léonard de Vinci (lion heads at No. 16). Return to Place Victor Hugo and go round it on the right: immediately, at no. 4, you’ll see balcony corbels featuring winged lions.

(4) Take the third exit onto Avenue Hubert Germain (known as Avenue Bugeaud until July 2024). At No. 9, there are mascarons and a wrought-iron gate featuring bunches of grapes. At the traffic lights, turn left onto Rue de la Pompe, lined with large buildings dating from the late 19th or early 20th century.

(6) At the traffic lights, take the second right, back onto Avenue Victor Hugo. Immediately, at No. 124, is the site of the house where the writer lived towards the end of his life: a commemorative plaque; above the gate, a mascaron bearing his likeness; lion heads framing the windows. At No. 134, lion heads frame the first-floor windows and run the full height of the façade. Then take a stroll up and down Villa Victor Hugo: on the right-hand side, lion heads in the same arrangement as before; beautiful townhouses at the end of the cul-de-sac.

Continue along Avenue Victor Hugo and cross at the traffic lights, then follow the road on the left-hand pavement. Take a round trip through Square Thiers: lion heads framing a window at No. 6; at the end of the cul-de-sac, a bas-relief depicting Adolphe Thiers. Continue along Avenue Victor Hugo: lion heads at Nos. 161 and 179.

(7) At the traffic lights, turn right to cross the avenue and then Rue Spontini. Note, on the corner of Rue Dufrénoy, a building whose first-floor balcony corbels are adorned with ram’s heads. Then take Rue Benjamin Godard: at No. 1, balcony corbels featuring lion’s heads.

At the next junction, continue along Rue Lota. At No. 9, there are mascarons and cornucopias; at No. 8, a building of glazed brick; at No. 3, a canopy above the gateway and mascarons. At No. 4, a house dating from 1894, with a brick façade featuring animal sculptures framing the windows: dragons, reptiles and a monkey. At No. 2, on the corner of Rue de Longchamp, a townhouse dating from 1894 combining Neo-Gothic and Neo-Renaissance styles.

(8) Follow Rue de Longchamp to the right and take the first left, into Rue Spontini. At No. 52, there is a ram’s head above the gateway. At the junction, take the first right, into Rue Charles Lamoureux. At the next junction (note the covered passageway linking two tall buildings), take the second left, into Rue Mérimée.

(9) At the end of the street, turn left onto Rue des Belles Feuilles. You’ll cross Rue Émile Ménier on your left (note the decoration on the gate at No. 45). Carry straight on until you reach Place du Chancelier Conrad Adenauer. Then take the second left, Avenue Hubert Germain (formerly Avenue Bugeaud). Carry straight on, passing a metro entrance reserved for exits, cross a side lane off Avenue Foch and reach Place Dauphine (E).

To get back home:
- Metro – Line 2: the stop (E) is located at the metro entrance.
- Tram – Line T3b: the Porte Dauphine stop is on the left, along Boulevard Lannes.
- RER – Line C: Avenue Foch station is on the left, just before the tram stop.
- Bus – Line PC: the bus stop is on Boulevard Lannes, opposite the tram stop.

A good pair of trainers is all you need for this urban walk.

There are plenty of bars, restaurants and shops all along the route.

A detailed map is useful (at the very least, the one accompanying this description).

Walk undertaken by the author on 28 July 2024.

The main depictions of animals and notable sites are mentioned in the description itself, though this is by no means an exhaustive list.

Visits to the churches are free during the day, but please refrain from visiting during services.