Place Vendome: Where Luxury Was Born

The octagonal square that inspired the Chanel N°5 cap. Napoleon's column melted from 1,200 captured cannons. The Ritz. Cartier. Boucheron. Walk the architecture of power.

A Wine Memories experience · winememories.fi

City

Paris

Country

🇫🇷 France

Duration

45 min - 1 hour

Venue

📍

Place Vendome: Where Luxury Was Born

landmark · Paris

How to Complete

3 steps curated by Wine Memories

Start at the Vendome Column in the center. Napoleon stands on top, dressed as a Roman emperor. The column is made from 1,200 Austrian and Russian cannons captured at Austerlitz (1805). Circle it counterclockwise - the bronze spiral tells the story of the campaign.

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Walk the square's perimeter. Count the jewelry houses: Boucheron (#26, oldest since 1893), Van Cleef & Arpels, Chaumet, Cartier. Notice: most are at #12-26. The octagonal shape inspired Coco Chanel's N°5 cap (1921). She lived at the Ritz across the square.

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End at #15 - the Ritz Paris entrance. Wait for dusk when the facade lights up. This is where Hemingway "liberated" the bar in 1944, where Coco Chanel lived for 34 years, where Princess Diana had her last meal. Photograph it. Tomorrow we go inside.

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Place Vendome: Where Luxury Was Born

Venue

How to Complete

Circle the Column

Count the Jewelry Houses

Photograph the Ritz at Dusk

Been here?