Rue du Chat-qui-Pêche, Passageway in the 5th arrondissement of Paris, France
Rue du Chat-qui-Pêche is one of the narrowest passageways in Paris, running in the 5th arrondissement from the Quai Saint-Michel to the Rue de la Huchette. It is about 1.8 meters (6 feet) wide and roughly 29 meters (95 feet) long, making it barely more than a gap between two rows of old buildings.
The street was laid out in 1540 and originally reached down to the bank of the Seine. Over the centuries it carried several different names, including Street of the Ovens and Street of the Baths, before the current name took hold in the 17th century.
The street owes its name to an old sign depicting a cat catching fish, and that name has stuck since at least the 17th century. Many visitors touch both walls at the same time as they walk through, which makes the narrow passage a very physical experience.
The passageway is accessible on foot only and sits just a short walk from the Saint-Michel metro entrance. Since the Rue de la Huchette is right next to it, visiting both at once is easy.
One of the legends behind the name tells of a 15th-century alchemist named Dom Perlet and his black cat, which pulled fish from the Seine with one swipe of its paw. After students killed the cat and threw it into the river, it was said to reappear shortly after, fishing as before.
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