Passage des Abbesses, thoroughfare in Paris, France
The passage des Abbesses is a narrow walkway about 100 meters long and 4 meters wide in the 18th arrondissement of Paris. Cobblestones run through the passage, and old brick and stone buildings line both sides, with small shops and cafes tucked into the space.
The passage was created in 1840 and was originally called passage de l'Arcade after a nearby street. In 1873, it was renamed to match the nearby rue des Abbesses, whose name comes from the 12th century Montmartre abbey.
The name refers to the abbesses who led the Montmartre abbey starting in the 12th century. Today, locals use the passage as a shortcut and gather in small cafes that line the narrow walkway.
The passage functions as a useful shortcut between rue des Abbesses and the stairs leading to rue des Trois-Frères. A nearby escalator provides access to the Abbesses garden, a small green space with benches for resting.
An architect named Xavier Schoellkopf lived at number 8 of the passage and died there in the early 1900s. The steeply sloped terrain with its steps and ramps creates an unexpected maze-like quality in this busy neighborhood.
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