Art and Resistance in WWII Paris and Champagne

Paris and Champagne Tour Overview

This tour is sold out! To join the wait list, contact abbie@worldwidequest.com.

This brand-new tour will be a moving and unforgettable journey to an extraordinary moment in French history. Our tour centres on real-life figures and events depicted in Bryn Turnbull’s best-selling novel The Paris Deception. As Nazi forces stole art from Jewish families and others they deemed enemies, they funneled these stolen works through Paris’s Jeu de Paume museum. From here, thousands of works were sent to Reich-controlled areas, exchanged, or destroyed. But others were saved, and we will explore the stories of the people who saved them.

We are thrilled to have three world-class guides with us on the tour. Bryn will be travelling with our group, sharing her experiences of researching and writing her gripping novel. Novelists Lisa Pasold and Samuél Lopez-Barrantes will guide us through what it was like to be in Paris during WWII. On their custom walks, Lisa and Samuél will share stories of the dangers people faced, the risks they weighed, the acts of courage and cruelty they committed, and the hopes they held on to.

From Paris we will take a short train ride to Champagne, where we will spend a few days exploring the historic towns of Reims and Épernay. Our home will be the truly fabulous Caserne Chanzy, right across from Reims’s stunning cathedral.

The region’s signature beverage needs no introduction, but what is perhaps less known is that Champagne was an especially active area of resistance. Through walking tours and visits to places like the Cathédrale de Notre-Dame in Reims, we’ll get a nuanced understanding of how so many men and women of Champagne fought for freedom. We’ll also take time to enjoy extraordinary medieval and renaissance architecture as well as taste various champagnes.

Paris and Champagne Itinerary at a Glance

Day 1: Arrive to Paris
Day 2: Atelier du Temps Passé art presentation / Le Marais walk
Day 3: Left Bank (Rive Gauche) walk / Cooking class near the Panthéon
Day 4: Montparnasse walk / Musée de la Libération
Day 5: Place Vendôme, Concorde, & Jeu de Paume / Les Invalides
Day 6: Train to Reims / Free time
Day 7: Reims heritage tour / Pommery and Villa Demoiselle tour and Champagne tasting
Day 8: Reims heritage tour, cont’d / Épernay
Day 9: Drive through Champagne countryside / Pressoria museum & Hautvillers
Day 10: Departure

Accommodation

Hôtel Le Littré, Paris; La Caserne Chanzy Hotel and Spa, Reims

Readings

The Paris Deception by Bryn Turnbull
Suite française by Irène Némirovsky

Bryn’s page-turning novel The Paris Deception evokes the atmosphere of WWII Paris through the stories of two women, an artist and an art conservator, determined not to be crushed by the Nazi occupation or the personal grief the war has inflicted on them.

I loved the Paris history walks, Lisa made the neighborhoods come alive.

Dave S., California

Melanie is excellent, not just as discussion leader and moderator, but also in many areas above and beyond that role: facilitator, mother hen, liaison with local resources, chief cat-herder, logistics genius, perennial friendly face.

Erika S., Florida

Leaders

Bryn Turnbull

Bryn Turnbull is the bestselling author of The Paris Deception and three other historical novels, including The Berlin Apartment, published summer 2024. She studied English at McGill University and has an ML in creative writing from the University of St. Andrews.

Lisa Pasold

Lisa Pasold will lead our walks in Montparnasse and central Paris. A writer originally from Montreal, she is the host and co-writer of Discovery World’s TV travel show “Paris Next Stop.” Lisa is the creator of “Improbable Walks”, story-telling walks focusing on legends and place memory. She has created these art walks to critical acclaim for festivals and gallery residencies in cities such as New Orleans, Toronto and Paris.

Samuél Lopez-Barrantes

Samuél Lopez-Barrantes will lead our walk in the Marais and host our Invalides excursion. Samuél is a novelist who lives in Paris, where he has taught creative writing at the Sorbonne, hosts literary salons, and leads historical walks on modernism, existentialism, and the Nazi Occupation of Paris. His second novel, The Requisitions, is a historical metafiction set in Nazi-occupied Poland.

Melanie Blake

Melanie Blake is the director of Classical Pursuits. She led her first tour in France in 2002 and never tires of all l'Hexagone has to offer, in all its complexity. She studied English and French at Fordham University and the Université de Montpellier, and linguistics at the University of Nottingham.

FAQs

Do I need a visa to visit France?

Canadian and US passport holders do not need visas for tourist stays of 90 days or fewer. The European Union is changing requirements for visa-exempt travel, and will require travelers to obtain in advance ETAs (electronic authorizations) later in 2025. These changes are not currently in effect. To see the current status of these changes, visit https://travel-europe.europa.eu/etias_en

How active is this tour?

Our Paris tours are among our most active tours because they are built around custom guided walks. This tour includes four guided walks of about two hours each, plus travel to the walk starting point. You should be able to stand and walk at a moderate pace for up to three hours at a time. Count on walking at least 5 kilometres a day, including stairs and uneven terrain.

We get around Paris on foot, and by public transit (Métro and bus). The ability to navigate stairs independently is essential, as few Métro stations have elevators, and most don’t have escalators.

We strive to use the most efficient, user-friendly routes possible. But some Métro stations are deep and may require going up or down two or three flights of stairs. We try to avoid changing trains in large stations like Les Halles or Opéra/Auber. This is always a last resort, but it is sometimes unavoidable.

We use the bus whenever it makes sense for our itinerary, as it is more accessible than the Métro and is sometimes more direct. But we cannot guarantee that most trips will be by bus.

If you have any concerns about being able to participate in this trip, please contact travel@worldwidequest.com for further information and advice.

I'm nervous about using the Métro or bus.

They can seem intimidating, but spending a little time getting familiar with the Paris transit system goes a long way. We recommend downloading the Ile-de-France Mobilités app (Apple link and Google Play link). The RATP Bonjour app is also available on the Apple app store and on Google Play.

We use the bus whenever it makes sense for our itinerary, as it is more accessible than the Métro and is sometimes more direct.

We generally avoid the busiest routes during rush hour. But if you are uncomfortable with the crowds that are inherently a part of using public transit, we can look at tours that would be a better fit for you.

Your tour manager and usually a specialist guide will be with the group on transit when we go to and from group activities. They will help guide you on the route.

Are flights included in this tour?

The tour price does not include flights. Our tour partner Worldwide Quest can help with flight bookings. If you would like this help, please let us know or email travel@worldwidequest.com.

Where does the tour start and end?

The tour starts in Paris and ends in Reims, which is about 145 kilometres from Paris. TGV and regional TER trains make the journey from Reims to Paris in approximately 45 to 75 minutes, depending on the train.

How do I get back from Reims to Paris?

Depending on your post-tour plans, you may want to stay in Champagne, return to Paris, or take a train directly to Charles de Gaulle airport after the tour. Travelers are responsible for arranging their transportation from Reims to their next point. Worldwide Quest will provide comprehensive guidance on making travel plans from Reims. Your tour manager Melanie will be on hand in Reims to help travelers get a smooth start to their onward journeys.

Do I need to read the books before I leave?

Yes, we ask all travelers to read the official tour readings before the tour. We send these readings to you as part of the tour cost, usually about three months before the tour. We also provide guidance on what to look for as you read.

Do I need to speak French?

No, you don’t need to speak French. Your tour manager and guides are bilingual. Tour readings are in English.

That being said, mastering basic courtesies in French goes a long way.

I have food allergies or sensitivities. Can you accommodate me?

We can accommodate most allergies and restrictions. We regularly work with travelers who have shellfish, dairy, or nut allergies, gluten allergies or sensitivity, and vegetarian diets. You can help us out by providing complete and accurate information about allergies and restrictions.

Where can I learn more about what it's like to go on one of your tours?

Our About Our Tours page has more FAQs that cover topics related to all our tours. We also welcome your questions at info@classicalpursuits.com.

What’s Included

Accommodation in double occupancy, based on hotel listed or similar
Meals as specified in the itinerary
All activities as specified in the itinerary
All entrance fees
Local English-speaking guides
Literary discussions
Books and readings
Gratuities for local guides, drivers, hotel staff, and group meals
Taxes
Fully escorted by discussion leader Melanie Blake and author Bryn Turnbull

Online Learning: Presentations

The Berlin Apartment with Bryn Turnbull

December 12, 2024, 7 p.m. ET

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Toronto, Canada. Classical Pursuits organizes literary and cultural trips and seminars in Toronto, Canada, and around the world with our travel partner Worldwide Quest (TICO Reg: #2667946). Design by Ctrl Alt Create.