Culture
Retracing the Steps of Trailblazing Women on Paris's Streets
New walking tours underline the overlooked contributions of female scientists, activists, and writers in the City of Light.
This post is part of a CityLab series on open secrets—stories about what’s hiding in plain sight.
When Heidi Evans moved from London to Paris three years ago, she was keen on new adventures and practicing her French. She started working for a large and fairly corporate tour company, showing awestruck tourists around the city’s charming cobblestone streets. But she soon realized that something was off with the historical context she was providing. “The tour was focused on all of these great things that men had done throughout history, with only the occasional wicked woman like Marie Antoinette,” says Evans. “We spent a lot of time talking about men named Louis.”