The Place Vendôme in Paris

The Place Vendôme in Paris is one of the most beautiful squares in the city. Small, simple, and clean, it has no trees, only the uniform architecture of the buildings and the imposing central column. It is the square of luxury jewelry and the famous Ritz Hotel.

Although the conception of this square dates back to 1699, it wasn't until 1893 that the first jewelry store, Boucheron, was established here, having moved from the Palais Royal to be closer to the newly constructed Opéra Garnier. In 1898, César Ritz bought a property in the square to transform it into a hotel, and a significant number of jewelers turned Vendôme into the grand square of luxury jewelry.

During the 1980s, Vendôme was somewhat forgotten as millionaires preferred Avenue Montaigne. The construction of the Louvre Pyramid in the 1990s and the opening of the Colette store and Costes hotel allowed the square to regain its shine.

The square once again became a great meeting place for the world's elegant.

The column in the square was built in 1810, using bronze from 1,200 cannons taken from the Austrians and Russians, to celebrate the victory at Austerlitz and honor French soldiers.

Interestingly, the square has three residents: a wealthy Arab, an elderly lady from a traditional French family, and Henri Salvador. The rest of the buildings are occupied by jewelers and their workshops, the hotel, a French government ministry, and law offices.

Information on all the jewelers in the square: www.comite-vendome.com

P.S. I cross this square every day on my obligatory walk, being the good Brazilian that I am. I go to the Tuileries Garden and back.

GALERIES LAFAYETTE: Gifts on purchases over 50 euros made at Galeries Lafayette Haussmann, click here for more information and to download vouchers.

FRAGRANCE DE L'OPÉRA PERFUMERY: 10€ discount for every 150€ spent at Fragrance de l'Opéra - click here for all information and to download the voucher.

CARRÉ OPÉRA PHARMACY: 10% discount on purchases at Carré Opéra Pharmacy - click here for all information and to download the voucher.

HOTEL SAINT ANDRES DES ARTS (charming 4-star hotel in Saint Germain): 10% discount + 1 bottle of wine + breakfast - use code paris-story.com when making your reservation on the hotel's website, click here to access.

TRAVEL INSURANCE: 5% discount on your Travel Insurance using code paris-story.com. Travel insurance is one of the documents that may be required for your entry into Europe, click here to learn more.

TICKETS: 5% discount on tickets, tours, and activities sold on Tiqets using code paris-story.com, click here to access the site.