City Hall |

Viola! The first French story-map of Saint Louis in over 100 years, according to the Saint Louis History Museum.

After many field trips and much research, this map was created with the help of an 8th grade French teacher who likes to take students on local french field trips.

The journey begins at Laclede’s Landing where the streets are still cobblestone and the signs are still in French. This marks the spot of the first French trading village built by french fur trader Pierre Laclede. It is here that the future city of Saint Louis was named in honor of King Louis IX of France.

French culture is firmly embedded in the architecture of Saint Louis, as evidenced by City Hall, a replica of the Hotel de Ville (city hall) in Paris, noted for its beauty and lighting. Here’s the very beautiful Hotel de Ville in Paris; see anything that looks familiar?

Powell Symphony Hall is modeled after the palace at Versailles; a beautiful stained glass window can be found at St. Francis Xavier Church and Union Station is modeled after a french fortress. A renowned mosaic panel of King Louis IX can be explored in the vestibule at the Saint Louis Basilica. (Buy the small booklet in the bookshop to enhance your appreciation and enjoyment).

The Fleur de Lis, symbol of french monarchy, was added to the Saint Louis flag in 1964 and it’s fun to hunt for fleur de lis motifs springing up with increasing frequency throughout Saint Louis. Potagers (“kitchen gardens”) and mansard roofs can be found sprinkled throughout the city.

Soulard hosts the second largest Mardi Gras in America, and Let Them Eat Art springboards from “Let them eat Cake”. Left Bank Books is named after that famous arrondissement in Paris that is filled with bookshops, thinkers and writers.

A vibrant number of language classes and cultural events can be found at Alliance Francaise, while a French film festival is traditionally hosted in February by Webster University’s Centre Francophone. The historic Chatillon-DeMenil House hosts a Bastille Day Celebration each year on July 14th. French colonial homes are preserved by the Les Amis organization, which also publishes a map on the Creole Corridor.

Croissants, macaroons, crepes and traditional french cuisine can be found throughout Saint Louis, as well as chocolates by Bissingers, a favorite chocolatrie of empress Josephine, who was Napoleon’s paramour.

All french wines owe a debt to Missouri vineyards, due to the phylloxera bug which destroyed the entire French vineyard crop in 1863, after which vines from Missouri were grafted onto French vine stock. On a nice day, it’s fun to take a champagne picnic out to Calvary Cemetery where the famous french fur trappers are buried. (By the way, Trader Joes has fantastic croissants in the freezer section.)

If you need a hug, Green Spiral has these “French Lover” pillows available for about $35. You can order them on Zazzle or pick one up at the Green Spiral offices near the Lion Gates in UCity. Just send a note to GreenSpiralTours@gmail.com