See Seine riverbanks as they were in medieval times
Virtual reality time machine in Paris shows the city when river was a hub of commerce
Parisians and visitors can take a step back in time on the banks of the Seine as a Timescope virtual reality viewer has been set up beside the Pont d’Arcole.
Giving a 360° view of the riverbanks as they would have been back in April 1628, the viewer can see how they have changed over the 389 years until today.
It is one of the new features on the former Georges-Pompidou riverside roadway that has now been turned into a pedestrian area.
Paris Hôtel de Ville was opened in April 1628 and the Timescope takes a leap back to immerse the viewer in that period, with the Place de Grève, the bustling little harbour on the river below with barges at the quais and, nearby, houses on the bridge.
The VR viewer, called a ‘borne,’ is free and open all day, seven days a week. Users choose a language on the touchscreen, adjust the VR binoculars for sizes from 6-7 years upwards and can then see the view around them from 1628.
It is the second in Paris after the first opened a year ago at Place de la Bastille – showing tourists the Bastille prison they all expect to see. It shows the Bastille in 1416 and in 1789, on the eve of the Revolution. It costs €2.
Timescope founders Adrien Sadaka and Basile Segalen say they had the idea after visiting Pompeii and coming away disappointed that they did not have a real idea of what it was like before Vesuvius erupted.
They are also looking into the future as they signed a deal with Paris mairie to site VR machines at the locations of 10 of the forthcoming Grand Paris Express railway stations to show residents what they will be like, both inside and outside.
A Timescope VR machine has also been installed at Paris Charles-de-Gaulle airport to allow travellers using the airport to seen city scenes even if they are just waiting for a connecting flight.
