Lane 4: Mathieu Kassovitz (2017) as Guillaume Debailly, code name Malotru: six years in Damascus under the legend Paul Lefebvre.
The DGSE’s headquarters is nicknamed la Piscine, the pool, for the public pool next door. Tap a block, then dive in.
2.15 m
Photos: Sara Giraudeau at the César nominees’ lunch in February 2016, Georges Biard, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Mathieu Kassovitz at Cannes on 22 May 2017, Georges Biard, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Jean-Pierre Darroussin in September 2013; no free photograph from the series’ run was found., Georges Biard, CC BY-SA 3.0
The City of Paris filming register
Swim the lengths.
Paris keeps a public register of every outdoor shoot. Ten of its entries for the series are places you can stand on today. Each length of this pool is one of those days, in date order.
0 metres0/10 lengths
9 Jan 2016—
18 Jan 2016—
19 Jan 2016—
19 Jan 2016—
11 Nov 2016—
17 Nov 2016—
19 Nov 2016—
26 Nov 2016—
28 Nov 2016—
26 Mar 2018—
Ten lanes, 50 metres each. Every length touches the wall on a day the City of Paris logged the production in the street.
Where we read it
Every date and address comes from the City of Paris register of outdoor shoots. The register does not say which scene was filmed. The January and November 2016 days are filed under season 2, the March 2018 day under season 4.
Swimmers at the French championships, piscine des Tourelles, July 1929. Agence Rol · Public domain
Porte des Lilas, 20th arrondissement
La Piscine.
The pool was built for the 1924 Olympics. The barracks across rue des Tourelles became the home of French foreign intelligence, and the press named the service after its neighbour.
141 boulevard Mortier, the head office of the DGSE, in June 2014. Tangopaso · Public domainThe plaque on the pool’s wall recalling the internment camp at the Tourelles barracks, 2020. Cahtls · CC BY-SA 4.0
141 boulevard Mortier, 20th arrondissement
141 boulevard Mortier
The DGSE’s head office is at 141 boulevard Mortier, near the Porte des Lilas, in two former barracks facing each other across the boulevard: the Tourelles and the Mortier.
The Tourelles barracks was an internment camp during the Second World War. It became the SDECE’s headquarters in 1947 and the DGSE’s in 1982.
The press nicknamed the site “la Piscine”, the pool, after the swimming pool next door.
The City of Paris logged the production filming at 141 boulevard Mortier on 26 November 2016, and again on 5 and 6 May 2018.
For season 4, Éric Rochant told AlloCiné, some scenes were shot near the DGSE’s buildings and in its courtyard for the first time.
A working intelligence headquarters with no visitors. Walk the boulevard from Porte des Lilas and look from the pavement.
Where we read it
The Piscine Georges-Vallerey on avenue Gambetta in April 2017. Guilhem Vellut from Paris, France · CC BY 2.0The pool in November 2024, after its renovation for the Paris Olympics. Chabe01 · CC BY-SA 4.0
148 avenue Gambetta, 20th arrondissement
Piscine Georges-Vallerey
Built as the stade aquatique des Tourelles for the 1924 Paris Olympics, it first held 10,000 spectators.
Rue des Tourelles separates it from the Tourelles barracks to the south; boulevard Mortier separates it from the Mortier barracks to the east.
The main pool is 50 metres long and can be split into two 25-metre pools; a movable floor sets the depth from 0.90 to 2.15 metres.
It was renamed after the swimmer Georges Vallerey, who died in October 1954; the name was approved on 4 March 1959. A renovation for the 2024 Games was finished on 17 April 2024.
A City of Paris pool: €3.50 a swim, €2 reduced. Until 18 October 2026: Tuesday and Thursday 11.45am–1.30pm and 5.15–10pm, Wednesday 7–8.30am and 12.30–7pm, Friday 7am–6pm, Saturday 11am–8pm, Sunday 10am–8pm. Check the City’s page for later hours.
Where we read it
Where was the Bureau?
The City of Paris logged the production outside 141 boulevard Mortier on 26 November 2016, and again on 5 and 6 May 2018.
Where we read it
The City of Paris logged the production outside 141 boulevard Mortier on 26 November 2016, and again on 5 and 6 May 2018.
The nef of the Cité du Cinéma in Saint-Denis, June 2014. Iunity · CC BY-SA 4.0
20 rue Ampère, Saint-Denis
Cité du Cinéma
Every scene set inside DGSE headquarters was shot on a set of more than 1,200 square metres at the Cité du Cinéma.
The set is so big it stays up all year. In the crisis room a map of no particular region hangs under clocks showing the time in several capitals; even the phones carry Defence Ministry stickers.
Luc Besson’s studio complex opened on 21 September 2012 in a power station built in 1930–32. It has nine stages and a central nef 214 metres long.
It reopened to the public in June 2026 as a cultural centre, with a cinema of about 450 seats, a museum space and the 18-metre-high nef.
Metro 14 or 13 to Saint-Denis Pleyel. The nef, the cinema and the museum space open for the centre’s programme; check what is on before you go.
Where we read it
Poolside
Code names on the doors.
In the series every clandestine agent and handler has a code name. The production told Paris Match the agents’ nicknames come from Captain Haddock, the sailor who swears his way through Tintin.
Eight doors, eight legends. Open one.
Where we read it
The agents’ nicknames come from Captain Haddock (the production, to Paris Match, 2018).
Away from the boulevard, the production worked in a gymnasium with a long political history, a street of nineteenth-century workshops, an avenue off the Canal Saint-Martin and the city’s biggest basin.
The Gymnase Japy in September 2014. Ash Crow · CC BY-SA 4.0
2 rue Japy, 11th arrondissement
Gymnase Japy
The City of Paris logged the production filming at the Gymnase Japy on 11 November 2016.
Built as a covered market in 1870 and made a gymnasium in 1884, it holds 1,500. The first congress of French socialist organisations met here from 6 to 9 December 1899.
During the Occupation it was used to hold Jewish people seized in the round-ups of 20 August 1941 and 16 July 1942.
A city sports hall, used by local clubs. Look from rue Japy and boulevard Voltaire.
Where we read itRue des Immeubles-Industriels, looking south, in September 2011. Poulpy · CC BY-SA 3.0
Rue des Immeubles-Industriels, 11th arrondissement
Rue des Immeubles-Industriels
The City of Paris logged the production filming at 7–10 rue des Immeubles-Industriels on 19 January 2016.
About 180 metres long, it was built in 1872–73: nineteen identical buildings by Émile Leménil, with workshops below and flats above.
A 200-horsepower steam engine in a basement halfway along powered the workshops.
A public street between the Faubourg Saint-Antoine and boulevard Voltaire, near Nation. People live here; look quietly.
The City of Paris logged the production filming on avenue Richerand, and at number 4, on 19 November 2016.
The avenue was opened in 1836 on hospital land as the avenue de l’Hôpital Saint-Louis and took the name of the surgeon Anthelme Richerand on 7 May 1851.
A public avenue off the Canal Saint-Martin, running from quai de Jemmapes to the Hôpital Saint-Louis.
Quai de la Marne and avenue de Flandre, 19th arrondissement
Bassin de la Villette
The City of Paris logged the production along the basin three times: avenue de Flandre on 26–27 March 2018, 10 quai de la Marne on 4 September 2019 and 196 boulevard de la Villette on 11 September 2019.
The largest artificial stretch of water in Paris, it was filled on 2 December 1808 and joins the Ourcq and Saint-Denis canals to the Canal Saint-Martin. The lifting bridge on rue de Crimée dates from 1885.
Public quays on both sides. From Stalingrad metro, walk up to the lifting bridge on rue de Crimée.
Where we read it
Viator · Ad / affiliate
Canal Saint-Martin on foot
10th and 19th arrondissements
Live marketplace results for walks along the Canal Saint-Martin and the Bassin de la Villette. None is built round the series; avenue Richerand opens off the quai de Jemmapes.
Six more places, from a seventeenth-century quay to a station hotel of 1889. Two of them, the ministry at Bercy and the École militaire, are working buildings you see from outside.
116 avenue du Président-Kennedy, 16th arrondissement
Maison de la Radio
The City of Paris logged the production filming at 116 avenue du Président-Kennedy on 9 January 2016.
Henry Bernard’s round building opened on 14 December 1963: a ring 700 metres round with a 68-metre tower, 1,000 offices and 63 studios. Radio France has been based here since 1975.
Guided visits take about an hour and a half; some studios close depending on the period.
Guided visits of about an hour and a half cover its history and architecture; concerts and shows recorded before an audience run all year. Book on the Maison’s website.
Where we read it
04The clock on the main façade of the École militaire, May 2012. Siren-Com · CC BY-SA 3.0
Place Joffre, 7th arrondissement
École militaire
The École militaire is among the Paris places where the series filmed.
Louis XV founded it in 1751; Ange-Jacques Gabriel built it. It now houses two staff colleges for senior officers and opens on the European Heritage Days.
Military colleges, closed to visitors except on the European Heritage Days. The façade faces the Champ de Mars.
The City of Paris logged the production at 108 rue Saint-Lazare, the Hilton, on 18 January 2016, and the same day at 117 rue Saint-Lazare, place Henri-Bergson and avenue César-Caire nearby.
It opened in 1889 as the Grand Hôtel Terminus, for British travellers arriving at Saint-Lazare for the Exposition universelle. Hilton bought it at the end of 2013 and renamed it in January 2015.
A working hotel beside Gare Saint-Lazare.
Where we read it
Hilton
Hilton Paris Opéra
Saint-Lazare, 8th arrondissement
The old Grand Hôtel Terminus, opened in 1889 beside Gare Saint-Lazare. The City of Paris logged the production here on 18 January 2016.
Mathieu Kassovitz at Cannes on 22 May 2017, the day season 3 began on Canal+. Georges Biard · CC BY-SA 3.0Mathieu KassovitzGuillaume Debailly, Malotru · Cannes, 2017
Sara Giraudeau at the César nominees’ lunch in February 2016, three months before season 2 aired. Georges Biard · CC BY-SA 3.0Sara GiraudeauMarina Loiseau, Phénomène · 2016
Jean-Pierre Darroussin in September 2013; no free photograph from the series’ run was found. Georges Biard · CC BY-SA 3.0Jean-Pierre DarroussinHenri Duflot, Socrate · 2013
Florence Loiret Caille at the Cabourg film festival in June 2016. Georges Biard · CC BY-SA 3.0Florence Loiret CailleMarie-Jeanne Duthilleul · Cabourg, 2016
Mathieu Amalric at the Lumières awards in February 2018, the year he joined the series. Georges Biard · CC BY-SA 4.0Mathieu AmalricJean-Jacques Angel, JJA, seasons 4–5 · 2018
Éric Rochant in February 2013, two years before the first season. Georges Biard · CC BY-SA 3.0Éric RochantCreator and showrunner · 2013
Éric Rochant created the series and ran it as lead writer, then handed the last two episodes to Jacques Audiard. Around the cast above are Zineb Triki as Nadia El Mansour, Léa Drucker as the psychiatrist Laurène Balmes, Gilles Cohen as MAG and, in the last season, Louis Garrel. It reached America and Canada on iTunes on 1 June 2016 and Britain on Amazon Prime on 17 June 2016; an American adaptation, The Agency, followed in 2024.
Where we read it
Cast, characters, code names, Canal+ dates, five seasons of 50 episodes of 52 minutes.
About 40Days in Morocco for season 2, standing in for countries including Syria and Libya
Out of the water.
Where it is now
13 places you can visit in Paris and Saint-Denis. Three are working buildings you see from outside: the headquarters on boulevard Mortier, the ministry at Bercy and the École militaire.
Pins mark public places; private homes are named but not pinned.
General reference · Restricted access · Coordinate precision: site · Not an exact scene or camera position; not a visitor route. A working intelligence headquarters with no visitors. Walk the boulevard from Porte des Lilas and look from the pavement.
General reference · Public access · Coordinate precision: building · Not an exact scene or camera position; not a visitor route. A City of Paris pool: €3.50 a swim, €2 reduced. Until 18 October 2026: Tuesday and Thursday 11.45am–1.30pm and 5.15–10pm, Wednesday 7–8.30am and 12.30–7pm, Friday 7am–6pm, Saturday 11am–8pm, Sunday 10am–8pm. Check the City’s page for later hours.
General reference · Public access · Coordinate precision: building · Not an exact scene or camera position; not a visitor route. A city sports hall, used by local clubs. Look from rue Japy and boulevard Voltaire.
General reference · Public access · Coordinate precision: site · Not an exact scene or camera position; not a visitor route. A public street between the Faubourg Saint-Antoine and boulevard Voltaire, near Nation. People live here; look quietly.
1141 boulevard Mortier, the head office of the DGSE, in June 2014. Tangopaso · Public domain
141 boulevard Mortier, 20th arrondissement
141 boulevard Mortier
The DGSE’s head office is at 141 boulevard Mortier, near the Porte des Lilas, in two former barracks facing each other across the boulevard: the Tourelles and the Mortier.
A working intelligence headquarters with no visitors. Walk the boulevard from Porte des Lilas and look from the pavement.
Built as the stade aquatique des Tourelles for the 1924 Paris Olympics, it first held 10,000 spectators.
A City of Paris pool: €3.50 a swim, €2 reduced. Until 18 October 2026: Tuesday and Thursday 11.45am–1.30pm and 5.15–10pm, Wednesday 7–8.30am and 12.30–7pm, Friday 7am–6pm, Saturday 11am–8pm, Sunday 10am–8pm. Check the City’s page for later hours.
Where we read it
3The Gymnase Japy in September 2014. Ash Crow · CC BY-SA 4.0
2 rue Japy, 11th arrondissement
Gymnase Japy
The City of Paris logged the production filming at the Gymnase Japy on 11 November 2016.
A city sports hall, used by local clubs. Look from rue Japy and boulevard Voltaire.
Where we read it
4Rue des Immeubles-Industriels, looking south, in September 2011. Poulpy · CC BY-SA 3.0
Rue des Immeubles-Industriels, 11th arrondissement
Rue des Immeubles-Industriels
The City of Paris logged the production filming at 7–10 rue des Immeubles-Industriels on 19 January 2016.
A public street between the Faubourg Saint-Antoine and boulevard Voltaire, near Nation. People live here; look quietly.
Where we read it
Stay
By the station.
The old Grand Hôtel Terminus at Saint-Lazare, where the production filmed in January 2016.
Hilton
Hilton Paris Opéra
Saint-Lazare, 8th arrondissement
The old Grand Hôtel Terminus, opened in 1889 beside Gare Saint-Lazare. The City of Paris logged the production here on 18 January 2016.
Walks on the canals, in the east and on the islands of the Seine.
Viator · Ad / affiliate
Canal Saint-Martin on foot
10th and 19th arrondissements
Live marketplace results for walks along the Canal Saint-Martin and the Bassin de la Villette. None is built round the series; avenue Richerand opens off the quai de Jemmapes.
Live marketplace results for walks in Belleville and the 20th arrondissement. None goes to boulevard Mortier; it is a short metro ride on from the Porte des Lilas.
Dates, prices, rooms and stock change: confirm with the provider before you travel or buy. A stay or tour is described as a filming location only where the card says so.
The file
Every place and moment behind this page, with sources.
13 of 13 places · 13 of 13 Moments
141 boulevard Mortier
141 boulevard Mortier, 20th arrondissement
The real front door
The production films at the real headquarters on boulevard Mortier, and for season 4 in its courtyard for the first time.
Piscine Georges-Vallerey
148 avenue Gambetta, 20th arrondissement
La Piscine
The press calls the DGSE “la Piscine” after the pool beside its headquarters.
Gymnase Japy
2 rue Japy, 11th arrondissement
Shoot day: 11 November 2016
The production films at the Gymnase Japy.
Rue des Immeubles-Industriels
Rue des Immeubles-Industriels, 11th arrondissement
Shoot day: 19 January 2016
The production films on rue des Immeubles-Industriels.
Avenue Richerand
Avenue Richerand, 10th arrondissement
Shoot day: 19 November 2016
The production films on avenue Richerand.
Bassin de la Villette
Quai de la Marne and avenue de Flandre, 19th arrondissement
Shoot day: 26–27 March 2018
The production films on avenue de Flandre, beside the basin.
Cité du Cinéma
20 rue Ampère, Saint-Denis
The Bureau, built
Every scene inside DGSE headquarters is shot on a set of more than 1,200 square metres at the Cité du Cinéma.
Quai de Bourbon
Quai de Bourbon, Île Saint-Louis, 4th arrondissement
Shoot day: 19 January 2016
The production films on the quai de Bourbon.
The ministry at Bercy
139 rue de Bercy, 12th arrondissement
Shoot day: 28 November – 1 December 2016
The production films at the economy ministry.
Maison de la Radio
116 avenue du Président-Kennedy, 16th arrondissement
Shoot day: 9 January 2016
The production films at 116 avenue du Président-Kennedy.
École militaire
Place Joffre, 7th arrondissement
At the École militaire
The series films at the École militaire.
Bois de Boulogne
Bois de Boulogne, 16th arrondissement
Shoot day: 17 November 2016
The production films in the Bois de Boulogne.
Hilton Paris Opéra
108 rue Saint-Lazare, 8th arrondissement
Shoot day: 18 January 2016
The production films at the Hilton on rue Saint-Lazare.
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