Residents and visitors alike can encounter them in cafes, sitting on the street, and even in the metro, according to Le Parisien.
More than 50 enormous teddy bears, each nearly 1.5 meters tall, are scattered around the famous Tapestry Quarter. Passersby are increasingly seeing the plush animals. They are greeted at tables on cafe terraces, at metro stations, in hairdressers, in cars in parking lots, and on street benches. The inspiration for this campaign was a bookseller named Philip.
Neighbors are convinced the bears have appeared on the streets for a reason. They symbolize local residents and are meant to bring people together, bring them good spirits, and make the neighborhood even more popular with visitors and residents of Paris. Most often, the bears appear singly, but sometimes up to ten plush residents of the Gobelins can be seen in a single spot. They have become so popular that they even attracted the attention of Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, who tweeted a message to Philippe. Eyewitnesses say that when they first saw the bears, they thought they were hallucinations. Meanwhile, locals find the idea of plush residents unusual. Many people now stop by them, take photos, and smile, Le Parisien reports.
As for the bears' owner, he's confident in the benefits of the furry additions to Parisian streets. He says he's worked in the area for 25 years, and there were many people here he never spoke to. Now, they all call him by name. Philippe promised that the bears will be on display until early January and expressed hope that some residents will lend them hats and scarves for the cold weather.
The Rue des Gobelins in Paris owes its name to a tapestry factory, which still exists today. Among the neighborhood's landmarks are the Hôtel de la Reine Blanche, with its Gothic architecture, expansive windows, towers, and staircases; the Square Le Gall park on the banks of the Bièvre River, Paris's first skyscraper; and the Gobelins Gallery. The easiest way to reach the area is by metro.
Source: news.turizm.ru