The Promenade plantée, official name is Coulée verte René-Dumont, is a magical stroke in Paris 10m above the street. It was created on the former railway by Philippe Mathieux and Jacques Vergely in 1988. It starts from just behind of Opéra Bastille and end at Porte Dorée. It runs above the city of Paris, and you can find the special view form the walk. The length is about 4.5km, but there are several exits, so we can choose the one which is the easiest to access.
If you go to there from Place de Bastille, you can find an entrance with a sign written “Coulée verte René-Dumont” which is located just at the bottom of the building of “Le viaduc des arts”.
When you go upstairs, a beautiful dynamic graffiti painting will welcome you. The fantasic artwork with natural forms like leaf or wave lets you feel the relation between nature and human beings. It is matched very well with the image of the walking trail as an urban oasis, and it makes you be excited for the walk beginning right now.
Let’s start a relaxing and calm time away from the din and bustle of the city. At first, the classical occidental garden makes you welcome. The arch in the middle of the path and a tree line on both sides create a monumental atmosphere, as if they invite you to the world of landscape painting. You will encounter the opened sky in front of you suddenly after the small limited view of Paris on the ground level. Also, the warm sunshine coming to the green will let your heart refresh.
When you move forward, it shows you a different face. Here, you can find lots of colors of plants, like green, orange or pink makes you enjoy. The style is more contemporary and arranges a compromise between some cultures, as wild English garden or oriental atmosphere by cherry blossom’s flowers and the tree well cut in round form which reminds you bonsai.
In Promenade plantée, you will find many benches, so this place is loved by parisians and tourists. You may spend a precious time with flowers and gentle sunlight.
Here, you will find an atmosphere completely different from the previous one. The arch of bamboo will make you surprise. In this Asian garden, even adults relive their childhood and everyone gets smiled. Children and adults pass through this tunnel again and again, or sometimes they take some photos.
This walk is very long, but children would not get bored of it, because the mood is changed by each area just like an amusement park. The street is large enough to pass with stroller and there are some lifts to go up to here, so you can have a walk in peace even if you’re with baby.
As mentioned, the length of Promenade plantée is 4.5km. therefore, we recommend also to have a running above the city of Paris, if you have a routine to run. In the calmness of morning, you can enjoy trees or flowers and see various landscapes of Paris from the higher level. Your usual run would be upgraded more comfortable and more special.
In spring, colorful blooming flowers will decorate Promenade plantée will get the most beautiful season. We recommend you to bring some coffee and sandwiches, then to have a picnic there. In summer, you may cool down under trees, in autumn beautiful colored leaves, in winter you can feel the precious sunlight in Paris’s winter time. Here, you can touch nature in the city through a whole year. Let’s have your own original journey by spending time with local parisiens or parisiennes in the secret magical spot in Paris.
Words by Yuka Ishihara
Photographs by Yuna Lee
Address : De la rue Édouard-Lartet à la Bastille 75012 Paris
Lift : 34 rue de Lyon / rue Jacques-Hillairet.
Transportation : Metro Line 1, 5, 8 Bastille station / line 8 Ledru-Rollin station
Opening Hours : Daily 8:00-17:30 in winter / 21:30 in summer (Opened from 9:00 on weekends)
Price : Free access for all