High above the city, jog, walk, or skate along the Promenade Plantée, a fantastical urban escape unique to Paris. Explore the walkway as a tasting-walking tour of the Bastille district where peasants famously began their revolutionary revolt against the king. Walk the promenade and dip into gourmet shops along Rue d'Aligre and Rue de la Roquette and throughout the Viaduc des Arts to sample delicacies at local eateries and shop at traditional food markets for wine, artisan breads and cheeses, before having a sweet confection at Alain Ducasse’s famed chocolate shop.
Promenade Plantée follows an old railway track in the 12th arrondissement of Paris, from Opéra Bastille to Bois de Vincennes. The path starts at the crossroads of rue de Lyon and avenue Daumesnil, with staircases, bike ramps, and elevators along the route. Take Métro lines 1 or 8 to Bastille and walk about five minutes down rue de Lyon, bearing left at the fork.
Promenade Plantée is open year-round, with closing hours varying slightly with the season. Beat the crowds by exploring the landscaped walk during the week. Come mid-June for the two-day Festival Coulée Douce, a theater, music and arts festival along the promenade.
The creation of this extraordinary elevated nature path kicked off a dramatic revitalization of the streets below. The renewal is the most dramatic at Viaduc des Arts, the first segment of the promenade where it crosses over an old viaduct where each of its vaults has been transformed into a shop, eaterie or art gallery. Elsewhere, some 80 buildings that had fallen into disrepair have been restored since the walk opened.
