Paris Top Tips

No 7 - Viaduc des Arts

An old train brick and stone viaduct, built in the 1850s, it is now a promenade of gardens, full of flowers and vegetables. Roughly 5m (15ft) wide and 1.5km (1mile) long. It is made up of 64 vaulted arches, each now occupied by an artisan shop, gallery or café. If you can find one of the staircases you can get up on top, it is great to walk along and look down from, it gives a really good perspective of the Parisian architecture and streets bellow. Watch out for the joggers.

The viaduct links the Place de la Bastille, which was the location of Bastille prison, stormed during the French revolution, it no longer remains, but is outlined in gold on the floor. At the other end of the viaduct is the gardens of the Château de Vincennes.

I really like the area to the North of the viaduct, I feel it is Parisian Paris, it’s easy to stroll around and stumble across a vegetable market, quirky café or rustic boulangerie. A bit further North is the Canal Saint-Martin