The Promenade Plantée

[Deleted]

One of the things that makes Paris such an admired city (I suppose) is because the urban planners have always come up with interesting ideas on how to handle development. Over the centuries, people have found a lot of the changes shocking or controversial, not the least of were those perpetrated by Baron Haussmann who bulldozed half the city to make wide boulevards so that the army could crush uprisings. People absolutely despised what he did, and yet now the Haussmann architecture is the major icon that identifies a Parisian street to people anywhere in the world (must think to do a report on the Haussmann style one of these days). The Eiffel Tower, the Centre Pompidou, the Pyramide du Louvre or the Opéra Bastille have all shocked over the years. Some have been accepted and others remain controversial.

Today’s story starts with what Parisians called the “Gare de la Bastille” but whose official name was the “Gare de Vincennes” because it was the terminus of the suburban train line that serviced Vincennes and points east. It was built in 1859 and was your standard medium-sized Parisian train station like the Gare d’Orsay (which has gone on to other occupations). Wikipedia can give you all of the bla-bla details: 30 meters wide, 250 meters long…

I never saw the station open myself, although I could have as a little boy, because it remained in service until the RER A express metro line opened in 1969 and intercepted its suburban tracks. Amazingly enough, the Bastille line operated steam engines until the day it closed. Things used to be built to last, because the steam engines used on the line were built in 1913. How times have changed!

Some of the tracks behind the station were dismantled immediately, but the station itself remained for quite some time. I never went inside, but when I moved to Paris, it still regularly hosted antique fairs and dog shows and events in a similar vein. I thought the building was totally ugly with its (now) 1950’s type façade slowly crumbling away. I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who didn’t mind when it was finally torn down in 1984 to be replaced by President Mitterrand’s new opera.

People have still not digested the style of the “new” building, but it isn’t entirely Mitterrand’s fault. Before it was completed, his socialist government was voted out of power, and the new people absolutely hated the building, but it was too late to stop it completely. So they just reduced the budget to make it cheaper and yes, now it has some netting over certain areas because it is falling apart.

Okay, who cares? This is not about the opera; this thread is about the Promenade Plantée which was created behind the opera. The first name given to the project was La Coulée Verte (“the green flow”), and one of the thoroughly valid justifications was that there was not much of interest in the 12th arrondissement and this could revitalize the area. Also there was the “problem” of the viaduct. The first part of the old rail line consisted of 72 brick arches more than a kilometer long, and just like in London and a lot of other cities, the arches were occupied by garages, cafés, shops and all sorts of things including apartments. It was all in pretty terrible condition, but evicting the 72+ tenants and destroying everything would have been a nightmare. So the idea was to renovate the viaduct and put a long skinny park on top where the rails used to be, all the way to the city limits.

And so here is the entrance to the Promenade Plantée at the Bastille end.

All along the way, there are various places (including elevators) to join or leave the “flow” and it is a very popular place for people to stroll or jog. There is no room for bikes for the first third of the way, but that is remedied for the rest of the promenade, which is more than 4 kilometers long in all.

I’ve been there a few times when I thought it was a little too crowded, but this was a holiday afternoon when I was expecting more people, and it was quite nice and relatively empty.

   

   

(end of part one)

[Deleted]

I’ve seen on a lot of travel forums that a lot of the people who discover it for the first time really like the elevated view of the streets of Paris. It makes you feel as though you have a private, secret perspective on Parisian life.

This is where everybody stops to take a photo of the irresistible police station with its statues.










I don’t know what a lot of the plants are, but I do recognize irises!

One finally reaches the end of the viaduct, but of course you don’t know that since you are on top of it and can’t see it. But there is a sudden change of scenery.

(end of part two)

[Deleted]

The walkway comes out almost at ground level and then arcs across a small park.

It was a very hot day.





Intelligent people sought the shade.



There is no way this woman could see her screen in full sunlight!



It was also lunchtime. Let’s peer down into the menu.

Just after the park there was a municipal swimming pool, which would not be open for another 45 minutes to the great disappointment of numerous people. But I continued along to the next zone. I’m sure that quite a few people think that this is the end of the Promenade Plantée, because suddenly you are at street level on a normal street and huh... what next?

On top of that, the buildings are modern and boring and what are you doing here?

I considered picking up a bike at the bike station, but then I thought it would be too much trouble to keep stopping everywhere to take pictures. So I ignored the bikes and continued forward to the first of several railway tunnels.

At the other end, bicycles and pedestrians take completely different paths.



There was a mysterious alternate tunnel that was closed.

The next section was a lot less like a park and more like a forest, and it was perfect for a leisurely walk on such a hot day.

(end of part three)

[Jazz]

Fascinating. I have been waiting for this since you first hinted that you might do it in last winter. Somehow, in my research, all of the articles online are repetitive and photos of the Promenade seem to be the same 20 photos. It is very interesting to have a glimpse of the history of the Promenade. One thing that has always drawn me to Paris is the unique urban planning. This is a fine example. (La Petite Ceinture is also intriguing) I love both the iconic Haussman architecture and the parts of an older Paris that remain intact, in the Marais and in much of the double digit arrondissements, or, wherever it can be found. All of the train stations of Paris interest me and I regret that I missed seeing Gare de Bastille, ugly or not. Mitterand’s Opera Bastille depresses me and it is poorly constructed and ugly. (when I spent one month there, my apt. on rue de la Roquette was closeby and I had to endure looking at it, daily) The original Opera Garnier is exquisite to this moment.

The road not taken…I never made it to the end. (but now I will!). A lovely day is to visit the Marche aligre, close by, in the morning and have lunch at Le Table d’Aligre, then walk to the Promenade (about 10 minutes away) and experience its unusual ‘sense’ of Paris. Then, descend to street level and explore the shops, expensive but extremely interesting. The Café des Viaduct is very good for a lunch or drink as well. Thank you, Kerouac.

the Marche d’Aligre,
afoodiefroggy.canalblog.com/archives/2007/02/21/4081006.html

La table d’aligre,
www.latabledaligre.com/accueil

[Deleted]

It was gloriously shady, green and cool.

Another “railway” tunnel!









Now that I was in a trench, the city was up above me.





A map was displayed along the way to show people where they were.



I emerged at street level again, and this is the only tricky area of the promenade because there are two slightly alternate routes. Stay to the one on the left! The one on the right will screw you up for sure (I started off that way at first and got completely confused.).





Back at a real intersection! What happened to the Promenade? Do not panic. Keep going straight ahead.

“They” know that just about everybody has no idea of his/her whereabouts by now, so some information is given for reassurance.

       

Onwards, onwards…

Almost at the end… After being in a lovely natural void, one can now hear the roar of the périphérique very close by. There is a structure to climb out of the valley for those who want to face the traffic.

A door closed off where the old rail line used to continue. Let’s take a peek.

I took the reasonable exit. Just before the end of the promenade, there is a little ramp to go up to a side street. I noticed that the gardeners out here might be taking advantage of the fact that their supervisors never drag their fat butts out this far, so they do a little creative hedge trimming.

Up this last little path…

And here is the deliverance after a long hot walk (oh, but there are water fountains along the way) – the terminus of bus line 29!

It takes you back to Bastille and on to Saint Lazare if you choose, passing the famous police station along the way…

(end)

[Deleted]

I would like to mention that in many seasons, the first section of the Promenade is magnificently flowered -- the spring flowers in April, the roses in June, dahlias and daisies later in the summer, etc. This week there were not all that many flowers, but even "off season," it is a delightful walk.

[Deleted]

Delightful is the word! Very nice pictures, you're so lucky to be living in Paris.

[fumobici]

Best photo essay of the Promanade I've yet seen. Bravo!

[bixaorellana]

Completely wonderful in every way! There must be several places where people can enter if they don't wish to walk the entire Promenade, correct? I love everything about it, but I think my favorite thing is how regular city features were incorporated in a way that makes them seem more of "the forest" than man-made.

[Jazz]

Beautiful.

[hwinpp]

Yes, very nice. I never thought Paris would invest so much money in 'city beautification'...

[cristina]

Fumocici, I am not surprised. Even though I don't live in Paris, nor do I even travel there frequently, I do get the sense that city government imparts a value on its beauty, both visually and as the life lived. I am thinking right now about the recent issue with lovers' padlocks on the Pont des Arts bridge. The city was worried about the potential damage to the bridge, but their solution was to find an alternate spot for the dramatic declaration of love. In most North American cities, at least, the padlocks would have been banned, with no thought that an alternative should be proposed or provided.

As well, I think the Parisian city government is (at least philosophically) invested in environmental stewardship. There are many other municipalities around the world that are doing this...but mostly in a vacuum. At least there are similar projects underway in NYC and London.

[fumobici]

They do that padlock on the bridge thing on the little Pont des Arts? Missed that. I associate that silliness with the Ponte Milvio in Rome.

[bjd]

I think I'm going to have to sue you, Kerouac. You took a picture of my kids! The two runners you took the backs of in #4 are my son and daughter. He is visiting her in Paris right now.

Kerouac didn't mention it, but even before they finished the plantings in the Promenade Plantée, the arches underneath were made into artisans' workshops. They are all similar, with wooden frames and large windows. At least, at first that's what they were supposed to be, but now many of them have become expensive shops.

[Deleted]

[bjd]

The lawsuit is off -- those are "sosies".

[greyghost1]

What a wonderful way to spend a day. Thank you so much for sharing with us. I suppose we have to thank the 72 or so people for still living in the shops.... I do think its a wonderful that they made it into such a pleasant place.

[Deleted]

Great thread!!! Reminds me in so so many ways of Central Park,in NYC!! Love the little bamboo grove and of course the irises.
The tunnels are fabulous.
Thanks for this!!!

[Deleted]

[auntieannie]

ooh, another magic place in Paris!

Thanks, K!

[frenchmystiquetour]

Great report, kerouac. I often ride my bike on Avenue Daumesnil on my way to and from Paris and keep staring at The Promenade with thoughts about doing it someday on my bike. Are parts of it off limits to biking (I'm assuming the elevated part is)? Thanks for the map at the end of the thread so I can see where to enter to do at least the parts that are open to bikes. I think it was jazz who said she hated The Opera building and I couldn't agree more. I like every part of The Place de la Bastille (traffic excluded) except that building, although my wife says the acoustics inside the building are supposed to be excellent.

[Deleted]

Yes, bikes are authorized the moment you leave the arched part starting at the Jardin de Reuilly.

[frenchmystiquetour]

Oh yeah, and I've been thinking about doing some sort of report on Haussmann architecture too but I'll leave that to you. I've already got a back log of photos to do trip reports. Undoubtedly Paris was congested and needed some clearing but he really went too far sometimes (Ile de la Cite). The Carnavalet has some great dioramas showing certain areas prior to his arrival and I bet we'd like to have at least a few of those areas back. Ironically, most of what is considered Haussmann architecture was built after The Commune when Napoleon III and Haussmann were removed from power. In fact, the people who decried the Emperor and Haussmann and overthrew them were responsible for twice as much Haussmannization as Haussmann himself. They got rid of the Emperor and Haussmann but kept the rest of his urban planning team in place.

[koloagirl]

Aloha from Kaua'i!

I've just discovered this wonderful forum today and recognize some familiar names here as well!

We went to Paris for the very first time this last March for 2 weeks and had the best time you can ever imagine - despite it being really cold - I mean really cold! Maybe our blood has thinned over the 13 years we have live here in Hawai'i?

This statement: "I’ve seen on a lot of travel forums that a lot of the people who discover it for the first time really like the elevated view of the streets of Paris. It makes you feel as though you have a private, secret perspective on Parisian life."

100% true in our case - we were staying at Maison Zen in the 12th eme and our first full day in Paris we discovered the Promenade Plantee - and walking above the streets of Paris and getting my very first good look at the city from there - amazing and wonderful - you definitely feel as if you have your very own private perspective on Parisian life - I know I did!

So glad to have found these forums - we are planning a return trip for Sept. 2011 and I love planning and anticipation!!!

Malama Pono, (take care),

[Deleted]

Good to see you here. I confess that I have put quite a few of the Paris threads here, but I am far from the only one who has discovered some amazing things to see.

[tod2]

I want to bump up this thread as it is so fantastic! On this trip in April/May I fully intend to take my third walk along Promenade Plantee but it will be further than I have walked before and I will be following Kerouac's guide he has given us.
I am hoping to have the stamina to divert off the track at Picpus and visit the cemetery, before continuing on. The bus at the end is going to be marvellous.

I am also tempted to do part of the walk by bike just for the hell of it but will have to look up the Velib stations so that I am not left stranded with a bike unnecessarily when I've had enough.

[Deleted]

The bus is very much appreciated when you have walked the entire length!

There are quite a few Vélib stations along the way, but it's true that it's better to know exactly which ones are of interest to you.

[tod2]

I thought the Velib website excellent as when you click on a station it tells you how many bikes are available and how many stands/stations are free. That is so amazing to me! And I think, only think, I will be able to do this on my iPhone.....

[Deleted]

The only problem with this great information is that the central computer does not know which bikes have a flat tyre or another problem -- always check the tyres and the chain before you take a bike! However, if something is still wrong with it, if you put it right back in the same station, you are allowed to take another bike without waiting.

And I even think that the system understands that if a bike is taken and returned within a minute 2 or 3 times in a row, there is something wrong and the indicator light goes from green to red so that nobody will take that bike until the service people come by.

[tod2]

Bloody marvellous! If only my iPhone gets Velib on board with the Apps! Better still, if only I could work out how to use it properly ;D

I am eternally grateful Kerouac for all your dedicated input on Paris.