From the Pont d’Austerlitz to the Port de Javel along the banks of the Seine

Starting point and access: Paris-Austerlitz station.
- Metro - Lines 5, 10.
- RER - Line C.
Take Exit 2 Rue Buffon / Jardin des Plantes.

(S) At the top of the exit stairs, go straight ahead, cross Rue Buffon on the left-hand side and walk along the Jardin des Plantes on your left. At the crossroads, turn left and cross two successive pedestrian crossings. Then turn right, cross Quai Saint-Bernard in several stages and turn left again to reach the west side of Pont d’Austerlitz.

(1) Then turn left and follow Quai Saint-Bernard. Cross an access ramp and turn right downhill (red and white marker) to enter the Jardin Tino Rossi. Note the mouth of the Canal Saint-Martin where it flows into the Seine on the opposite bank. Make your way to the banks of the Seine.

(2) Walk along the Seine and pass a statue of Arthur Rimbaud. At the next Fork in the road, take the left-hand path (red and white markings) and walk through a garden featuring sculptures. Return to the banks of the Seine and walk along the river on your right. Pass under the Pont de Sully.

(3) Pass under the Pont de la Tournelle (statue of Sainte-Geneviève). Then pass under the Pont de l’Archevêché and note the Notre-Dame Cathedral on the opposite bank. Pass under the Pont au Double (metal) and then under the Petit Pont (stone). Then follow the Promenade René Capitan, which is covered here.

(4) Go down a flight of steps, pass under the Pont Saint-Michel and go up a flight of steps on the other side. Note the old mooring rings and, on the opposite bank, the former buildings of the judicial police at 36 Quai des Orfèvres. Pass under the Pont Neuf and note the numerous mascarons that adorn it.

(5) Walk under the Pont des Arts and note the Louvre Museum on the opposite bank. Walk under the Pont du Carrousel. At the foot of the next bridge (the Pont Royal), climb the steps on the left leading to the Quai Voltaire. At the top, turn right, leave the bridge on your right and follow Quai Henry de Montherlant (incorrectly labelled on the OSM base map).

(6) At the corner of the Musée d’Orsay, leave the quayside and head down the access ramp on the right to the banks of the Seine (chicane). Walk along the Seine and pass under the Passerelle Léopold Sédar-Senghor. Pass under the Pont de la Concorde and then under the Pont Alexandre III (note the Grand Palais on the opposite bank). Then pass under the Pont des Invalides. After about 600 m, you will reach the footbridge leading to the Archipel des Berges de la Seine-Niki de Saint-Phalle (green barges).

(7) Here, there are two options:
- If you wish, and if the barges are accessible, take the footbridge and then walk across the series of barges until you return to the riverbank (route marked on the map).
- Continue straight ahead.
Pass under the Pont de l’Alma (note the Zouave on the pier near the opposite bank).

(8) Opposite the gate to the Port de la Bourdonnais (closed to the public), turn left and walk up to Quai Branly. Then turn right and take a very wide gravel path. Leave the Passerelle Debilly on your right and continue along the gravel path. Note the Eiffel Tower on your left. Pass the Pont d’Iéna on your right.

(9) Immediately afterwards, head back down to the banks of the Seine and follow the river as closely as possible. At a Fork in the road, turn right and pass under the Pont de Bir-Hakeim. Continue along the bank, which narrows here. Pass under a railway bridge. Pass under the Pont de Grenelle (note the replica of the Statue of Liberty on the right) then turn left and head slightly uphill. Pass a metal barrier on the right and follow the lane closed to vehicles over 3.5 tonnes. At a fork in the road as you approach the Pont Mirabeau, take the paved lane on the left going uphill. This will take you to Javel station (E) on your left.

To get back home:
- Metro - Line 10, towards Boulogne-Pont de Saint-Cloud or Gare d’Austerlitz. Access via the André Citroën platform at the pedestrian crossing on the left behind the station.
- RER - Line C, towards Versailles / Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines or Gare d'Austerlitz, then Etampes / Massy-Palaiseau / Dourdan.

Good trainers are sufficient for this urban route.

There are a few toilets and drinking water points along the route, shown on the map background. Bars and restaurants line the route, including along the banks of the Seine.

Opening times for the Archipel des Berges de Seine:
- Opening: 10.00 am.
- Closing: 5.00 pm from November to February; 6.00 pm from¹ March until the summer opening hours; 6.30 pm from 16 September until winter opening hours; 8.00 pm from summer opening hours until 15 May, and from 16 August to 15 September; 9.00 pm from 16 May to 15 August.

Alternatives in the event of the Seine rising:
The route follows the river as closely and as low as possible. It may therefore be flooded during high water on the Seine. In this case, you must use the higher quays. In any event, follow the diversions and other on-site recommendations.

Alternative finishing points:
If you wish, you can shorten the walk by catching public transport before the end:
- Saint-Michel-Notre Dame (4): Metro lines 4 and 10; RER B and C.
- Musée d'Orsay (6): RER C.
- Invalides: Metro lines 8 and 13; RER C.
- Pont de l'Alma: Metro line 9; RER C.
- Pont de Bir-Hakeim: Metro line 6; RER C.

This walk has been completed three times by the author: once in its full version on 17 March 2020 (before midday, the official start of lockdown), and twice in a shortened version, the first on 22 February 2020 (at night) and the second on 17 December 2021.

Throughout the walk, a pleasant stroll along the Seine, with numerous bridges and views of several Parisian landmarks.

From Gare d’Austerlitz (S) to Pont Saint-Michel (4):
- Jardin des Plantes, part of the National Museum of Natural History.
- Jardin Tino Rossi, featuring modern sculptures.
- Notre-Dame Cathedral, currently undergoing restoration following the fire in April 2019.

From Pont Saint-Michel (4) to Pont de l'Alma (8):
- The Louvre Museum.
- Musée d'Orsay (former Orléans railway station).
- Obelisk of the Place de la Concorde (13th century BC), gifted by Egypt to France in the early 19th century. Standing 23 metres tall, its hieroglyphs celebrate the glory of Pharaoh Ramses II.
- Grand Palais.
- Zouave on the Pont de l'Alma (one of the four statues that adorned the piers of the original bridge).

From the Pont de l'Alma (8) to Gare de Javel (E):
- Trocadéro Palace.
- Eiffel Tower.
- Replica of the Statue of Liberty.