The wildlife of Alésia and Petit Montrouge

Starting point and access: Porte d'Orléans.
- Metro - Line 4. Take exit 2 Boulevard Joudan.
- Tram - Line T3a. Reach Avenue du Général Leclerc via Boulevard Jourdan or Boulevard Brune, depending on the direction you are coming from.
- Bus - Lines 38, 62, 92, 125, 126, 128, 187, 188, 194, 197, 299, 388.

The main animal representations and key features to look out for are indicated in italics in the description.

(S/E) When you exit the metro station, head towards Avenue du Général Leclerc and follow it to the right. At the corner of No. 17, turn right into Villa Virginie (not signposted here). Note the old Petite Ceinture railway line below on the left. At the crossroads, turn left onto Rue de la Tombe Issoire. Take the second left onto Rue Lacaze. At No. 14 bis, there is a building with a loft-style left wing with very high ceilings. At the end (mural opposite on the left), turn right and walk along the left-hand side of the brick building of a Franciscan convent.

(1) At the end of the chapel, turn left onto Rue Marie-Rose. After the chapel entrance, note a painted window depicting Saint Francis of Assisi with the wolf of Gubbio and several birds. At the end, cross Rue Sarrette at the pedestrian crossing, then take a first turn right then left to take Rue du Loing. At the end, take a first turn right then left to cross Rue d'Alésia and follow Rue de la Saône. Turn right onto this street and take the first right, Rue du Commandeur. At the crossroads, turn left into Rue Montbrun.

(2) At the next crossroads, turn left onto Rue Bézout. Then turn right into Passage Montbrun. At no. 4, you will see a beautiful brick and glass façade. Come out onto Rue Rémy Dumoncel and follow it to the left. At the end, turn right to reach the next protected passage (on the right, you will see the sign of a former sweet and chocolate shop). Cross Avenue du Général Leclerc and follow it to the left. Take the second right, Passage Rimbaut. At the end, follow Avenue du Maine to the left to reach the next protected crossing, near the Church of Saint-Pierre de Montrouge.

(3) Cross Avenue du Maine and first turn left then right onto Rue du Moulin Vert (lion's head on the corner). At the end, turn right onto Rue des Plantes (zebra painted on a shop window). Pass Villa Moderne (dead end) on your right and note the mascaron high up at No. 20 Rue des Plantes. Then turn right onto Rue de la Sablière (on the corner, on the left, there is a restaurant with a toad sign).

(4) At the end, first turn left then right to cross Avenue du Maine again. Then turn left, cross Rue Brézin and continue along Rue Pierre Castagnou. Shortly afterwards, turn right into Square de l'Aspirant Dunand. Cross the square and exit via Place Jacques Demy. Turn right, find Rue Brézin and follow it to the left. At the traffic lights, cross Avenue du Général Leclerc.

(5) Follow the avenue to the right and take the first left, Rue du Couédic. At the roundabout, turn right onto Rue Hallé. You will immediately come to Rue Rémy Dumoncel and follow it to the left. Note the two large horseshoes with tools underneath on the façade of No. 11 (former sign of a blacksmith). Cross Rue d'Alembert and continue straight ahead. At the traffic lights (on the right, a poodle serves as the sign for a dog grooming shop), cross Avenue René Coty in two stages. Continue straight ahead into Rue Dareau and pass under the railway bridge.

(6) Then turn right onto Rue Boussais, then left onto Rue Cabanis. Continue straight ahead until you reach the large gate of Hôpital Sainte-Anne (on the right-hand side). Then turn left onto Rue Ferrus. At the traffic lights, cross Boulevard Saint-Jacques in two stages and pass under the elevated metro line. Continue straight ahead onto Rue de la Santé.

(7) At the corner of the Santé prison (commemorative plaque), turn right onto Rue Léon-Maurice Nordmann. Note some beautiful townhouses, particularly at No. 152, Cité des Vignes. At the entrance to Square Henri Cadiou (on the left), note the fresco depicting a tiger. Continue straight ahead and, at the traffic lights, turn left into Rue de la Glacière.

(8) At the next traffic lights, turn left onto Boulevard Arago (at the corner, there is a lion's head on a gate and an elephant inside a bakery). Walk up the boulevard, preferably along the wide tree-lined path. Between numbers 61 and 67, walk along the Cité Fleurie, a group of late 19th-century buildings that once housed artists' studios. Cross Rue de la Santé, note the last public urinal in Paris and walk along the prison wall. Cross Place de l'Ile de Sein and pass by the base of a statue of Arago that was melted down in 1942. Continue straight ahead to the edge of Place Denfert-Rochereau.

(9) At the traffic lights, cross Boulevard Arago and start walking around Place Denfert-Rochereau in an anti-clockwise direction, with the bronze replica of the Lion of Belfort by the sculptor Bartholdi in the centre. Cross Avenue Denfert-Rochereau and Boulevard Raspail. Head back towards the square, leaving the monument to François Raspail on your right. Cross Rue Froidevaux and you will immediately reach a metro station (S/E).

To return home:
- Metro - Lines 4 and 6.
- RER - Line B.
- Bus - Lines 38, 59, 64, 68, 88, 216.

Good trainers are sufficient for this urban route.

There are numerous bars, restaurants and shops along the route.

Opening hours for gardens and public places:
Square de l'Aspirant Dunand
- Opening hours: 8:00 a.m. on weekdays; 9:00 a.m. on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.
- Closing time: 5.45pm to 9.30pm depending on the season (see detailed opening hours).

Useful detailed map (at least the one accompanying this description).

Hike completed by the author on 3 January 2026.

The main animal representations and notable places are mentioned in the description itself, without claiming to be exhaustive.

Visits to churches are free during the day, but visitors should refrain from visiting during services.