The towers of Beaugrenelle and the squares and gardens of the 15th arrondissement

Starting point and access: Pont de Bir-Hakeim, left bank.
- Metro - Line 6, Bir-Hakeim station. Take exit 2 Tour Eiffel, at the front of the train when travelling towards Étoile, at the rear of the train when travelling towards Nation. At the bottom of the stairs, take the exit on the right and cross Boulevard de Grenelle at the pedestrian crossing on the even-numbered side.
- RER - Line C, Champ de Mars station. Follow the connection to metro line 6 and, at the top of the stairs leading back up to street level, take the exit on the right, as for the metro exit (see above).

(S) Cross Quai de Grenelle and climb the steps opposite. Immediately turn left onto a concrete path, the Promenade du Quai de Grenelle. Walk to the monument commemorating the victims of racist and anti-Semitic persecution. Retrace your steps (the stairs on the left lead to the quay, which can only be followed in one direction and is very close to traffic). Cross Quai de Grenelle again and return to the starting point.

(S) Follow Boulevard de Grenelle and take the^first right, Rue Nélaton. At the end, turn right onto Rue du Docteur Finlay. At the traffic lights, turn left. At the next traffic lights, turn left again towards the Mercure Tower.

At the foot of the tower, climb the large staircase on the right. At the top, turn left towards "Pollux" and pass under an archway. At the corner of the Tour de Mars B, turn right. Go straight ahead and pass under an oval-shaped building. Then take a footbridge over Square Bela Bartok (note the very tall chimney of the Beaugrenelle district's central heating system on the left).

At the end of the footbridge, turn left 180° and go down a staircase. On the landing, go down the stairs on the left, pass by the foot of a statue of Bela Bartok and emerge in the square that bears his name. Then go to the left and go around the Crystal Fountain sculpture on the left. Turn left again to leave the square and cross Place de Brazzaville.

(1) Climb a large staircase to return to the Beaugrenelle slab (there are two parallel staircases, one of which is mechanical and can be used). At the top, go straight ahead along a railing on the right-hand side. Pass under the Totem Tower, characterised by its outward-facing "lobes".

At the corner of this tower (fire hydrant no. 11), turn left to cross a small planted area. Pass at the foot of a tower with red window edges on the right-hand side. At the first crossroads, turn right towards "Perspective 1". Pass between the "red" tower on your right and a synagogue on your left. You will arrive at Place Centrale (painted wall on the right).

(2) Then turn left towards the Perspective Tower and walk past the Rive Gauche Tower. At the corner of the tower, turn right and walk past the Panorama Tower on your left. Shortly afterwards, turn left, ignore the stairs leading down to Rue Emeriau opposite and turn right towards the shared gardens.

Walk along a railing on your left, turn right then left, still towards the shared gardens. Take the bridge over Rue Linois then walk along the shared gardens on your left. Turn right and go down. At the bottom, take the footbridge on the left over Rue de l'Ingénieur Robert Keller.

(3) At the end of the footbridge, go down the stairs opposite, which turn around halfway down. At the bottom, turn right and follow a footpath between two walls. Go through a chicane, walk past a nursery school on your right and come out onto Avenue Émile Zola. Cross the avenue at the pedestrian crossing on the right, then Rue de Javel. Then follow Rue du Capitaine Ménard.

At the end, cross Rue de la Convention, pass by the foot of the Saint-Christophe de Javel church and continue straight ahead onto Rue Léontine. Cross Rue des Cévennes and continue along Rue André Lefebvre (pedestrianised). At the crossroads, cross Rue Cauchy on the left, then Rue Balard, and continue along Rue du Pic de Barrette. Cross Rue de la Montagne de l'Espérou and enter Parc André Citroën.

(4) Continue straight ahead for about 50 metres. At the crossroads before a slope, turn right onto a wide gravel path. Continue straight ahead. There are side paths on the right leading to small themed gardens (closed in winter). At the junction with a water dispenser on the right (still and sparkling water), continue straight ahead and go down a flight of steps. At the bottom, turn left and go through a gate (red and white cross). Then turn right, go under the railway bridge and through a gate in the fence to reach the banks of the Seine (beautiful view).

(5) Retrace your steps and, after the gate, turn right. Then take a paved path on the left (red and white marker). Walk along a small pond on your left and pass through a series of small porches. At the foot of the large slope where the two large greenhouses are located, turn right through an opening in a low wall (red and white arrow). Continue straight ahead and leave Parc André Citroën. Immediately enter Jardin Eugénie Djendi and continue straight ahead to the paved area where the memorial to soldiers who died in foreign operations is located (Jardin Noir on the map).

At the end of this area, turn left and leave a playground on your right. Then turn right to exit the garden. Cross Rue Saint-Charles and then Rue Balard. Pass a sculpture with a fountain on your left and enter Rue Modigliani, a pedestrian street interspersed with steps. Enter Square Jean Cocteau and immediately turn right to exit onto Avenue Félix Faure.

(6) Follow the avenue to the left and pass a traffic light. At the beginning of Rue de Lourmel, at a second traffic light, cross to the right. Pass the "Lourmel" metro station, walk along a mini-square on your left and continue along Avenue Félix Faure. Take the^second left, Rue Duranton. After about 50 metres, turn right into Square Duranton. Go around the central reservation on the left and pass some playground equipment and then a kiosk on your left. Leave the square, go under a porch and you will come out onto Rue de la Convention.

Turn left, then immediately right onto Rue de Lourmel. Cross Rue Roty, then Rue de Javel, and continue straight ahead. At the next crossroads, turn right onto Rue de l'Église. Shortly after crossing Rue de la Rosière, turn left into Square Violet (red and yellow arrow). Go around a flowerbed on the right and, when you reach the guardhouse, turn left. Pass a kiosk on your left and continue straight ahead to leave the square.

Cross Rue des Entrepreneurs at the pedestrian crossing. Then cross Place Violet diagonally to the right and continue along the street of the same name. Take the^first right, Passage des Écoliers. At the end, turn left into Passage des Entrepreneurs. At the end, turn right and walk along a square on your left. At the next intersection, turn right onto Rue du Commerce... a very commercial street.

(7) At the end (Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Grenelle Church opposite), turn left. Cross Rue Mademoiselle and continue along Rue des Entrepreneurs. Note the Art Deco building at no. 109. At the crossroads, cross Rue de la Croix Nivert then Rue Léon Lhermite, and enter Square Saint-Lambert.

Facing a sculpted fresco, climb the stairs on the right. At the top, turn right again. You will come to a sort of rotunda; descend the flight of steps opposite. Then turn right and go around a pond located below on the left. At the end of the path, go down a staircase that leads to the edge of the pond. Then turn right and walk along a lawn on your left. At the corner, turn left and then climb the^first staircase on the right. Turn right, then left, leaving a playground on your left and leaving the square.

Cross the street and continue straight ahead along Rue Léon Séché (pedestrianised). Cross Rue Pétrel and then Rue Lecourbe on the right, and you will reach the war memorial of the^15th arrondissement, Place Monmarché.

(8) Facing the monument, turn left then right, pass the^15th arrondissement town hall on your left and follow the wide Rue Péclet. Cross Rue Blomet and enter Square Jean Chérioux (the first name is incorrect on the map; there are two Chérioux, Adolphe the grandfather and Jean the grandson). Walk up the square via the left or right-hand path and exit onto Rue de Vaugirard.

Follow the street to the left and, at the traffic lights, turn right onto Rue des Favorites. Then turn into the^{first street} on the left, Rue Sainte-Félicité. Take the^{second street} on the right, Rue de la Procession, then turn left into Square Nécker. Cross the square, leaving a kiosk on your left. Then follow Rue Bargue to the right. Go straight ahead, cross Rue Plumet and then Rue Dutot. At number 48, turn right under a porch. At the end of the alley (chicane), you will find Rue de la Procession. Turn left and follow it.

(9) At^{the first} pedestrian crossing, cross the street, go through a gate and head towards the (modern) Notre-Dame de l'Arche d'Alliance church. To visit the church, climb the stairs and then come back down on the other side; otherwise, go straight ahead and pass under the church forecourt.

At the end of the alley, cross the street and enter Square d'Alleray, which is slightly off to the left. Immediately turn left to go through a cylindrical opening. Cross a small garden to the right and pass under a porch. Then turn left and leave a playground on your right. Turn left again to leave the square. Walk past the foot of a building, go down some steps and go through a small gate.

Then follow Rue Saint-Amand to the left. At the traffic lights, turn right onto Rue Labrouste. At the next crossroads, cross Rue de Vouillée and follow it to the right. Take the^second left, Rue Santos-Dumont.

(10) At the three-way junction, turn right into Villa Santos-Dumont, a pretty cul-de-sac with lots of greenery and beautiful houses. Retrace your steps.

(10) Turn right and continue along Rue Santos-Dumont (at no. 42, the former home of Georges Brassens). At the end, turn right onto Rue des Morillons. At the traffic lights, turn left onto Rue Brancion.

At Rue Fizeau, turn right and enter Parc Georges Brassens. Take the^third path on the left (just before the merry-go-round) for a detour to the statue of the artist who gave his name to the park. Take the^first path on the right to reach the edge of the large pond. Go around the pond on the right, staying as close to the water as possible.

At the foot of the belfry, take the large path heading south-west. Stay on the main path towards the vineyard and ignore the narrower paths on the right. At two successive crossroads, continue straight ahead (ignore the arrow pointing left towards the vineyard).

(11) Leave the park and immediately cross Place Romain Gary to the right. First turn right then left to cross Rue de Dantzig and enter Passage de la Petite Ceinture (a paved path) opposite. Go under a painted porch. Further on, continue along a narrow tarmac path between two fences. Go down a slight slope, walk along a brick wall and go down a flight of steps.

First turn left then right to reach the Petite Ceinture in^{the 15th arrondissement}. Go down a series of metal stairs interspersed with wooden footbridges. At the bottom, cross the disused railway line and follow it to the left. Shortly after the disused Vaugirard station, turn right twice and then descend a large staircase on the left. You will come out onto Rue de Vaugirard. Follow it straight ahead to the left until you reach Porte de Versailles (E).

To return home:
- Metro - Line 12 (immediate access).
- Tram - Line T3a (cross Boulevard Victor) or T2 (continue past and cross the entire square).

Good trainers are sufficient for this urban route.

Water fountains and public toilets are available in some gardens, marked on the OSM map. There are numerous bars, restaurants and shops along the route.

A detailed map is required (at least the one accompanying this description).

Opening hours of public spaces:
Promenade du Quai de Grenelle, Dalle de Beaugrenelle and Square Bela Bartok: 24 hours a day.
Passage de la Petite Ceinture and Petite Ceinture in the 15th arrondissement:
- Opening: 9:00 a.m. on weekdays; 9:30 a.m. on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.
- Closing: 4:45 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. depending on the season. See detailed opening hours.
Other squares and gardens:
- Opening: 8:00 a.m. on weekdays; 9:00 a.m. on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.
- Closing times: 5:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. depending on the location and season. See detailed opening hours.

Hike completed by the author on 11 December 2019.

From the Bir-Hakeim Bridge (S) to the Beaugrenelle slab (1):
- Pont de Bir-Hakeim, built between 1903 and 1905. It has two superimposed levels, the lower one supporting a pedestrian walkway and a road, the upper one supporting an elevated metro line.
- Monument in tribute to the victims of racist and anti-Semitic persecution, in reference to the roundup of July 1942, when 13,152 Jews, including 4,115 children, were arrested by the French State police and herded into the Vél' d'Hiv, which was located a stone's throw from here and was demolished in 1959. The figures rest on a curved surface reminiscent of a cycling track.
- Bela Bartok Square and its Crystal Fountain.

On the Beaugrenelle slab, between (1) and (3):
- Towers with varied architecture.

From Beaugrenelle (3) to Parc André Citroën (4):
- Saint-Christophe de Javel Church (1926-1930).

From Parc André Citroën (4) to Avenue Félix Faure (6)
- The park combines plant and mineral compositions and has many nooks and crannies to wander around.
- Beautiful view from the banks of the Seine at Port de Javel.
- Memorial to French soldiers who died in foreign operations, inaugurated on 11 November 2019.
- Fontaine des Polyphores fountain, designed and erected in 1983 by Jean-Yves Lechevallier (1946-). Representing mushrooms, it is nicknamed "the stack of plates" in Alain Resnais' film "On connait la chanson", shot in 1997.

From Avenue Félix Faure (6) to Place Monmarché (8):
- Square Rosalind Franklin, at the corner of Rue de Lourmel and Avenue Félix Faure. This British scientist (1920-1958) carried out imaging work that proved decisive in the discovery of the structure of DNA, published in 1953 by James Watson and Francis Crick. These two researchers were careful not to associate Rosalind Franklin with their publication and, in 1962, they alone received the Nobel Prize for this discovery. This scientist, who was unfairly unrecognised during her lifetime, undoubtedly deserved better than this shabby flowerbed as a posthumous tribute!
- Duranton Square and Violet Square.
- Saint-Jean-Baptiste Church in Grenelle (late 19th century).
- Art Deco building at 109 Rue des Entrepreneurs.
- Square Saint-Lambert: sculpted fresco, fountain with water jet, flower beds.

From Place Monmarché (8) to Villa Santos-Dumont (10):
- War memorial of the 15th arrondissement. Monument designed by Charles Yrondi (1885-1960) and inaugurated in 1934. It unites the soldiers of the Great War with soldiers from previous generations (on the left): Louis XIV and Marshal de Villars, victor of the Battle of Denain in 1712, Georges Danton and the soldiers of the Battle of Valmy in 1792. On the right are a widow and an orphan.
- Notre-Dame de l'Arche d'Alliance Church (1999), resolutely modern, sober and moving.
- Square d'Alleray.

From Villa Santos-Dumont (10) to Porte de Versailles (E):
- Villa Santos-Dumont, a cul-de-sac with beautiful houses and lovely greenery.
- At 42 Rue Santos-Dumont, the house where Georges Brassens (1921-1981) lived from 1969 onwards.
- Parc Georges Brassens, a former cattle market, named in honour of its illustrious neighbour.
- Disused Petite Ceinture railway line.