Place Carmen walks

A stroll through the 20th and 19th arrondissements of Paris, taking in their diverse neighbourhoods. We cross Ménilmontant, roughly following the old Petite Ceinture railway line, then take a look at the old Belleville aqueduct. The neighbourhood around Rue de la Mouzaïa reveals its sloping streets lined with small houses decorated with flowers. We finish at the edge of the Bassin de la Villette and the Canal Saint-Denis.

This urban route crosses the 20th arrondissement of Paris from north to south in search of animal representations. From Place des Fêtes to Place de la Nation via the charming Église de Charonne, you will mainly walk along quiet streets and a few pleasant passages and alleys.

A visit to the highest-altitude cemetery within Paris city limits, which boasts a rich variety of plant life and is home to the graves of several notable figures. A monument within the cemetery and a church outside it evoke a painful episode in the history of the Paris Commune.

A very pleasant walk through the parks of north-east Paris, ending in Montmartre.

Paris’s 20th arrondissement is a working-class, lively and multicultural area. It is characterised by a high degree of social diversity and a strong artistic identity, with artists’ studios and alternative cultural venues. However, there are notable differences in atmosphere, urban layout and population between the north and south of the arrondissement. The cosmopolitan north of the arrondissement features a dense urban fabric, sloping streets, modest buildings and street art. It includes the Belleville and Ménilmontant neighbourhoods, with their relaxed, bohemian atmosphere. Here you’ll find one of Paris’s major parks, the Parc de Belleville, which offers a panoramic view of the capital, as well as peaceful little gardens.

In this first section of our "Brassens" walk, we first pass through the Belleville and Ménilmontant neighbourhoods, with their narrow streets, footpaths and stairways. Then, after crossing the symbol-rich Place de la République, we walk along the charming Canal Saint-Martin.

The 10th arrondissement of Paris is characterised by a working-class, cosmopolitan and very lively atmosphere, marked by the presence of the Gare du Nord and Gare de l’Est stations. A densely populated area, it mainly offers small local green spaces. The largest gardens have often been created on former historic, railway or industrial sites, such as the Jardin Villemin or the Square Alban-Satragne. The Canal Saint-Martin, for its part, plays a major role by providing a green promenade and a central hub for socialising. Finally, there are a dozen community gardens and examples of community greening: tree bases and micro-gardens.

Paris’s 3rd arrondissement offers an elegant, residential atmosphere. An old neighbourhood, with narrow streets and hidden courtyards, it combines craft shops, art galleries and cultural institutions. Many of its green spaces reflect this historic neighbourhood with its majestic mansions: few playgrounds or lawns for sunbathing, but peaceful places to rest, rich in heritage.

Although the title of this hike evokes a route commonly used by protest marches in Paris, the route itself avoids the main roads and favours the narrow streets and passageways where many workshops were once located.

This is an immersion in a historic district of Paris that was largely untouched by Haussmann's urban renewal and has retained many narrow streets, with architecture still dominated by 17th-century mansions. The suggested itinerary winds its way through narrow streets and gardens, allowing you to discover a rich heritage, including the Carreau du Temple, the Hôtel du Grand Veneur, the gardens of the National Archives, the Place des Vosges and the Hôtel Sully.