Wonderful!

But now I'm dying to know about Lac Daumesnil.

Great report, as usual, Kerouac.

We took the walk on a nice day a couple of years ago, but obviously did not go far enough. We intended to look at the shops under the arches, but tired feet and hunger got the best of us. Have you seen them, and are they really the artisan workshops that they were originally intended to be?

I know people on this board often say "Why go running when you're on vacation and walking all day?" but I've done just that activity here in the morning. It's great! I obviously did not go far enough either. Next time.

Thanks for the photos.

Kerouac, again merci buttercups for yet another insider's peek at Paris. Especially loved the railway tunnels and those beautiful irises.

Your photos and essays keep Paris alive for all of us.

You really are the king of helping us discover the 'Undiscovered Paris' !
Thanks once again for taking us on yet another beautiful tour of sights we'd likely never get to visit even if we could.

This takes a lot of energy and time Kerouac, but we are all grateful for your work. I really liked your earlier essays about the cemetary where you friend was buried, then the restaurant one, and your more recent ones about 'green' Paris. Keep up the excellent work.

Merci, et a bien tot,

M.

Another reason to return to Paris.

Merci!

I'm glad you liked it. Really, those little essays are not hard to throw together at all. Digital cameras have changed everything.

Love the Promenade plantée - was there a couple of weeks ago and (re)discovered the Jardin de Reuilly, which is absolutely lovely. And you are allowed to picnic on the grass.
There's a great children's playground there too - my toddler had a fabulous time.

Great coverage kerouac. I have some photos taken from the top of the Arc de triomphe of all the people. There were certainly a lot! http://www.parisbyphoto.com/champs/

Karouac, you have enough beautiful photo essays to publish a book.

I always recommend this, and the shops underneath. Couple it with a drink in the lounge of Le Train Bleu and you have a lovely day.

Great pics.

We stayed near the Gare de Lyon in the afternon in very late September a few years ago. We had a lovely stroll through the promenade. We'll be there again for an afternoon in mid-July & we'll do the stroll again - hopefully the flowers will be in full bloom.

Train Bleu for dinner.

Stu Dudley

The Promenade Plantee is looking fabulous thanks to your photos Kerouac. I notice you totally ignored any graffitti - unless it's been painted over by now.
I have enjoyed this walk up to the old original station on 2 occassions, but thanks to you we will attempt the next section towards Chateau Vincennes! Many thanks for a really beautiful photo-essay!

Bookmarked. Thanks again Kerouac. I will need another trip just to fit in all your fantastic recommendations.

DaveMM

There is a bit of graffitti, tod, but not really all that much considering. Mostly tags on the benches.

I am planning a short report on the shops in the arches below the viaduct, but I'll probably just add it to the same thread. Not sure yet.

kerouac-----can you only get on at the beginning and end? About how long is it? Where do you find the entrances? We looked briefly the last time we were in Paris but then got sidetracked. Next time for sure.

Another comment on how wonderful your report is; thank you so much. I, too, would love to running on the Promenade (or walking)!

I can see from your photos that many gay mecs like to cruise the the Promenade. Am I wrong?

Thin

Most of the shops under the arches are indeed art stores featuring the work of individual craftspeople, but there are a few commercial stores, too. I'm not sure how the latter managed to squeeze in. It's all a question of money, I guess.

You are the best. Mercy buckets.

TPAYT, there are lots of places to get on and off the Promenade (or up out of the trench part).

Thin, I'm sure you can cruise there if you want, but people of the same sex strolling together are not automatically gay.

Anthony, among the stores using the Viaduct, there is Surcouf, the computer megastore owned by the same company as FNAC, Conforama and Gucci (and previously Printemps until Printemps was sold to the Italian Rinascente group). So I'm sure that the arches were doled out to the highest bidder, in spite of the original intentions. (The reason that Surcouf is there is because that part of Avenue Daumesnil is the Silicon Valley of Paris with a zillion small computer shops.)

Kerouac, Add me to your legion of fans. This report, like all your others, is superb.

Lovely report as usual Kerouac, thank you. We did this walk last year and loved it. We walked nearly to the end, we caught the metro from "Pickups" as we nicknamed it. I loved the last shady pathway in particular. The Clematis were out, all over the arches when we were there, spectacular.

I will be in Paris again in just over a weeks time, staying in your favourite spot, rue Caulaincourt!!! I wish we could meet up, I am there on and off for a month. I get the feeling you don't tend to meet up with other fodorites - but if you change your mind let me know and I can post my hotmail address.
thanks again for the great report.
Schnauzer

One has to wonder if there is not a future for Kerouac in the field of travel

I'll take your Plante tour, Indian food voyage, Champs Elysee stroll (stopping for Cokes regularly),etc...

Please, Mary, I know my own kind. I know a circuit queen or a clone when I see one.

Thin

Kerouac - thanks for the reply. You should consider meeting Schnauzer......she's a lovely lady and I am convinced you two would hit it off and have a fab evening.
Sometimes Fodorite GTG's are too large and at the end of the evening you can be more confused over who is who in the zoo, than ever! Small intimate groups are great - even 2 is a nice number....

Kerouac,

I just spent the morning strolling through the Promenade Plantée, thanks to your recommendation and lovely guide. I have to say it is such a beautiful place. It was threatening rain so there weren't many people, just some joggers on a Sunday morning. It did rain for a short time but it was not a problem. The walk was just exactly as you described it. I would imagine it would be very crowded on a hot summer day as it is so shady and would provide a nice respite from the heat.

I am planning to do it in the other direction later in the week. Thank you so much for sharing this gem with us.

I'm glad you liked it, Hershey.

Topping this thread since there's discussion of the Promenade Plantée on another thread now, and I have a question about accessing the eastern end.

If one took bus 29 to the Porte de Montempoivre (terminus), how easy would it be to find the Promenade?

We have walked it from Bastille to a little beyond the end of the Viaduc des Arts, and would like to walk the rest of it someday.

Thanks again for your wonderful photo essay.

Kerouac: so good of you to answer questions on my report on the promenade plantee. And thanks, MaineGG for resurrecting this photo essay.

It is a truly lovely walk, and we got on around Daumesnil, which I'm thinking is about half way. I want to do the rest on my next trip.

kerouac, how did I miss this when you first posted in the spring? This walk has long been on my to do list. After viewing your essay, it will move up to top billing on my next warm season visit to Paris. Thank you once again for your efforts.

Kerouac,
Thank you once more for an interesting way to spend time while visiting our favorite city!

We will be returning early May 2012 for 10 days, if everyone is healthy. Is it possible to walk the entire way pushing a wheelchair? How long would you allow for a leisurly stroll with numerous stops to take in the views?

Thank you for this new opportunity!

Wow! How did I miss this thread last year? We walked along part of the Promenade in June 2010 from Bastille to the park. The roses were spectacular. We'll be in Paris next August and will definitely do the walk again if its not too hot. I didn't realise the building with the statues on it was a police station. I have some great photos of it.
Thanks again for a wonderful report and photo essay.
Have you seen "Midnight in Paris" yet?

If one took bus 29 to the Porte de Montempoivre (terminus), how easy would it be to find the Promenade?


It's right next to it. You can't miss it.

Is it possible to walk the entire way pushing a wheelchair? How long would you allow for a leisurly stroll with numerous stops to take in the views?


Well, the end is in a trench well below street level, so you might have to backtrack a bit to get to a place with a ramp to get out rather than stairs. But they exist. To go the entire length, I would allow 2 hours.

Thank you, Kerouac!

Backtracking we will go.

So glad this was topped! Thank you!

I wonder if it will be as beautiful in September as it was in the spring?

Every season is different. It depends on your mood as well. I can even find charm sometimes in barren vegetation with an icy rain in February.

September is still quite summery and easier to love.

Kerouac:

You may be surprised that this thread will keep resurrecting itself!

We're headed to Paris tomorrow from Bordeaux, and I've stumbled upon this gem of a thread once again.

Can you tell me how the entrance to the Promenade is marked and exactly where I will find it behind the Opera? Or is it so obvious that I can't miss it?

I hear people talking about exploring areas under the arches, but that surely must mean a second visit, right? Otherwise, how does one plow on to the end.

If one does a leisurely walk, how long might it take from end to end?

Thanks again!

Have a look at a ( Google ) map. When you come from Bastille Opera on Rue de Lyon toward la Gare de Lyon, you can see "Coulée Verte" Starts along Ave.Daumesnil. You will see the stairs going up to Promenade Planté on the Rue de Lyon/ Ave.Daumesnil, can't miss it. I dind not know but "Coulée Verte" seems to be another name for Jardin Planté. Until Jardin Reuilly, it took about 15 - 20 minutes when I did I think. There are a few other entrance stairs along the viaduc bridge.

Batille - Parc Reuilly is about 1km. Wikipedia says the whole lenght of the promendade is 4.7km so if you walk till the end, it might takes a little more than a hour?

The entrance is at the big brick wall where they cut off the end of the rail line -- in other words, the very beginning of the viaduct. So no, you can't miss it.

There are other points of entry along the way at the major intersections, even a couple of elevators.

And yes, visiting the various things housed under the arches is a different trip! Upstairs is the promenade plantée; downstairs is the viaduc des arts. One day I will do a "downstairs" report.

And I am anxious to try your different excursions one by one! Fodor's needs to publish a Kerouac's guide to Paris.

We walked the full length from the entrance to the peripherique and then back, going down the steps to the viaduc des arts. It was in late April, quite cool, rain threatened but never really came. Whole walk was very pleasant and didn't take more than several hours.

Sally

Hi Kerouac, I did the walk in March, saw few people.

thanks for this photo post of something I had been on only a tiny part of but which I wanted to explore more fully. Once again a great job of photography to boot.

Your picture posts of Paris are indeed a Fodor's treasure.

Sincerely thanks for these great posts!

Thanks. I keep telling myself that I need to make a new report when the Promenade is in full bloom -- and I have missed it for about 2 years since that report.

It seems to have large sections of deciduous trees and shrubs.
This time of year might be a good time to report on and capture the changing colours of nature.

Bookmarking for my next trip to Paris - I loved this report, and the beautiful pictures.

I'll be in Paris in a month. Would you recommend the promenade in early November?

Kerouac as usual your reports are an absolute delight to read.
For the last few years I been walking the Promenade Plantee on my annual spring trips to Paris. It is a joy to walk and then sit and read and just enjoy the beautiful flowers and plants.

Thank you so much for sharing your Paris with us.

I really wanted to show this to SO at the end of our trip to France in September, but alas, I wasn't even able to faire une promenade, so we were stuck at a café in the 20ème. Next time, I hope.

We walked the Promenade during late November last year. It was still enjoyable...I am sure nowhere as beautiful as it is during the Spring and Summer, but a chilly Fall afternoon is still a gfreat time in Paris. I say go...we were glad we did.

Thanks desisea.

ttt