What an amazing linear park that takes rails to trails to a new level, the 606 dreams of aspiring…read moreto such heights. Leaving the apartment we hopped on our Velib bikes for a 15 min ride from the Latin Quarter to the head of the trail. We stopped off to grab some sandwiches from Boulangerie Versavel at the western end of the trail on Rue La Cueě. Climbed the stairs and began the wander. Up above the city the sounds of the street subside while your eyes are treated to lovely gardens. About half way down the walk you get to a park that you can detour over via the bridge, but why would you. We sat down to enjoy our sandwiches on the green grass with all the folks having a lazy day taking in the sights and played a little catch. Second half of the walk lowers you to ground level and then to a lower grade where the flowers give way lush forest and old train tunnels all the way to the end of the trail. We hopped on the Metro at Picpus to head back into the city, note it did not take us to the LQ, we rode to the Arc de Triomphe to continue on our day. Public toilets along the way so you do not need to exit the trail to take care of business.

So I am from New York - and as a New Yorker, I spent many countless hours walking down the High…read moreLine, which is this park repurposed from the old High Line railroad that did industrial/commercial deliveries from Penn Station down to around Canal Street - that railroad shut down back in the early '80s, and a decent chunk of it was torn down and built into expensive-as-heck luxury condos and whatnot...but that being said, a large chunk remained between Chelsea market and the massive LIRR trainyard next to Penn Station, and during the 2000s it was repurposed as a New York City park. Us New Yorkers, we are arrogant people - we live in the best city in the United States, we are cultured and we are streetwise...until we visit Paris, then we are browbeaten by a city with a 2000+ year history and all the cultural baggage that entails, and of course, they got their high line first, and it's the Promenade Plantee/Viaduc Des Arts. Just like the story of the high line, the promenade was anchored to a massive train station (the old, historically listed Gare De Bastille), now replaced by the Bastille National Opera house. Part of that line was repurposed into the Southeastern branch of the RER A line. The rest which sits in the city limits between the Opera and the Petit Ceinture (the little belt railway that surrounds Paris right at the border) were abandoned in place until it was repurposed into the Promenade Plantee. Just like the High Line, there are 3 recognizable segments of the Promenade. The first section is the viaduct that starts from approximately where Rue De Lyon splits from Avenue Daumesnil, to around the area of Gare De Lyon/Rue De Rambouillet - this is where most visitors take their pictures. At that point, section 2 begins - part of the original viaduct was torn down and replaced by apartment buildings, and you'll be on new, purpose built areas. There is a free public lavatory here, and you'll have a short walk until you see a large park, Jardin de reuilly. You will then be on a bridge crossing into Allee Vinvaldi, a ground-level promenade for a residential area. Just keep your bearings and continue moving forward - you should see a somewhat large overpass ahead of you that has rock structures built into the wall - thus begins part 3. Part 3 is actually the most fun of the promenade since it has some large well-lit tunnels punching below several important streets in the Pricpus area - you would eventually end up in an area under Station Bel-Air on Line 6, and after a short walk, reach a fork on the walk at Rue De Toul. You can either follow the main-line to Boulevard Peripherique, or take the right fork and head to a park near the junction to the Petit Ceinture - in this case, exit the park on Rottemburg (away from the T3 traimway) and you should reach Michel Bizot/Daumesnil for the Metro Line 8 stop. Overall, quite a fun walk, around 2-3 miles depending on your endurance, very light elevation changes, and lots to see.

We have walked the Camino De Santiago already, so when we saw the clam shells in the sidewalk and…read morefound the St. James Tower, we had to book a tour. We did the guided tour in English, since my French is spotty in the least. Our guide was amazing, she was very knowledgeable and was able to answer our groups questions easily. The climb to the top is 300+ steps, steep steps.... But the view when we finally got to the top was amazing. We had about 20 minutes to catch our breath and enjoy the views. It was definitely worth the price especially since we are peregrinos of "The Way".

"...As lively as the city is, there's a stillness to it, a peace that lures you in. In Paris, with…read morea glass of wine in your hand, you can just be." Ahh Paris how I love thee. Serendipity brought me to a 171-foot Gothic Tower built in the year 1509. This majestic tower is what remains of a former 16th-century Church of Saint-Jacques-de-la-Boucherie that translates to Saint James of the Butchers. Yup a Butcher, quite a sought after profession in the 1500's! Sadly, the Church was demolished in 1797, during the French Revolution, with the sole purpose of recycling the material for other projects. However, it was agreed that the Gothic Tower would remain, where it still stands today, at the intersection of Rue de Rivoli + Rue Nicolas Flamel in the 4th arrondissement of Paris. I didn't get to actually climb the tower, as I was told small tours are available to the public. I am sure the views are breathtaking up there, so once COVID restrictions allow I certainly will trek up those ancient steps... one century at a time. For now, we can only admire this historic landmark from street level. In the end, I can imagine all the stories she witnessed from the birth of the French Renaissance to the fall of Napoleon. A survivor of the dark days of WWII to the dark days of 2020. La Tour Saint-Jacques still stands.. a towering reminder of another great Parisian love story..

Grande Arche de la Défense is a beautiful, modern monument in La Défense, Paris…read more Although it isn't the most well-known or widely recognised monument in Paris, it is kind of an unsung hero of the city which is truly one of my favourite cities in the world, it's a modern arch which consists of government offices, in a really nice square which separates Westfield and CNIT, right by the metro station which is underneath. At 360 ft tall, it is a little taller than the Tour Eiffel and also forms part of the Axe Historique. It's magnificent structure really adds grace and elegance into the La Defense area and makes the view from the Starbucks nearby a little better, especially in the outdoor patio area. It does have multiple steps which lead up the monument which is popular for people to sit and relax, while it might not have the international fame or wow-factor as the Arc de Triomph (of which it is 4km away from) or the Tour Eiffel, it's a pretty nice and underrated monument in a great city.

Certainly one of the more amazing sites in Paris. A great example of the new modern Paris. I love…read morethe idea behind this arch, unfortunately it's not being applied at all around the world today.

We did both a day river tour and a sunset one... Mostly to see as many sites as possession ible…read moreduring our stay. Both were great deals, very relaxing and interesting. On the evening boat tour, we noticed a ton of locals, sitting on the banks with wine & some had dinner. The next evening, we grabbed a bottle of wine, some bread & cheese and searched out a spot along the river to enjoy the sunset. What an amazing experiance!!

Only a river but very beautiful and huge part of French history. Nothing like a walk along this…read moreriver in the summer

Not the biggest garden in Paris, but a favorite stop for my studying-abroad nephew, the Royal…read morePalace gardens was another stop in his guide to showing me his favorite places. We had picked up some onigiri and decided to eat them here on a park bench. It was December, so the park was relatively empty, giving us plenty of places to sit. It was cold so didn't stay very long, but just knowing how much he liked this place makes me want to come back and stay a bit longer (when the weather is nicer).

We came across this jardin serendipitously. That happens a lot in Paris--you're on your way to a…read moremuseum or restaurant, turn a corner, and *poof* you are somewhere cool. It is absolutely worth planning to stroll through these jardins, though, and close as they are to the Louvre and other landmarks, there really is no reason to not plan. Around the perimeter of the jardin, there are some lovely little shops to peek into. Art, antiques--many things to admire! At the far end, the one closest to the river, are the famous striped columns that you see in so many photos. (Yes, they are totally Instagrammable!) If you would prefer something calmer, stay on the far end, which is quiet and green. It's really a nice little pause.

Long lost Roman arena? My two boys couldn't wait to see this…read more As we sat in the almost empty park, we read online (free Wifi) about the arenas discovery and preservation. Oh and gladiators fought here-really nothing more to say.

I love that an ancient Roman amphitheater that dates back to the first century and would be…read moreconsidered a must-see in most cities is now just a quiet park tucked away in the Latin Quarter. I don't think it's a sight many people stumble upon because it's tucked away and unless you know what you're looking for - you would just walk on by it. The arena now seems to be used as a park by the locales, when I visited, there were a few guys in their twenties kicking around a soccer ball and a few groups of elderly people playing a game of boules. I recommend grabbing a sandwich or other yummy goodies from Eric Kayser and coming here for a quiet and relaxing picnic lunch if you feel you need to escape the usual crowds of the 5th.

The sun goes down pretty early in January in France, so we didn't have a chance to come during the…read moreday. Thus, the greenway to the Southwest of the canals (Square Federick Lemaire) was closed (probably to keep people out during the night time). But the canal is well lit, and there were plenty of young and old men having a good time, smoking and drinking. On the eastern side of the canal, there are quite a few nice shops, and people were still shopping. On the western side is more industrial shops, with us walking past multiple home improvement shops focusing on flooring and tiles. We were not able see any of the locks in action, but were able to cross the bridges back and forth and take some nice pictures. it's definitely worth a stop if in the area, and i understand why it would be so beautiful in the spring for a leisurely walk in the daytime.

I've been trying to get to Canal Saint Martin since 2019 and every trip since has ended in…read moredisappointment. I was very determined not to let our visit to Canal Saint Martin go down the drain. I didn't want to take a riverboat cruise but simply grab a baguette sandwich and sit at one of the benches and enjoy the view. While Canal Saint Martin was very agréable, the Paris weather was not. Periods of rain made our picnic idea a soaking mess but we happened to catch a riverboat going up through the locks. Did you know ? Construction of the canal was ordered by Napoleon I in 1802 and construction took place until 1825, funded by a new tax on wine. The neighborhood was friendly and the views were stunning. We had a great time enjoying the sights even with the Paris rain. Best part of Canal Saint Martin is that it's free. There's no admission ticket or reservation to make. To get there via metro the 8 line takes you to République and from there it's a short walk.

Love this fountain it reminds me of the little mermaid. It was very busy in this area and 1 of…read morethe fountains was turned off such beautiful craftsmanship. I hate that I couldn't get close enough for a photo with this beauty.