Parc de Belleville

Overview

Clinging to the steep slopes of the 20th arrondissement, Parc de Belleville is the highest park in Paris. Deeply loved by locals and largely ignored by tourists, it offers an incredible, sprawling array of water features, terraced gardens, and the best free sunset view in the city.

Highlights

• The Viewpoint: The belvedere at the very top (near Rue des Environs) offers a staggering, totally unobstructed panoramic view sweeping from Notre-Dame to the Eiffel Tower.
• The Waterfall: A massive, 100-metre-long trickling fountain system cascading down the incredibly steep hillside steps.
• The Play Area: The park contains one of the most adventurous, massive, abstract wooden climbing structures for children in Paris.

History

Before becoming a park in 1988, this impossibly steep hill was a poor, heavily industrial working-class neighborhood. For centuries prior, the south-facing slopes were completely covered in vineyards (which supplied the rowdy taverns of the area). The park still maintains a tiny, symbolic vineyard to honor this history.

Visitor Tips

• The Climb: You will be walking uphill. Enter from the bottom (near Couronnes Metro) and work your way up to the viewpoint, or vice versa if you prefer walking down.
• Sunset: This is a major gathering spot for Belleville locals (a very hip, alternative neighborhood) who drink cheap wine on the upper terraces as the sun drops behind the Eiffel Tower.
• Duration: 45–60 minutes.