Viaduc des Arts

Overview

Stretching impressively along the Avenue Daumesnil, the Viaduc des Arts is a brilliant triumph of urban regeneration. It is a massive, 1.5-kilometre 19th-century brick railway viaduct whose soaring arches have been spectacularly converted into a prestigious hub for French artisanship.

Highlights

• The Vaults: Over 50 magnificent, towering red-brick arches completely enclosed by massive glass fronts, glowing warmly in the evening.
• The Artisans: The vaulted spaces house the absolute elite of Parisian craftsmen, including master violin makers, glassblowers, furniture restorers, and haute couture textile designers.
• The Coulée Verte: The defunct railway tracks on the roof of the viaduct have been brilliantly converted into a lush, elevated linear park.

History

Built in 1859, this massive stone and brick structure carried the steam trains of the Vincennes railway line directly into the Bastille station. Abandoned entirely in 1969, it narrowly escaped demolition. The City of Paris brilliantly decided to save the structure, transforming the arches into subsidised workshops specifically to protect the city's historic luxury craftsmanship industries from being priced out of the capital.

Visitor Tips

• Shopping: While the pieces being made inside are museum-quality (and priced accordingly), almost all the workshops welcome visitors to simply watch the artisans at work through the glass.
• The Route: The absolute best way to experience it is to walk the elevated park on top, then descend the stairs at the end to walk back along the street level peering into the workshops.