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Coulée Verte – Paris high line
You probably heard about the high line in New York – it’s quite a popular spot for locals and visitor to simply hang out or more interestingly, to get an unique glimpse on Manhattan from an elevated level. But did you actually know that the world first high line was inaugurated in Paris? Yep, that’s right! The Coulée Verte (or Promenade Plantée) opened for public in 1993 and follows the former tracks of the Vincennes railway through the 12th arrondissement – from Bastille down to the Paris city limits.
- The Vincennes railway line operated from 1859 to 1969 between Bastille and Verneuil-l`Étang, a town 60km outside Paris
- The Coulée Verte was the world first and only elevated parkway for a few years, until the New York Highline was inaugurated in 2009
- If you’re fan of Ethan Hawk and Julie Delpy, the setting will seem familiar: The Coulée Verte was one of the filming locations of “Before Sunset”
- Many Parisians considered it a waste of money at the time
The Paris highline has a total lengths of 4.7km and is subdivided in different sections. The elevated section starts at Avenue Daumesnil on top of the arcades of the Viaduct des Arts. After the Jardin de Reuilly the Promenade Plantée descents to street level and follows the rail track that leads out of Paris.
How to access the Coulée Verte?
You best start your walk on the Paris high line at the Viaduct des Arts near Bastille.
1, 5 and 8. Take Rue de Lyon with the Opéra on your right and after 200m you’ll hit upon the Viaduct des Arts. Take the stairs to access the Promenade Plantée and start your walk! The Coule
opening times
Every day! From 8am (9am on weekends) to 5:30pm (winter) to 9:30pm (summer)
Promenade Plantée: Activities
First of all, you can obviously walk. You can walk the entire lenghts of 4.7km. You also can just walk parts of it and use one of the many exits that bring you back to street level – or that are intersections between the different parts of the Coulée Verte.
The first sections between the Viaduct des Arts and the Jardin de Reuilly is a pedestrian area. It’s a very popular track for runners, especially on sunday mornings. The Jardin de Reuilly is a green patch and a nice spot for a picnic or just to take a break and relax a bit.
The eastern section from the Jardin de Reuilly can be cycled! The official track for cyclist isn’t too long though but it’s a nice treelined stretch. It’s also pretty save though, especially if you visit Paris with kids: there are 2 lanes separated by a green batch, one for pedestrians and one for cyclists.
Tips for visiting the Coulé Verte:
Tip 1: zero waste No need to pack bottled water for your walk! The coulée verte is equipped with water fountains, pack a reusable bottle and keep your foot print small!
Tip 2: The public bike situation changed in Paris in the beginning of 2018 and it’s a bit messy. Personally, I stopped using Vélib but I became a big fan of OFO – the yellow bikes. They are randomly standing around and can be rented by simply scanning a QRcode. Installing the app takes about 5 minutes. Sign up by using this code: Yec0lg and get a free ride!
Tip 3: If you want to grab some food for a picnic later – there’s an Ari’s Bagel store just across the street of the entrance at the Viaduct des Arts.
Do you need more ideas for your upcoming Paris trip? Check out our list with more than 75 non touristy things to do in Paris!
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