La Campagne à Paris: the garden village on the hill

Stops along the way

Things to notice.

1. 01

   1

   La Campagne à Paris

   Climb the steps off rue du Capitaine-Ferber into a garden village — three cobbled lanes (rue Irénée-Blanc, rue Jules-Siegfried, rue Paul-Strauss) of small brick houses with front gardens, built as a workers' cooperative in the 1920s. Walk all three slowly; people live here, so keep your voice down.

   01

   La Campagne à Paris

   Climb the steps off rue du Capitaine-Ferber into a garden village — three cobbled lanes (rue Irénée-Blanc, rue Jules-Siegfried, rue Paul-Strauss) of small brick houses with front gardens, built as a workers' cooperative in the 1920s. Walk all three slowly; people live here, so keep your voice down.

   ◉Street View
2. 02

   2

   Rue de la Mare

   Down off the hill, a steep old village street with a railway bridge halfway and ivy-hung walls. It follows the line of a former pond and stream — *la mare* — and feels nothing like central Paris. Worth walking purely for the gradient and the quiet.

   02

   Rue de la Mare

   Down off the hill, a steep old village street with a railway bridge halfway and ivy-hung walls. It follows the line of a former pond and stream — *la mare* — and feels nothing like central Paris. Worth walking purely for the gradient and the quiet.

   ◉Street View
3. 03

   3

   Église Saint-Germain de Charonne

   The village church of old Charonne, medieval at its core, with its own little graveyard climbing the slope behind — one of only two parish churchyards left inside Paris. Go in if it's open; the calm is the point.

   03

   Église Saint-Germain de Charonne

   The village church of old Charonne, medieval at its core, with its own little graveyard climbing the slope behind — one of only two parish churchyards left inside Paris. Go in if it's open; the calm is the point.

   ◉Street View
4. 04

   4

   Rue Saint-Blaise

   The cobbled spine of the Saint-Blaise quarter, running downhill from the church. The upper, pedestrianised stretch keeps the old village width and a café or two. The lower end runs into 1980s blocks — turn back before it if you want to hold the mood.

   04

   Rue Saint-Blaise

   The cobbled spine of the Saint-Blaise quarter, running downhill from the church. The upper, pedestrianised stretch keeps the old village width and a café or two. The lower end runs into 1980s blocks — turn back before it if you want to hold the mood.

   ◉Street View
5. 05

   5

   Jardin naturel Pierre-Emmanuel

   A deliberately wild garden near Père-Lachaise's eastern wall — a pond, a small reed bed, native planting left to its own devices. The city's quietest attempt at letting Paris go feral. Five minutes' sit, then on toward Gambetta.

   05

   Jardin naturel Pierre-Emmanuel

   A deliberately wild garden near Père-Lachaise's eastern wall — a pond, a small reed bed, native planting left to its own devices. The city's quietest attempt at letting Paris go feral. Five minutes' sit, then on toward Gambetta.

   ◉Street View
6. 06

   6

   Gambetta

   The walk lands at the top of the 20th, by the mairie and the trees of place Gambetta. The M3 from here is your way back — or carry on into Père-Lachaise if the day's still young.

   06

   Gambetta

   The walk lands at the top of the 20th, by the mairie and the trees of place Gambetta. The M3 from here is your way back — or carry on into Père-Lachaise if the day's still young.

   ◉Street View