Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
East of Place des Vosges
This two-mile-long, narrow garden walk on an elevated viaduct was once used for train
tracks and is now a fine place for a refreshing stroll or run. Botanists appreciate the well-
maintained and varying vegetation. From west (near Opéra) to east, the first half of the path
is elevated until the midway point, the pleasant Jardin de Reuilly (a good stopping point for
most, near Mo: Dugommier), then it continues on street level—with separate paths for ped-
estrians and cyclists—out to Paris' ring road, the
périphérique.
Cost and Hours:
Free, opens Mon-Fri at 8:00, Sat-Sun at 9:00, closes at sunset (17:30
in winter, 20:30 in summer). It runs from Place de la Bastille (Mo: Bastille) along Avenue
Daumesnil to St. Mandé (Mo: Michel Bizot) or Porte Dorée, passing within a block of Gare
de Lyon.
Getting There:
To get to the park from Place de la Bastille (exit the Métro following
Sortie Rue de Lyon
signs), walk a looooong block down Rue de Lyon hugging the Opéra on
your left. Find the low-key entry and steps up the red-brick wall a block after the Opéra.
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Père Lachaise Cemetery (Cimetière du Père Lachaise)
Litteredwiththetombstonesofmanyofthecity'smostillustriousdead,thisisyourbestone-
stoplookatParis'fascinating,romanticpastresidents.Enclosedbyamassivewallandlined
with 5,000 trees, the peaceful, car-free lanes and dirt paths of Père Lachaise cemetery en-
courage park-like meandering. Named for Father
(Père)
La Chaise, whose job was listening
to Louis XIV's sins, the cemetery is relatively new, having opened in 1804 to accommodate
Paris' expansion. Today, this city of the dead (pop. 70,000) still accepts new residents, but
real estate prices are sky high (a 21-square-foot plot costs more than €11,000).
The 100-acre cemetery is big and confusing, with thousands of graves and tombs
crammed every which way, and only a few pedestrian pathways to help you navigate. The
mapsavailablefromanyofthenearbyfloristshelpdirectyoutothegravesofFrédéricChop-
in, Molière, Edith Piaf, Oscar Wilde, Gertrude Stein, Jim Morrison, Héloïse and Abélard,
and many more.
Cost and Hours:
Free, Mon-Fri 8:00-18:00, Sat 8:30-18:00, Sun 9:00-18:00, closes at
17:30 in winter, last entry 15 minutes before closing; two blocks from Mo: Gambetta (not
Mo: Père Lachaise) and two blocks from bus #69's last stop; tel. 01 55 25 82 10, searchable
map available at non-official website:
www.perelachaise.com
.
