Havens - Paris e-guide: The Travel Guide with its Own Website - page 161

West, North, East & South

18 G5

La Promenade Plantée linear park
Entrances include ave Daumesnil, ave Ledru Rollin and rue Edouard-Lartet, 12ème
Open 8-6 Mon-Fri, 9-6 Sat & Sun (in summer to 9pm)
This green strip running 4.5km (3 miles) atop an old railway viaduct
starts off at urbanized Bastille and ends at the verdant Bois de
Vincennes, to the east of the city. Planted with roses, lavender, shrubs
and herbs, the promenade appeals to joggers, strollers and the
curious, as its elevated position makes it easy to gaze down at the
streets below or into the apartments and offices that line the route.

19 C2

Cimetière du Montparnasse tombs
3 boulevard Edgar Quinet, 14ème • 01 44 10 86 50
Open 9-5:30 daily (but times can vary)
Reflect on Paris's artistic and literary past, immortalized
here. Among the graves are those of Baudelaire, Sartre
and companion Simone de Beauvoir, and French
crooner Serge Gainsbourg, whose grave is always cov-
ered with fans' tributes. Brancusi's superb sculpture
Kiss commemorates the double suicide of two friends.

13 A5

Parc André Citroën themed gardens
Entrances include quai André Citroën & rue St-Charles, 15ème
Open from dawn Mon-Fri, 9am Sat & Sun; closing times vary
according to the time of year and day of the week

Laid out on the site of the old Citroën car factory, this
21st-century French garden is a long way from the for-
mal, keep-off-the-grass parks dotted around the city.
Based on four themes - architecture, artifice, move-
ment and nature - the park is characterized by clean
lines and lots of glass, in the shape of two huge glass-
house pavilions. There's a vast lawn, a black garden
and a white garden, five coloured gardens designed
to represent the five senses, and a moving garden (full
of grasses blowing in the breeze). Water plays a central
role, with canals, waterfalls and the dancing fountain
- a square that shoots jets of water into the air at
random heights. It's a magnet for giggling children
cooling off in summer. Added attractions include leafy
labyrinths for quiet contemplation and a tethered hot-
air balloon for fabulous views over the city (see p16) .