Stairs to reach historic campagne à Paris streets, Stairs in the 20th arrondissement, Paris, France
The Escaliers pour accéder aux rues historiques de campagne à Paris are a set of public stairs in the 20th arrondissement of Paris, giving access to the La Campagne à Paris neighborhood, a cluster of narrow streets and small houses built on a former gypsum quarry hill. The stairs connect the surrounding streets to the different ground levels of the uneven terrain, making foot traffic possible across the slopes.
The La Campagne à Paris neighborhood was built in the early 20th century by a cooperative aiming to provide modest housing for workers, with most construction completed between 1910 and 1928. The streets and stairs were laid out to follow the natural shape of the former quarry ground beneath, which is why the paths curve rather than run straight.
The stairs in La Campagne à Paris are used daily by residents moving between the different levels of the hilly terrain. Some steps are draped in ivy and wisteria, giving them a green, almost rural look that stands out in a city setting.
The area is best explored on foot, as the stairs and winding lanes are not suited to car traffic. The nearest metro station, Porte de Bagnolet, is close by and makes a convenient starting point for the walk.
The names of the stair streets in the neighborhood were only officially recognized in 1994, even though the paths themselves had been in use for nearly a century. Until then, these passages existed without any official name and did not appear on city maps.
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