René-Dumont Greenway, Garden in Paris, France
The Coulée verte René-Dumont is a long, narrow garden in the 12th arrondissement of Paris, built along a former railway line. The path runs alternately on an elevated viaduct, at street level through small parks, and through tunnels beneath the city streets.
The railway line beneath the garden was built in 1859, connecting the Bastille to Vincennes. It closed in 1969, and the section running through the 12th arrondissement was later transformed into a garden, opening to the public in 1993.
The Coulée verte René-Dumont takes its name from René Dumont, a French environmentalist who campaigned for a closer relationship between cities and nature. Along the western section, the arches beneath the old railway viaduct now house small craft studios and galleries that visitors can look into as they walk past.
The path starts near the Place de la Bastille and ends at the Porte de Montempoivre by the boulevard Périphérique. Elevators, ramps, and stairs give access to the elevated section, though some elevators may be out of service. The western part is for pedestrians only, while the eastern section also allows cycling.
When it opened in 1993, this garden was the first project in the world to turn a disused railway line into a green path through a city, years before the High Line in New York. Bats live in the tunnels and under the bridges along the route, and on summer evenings they can sometimes be seen flying low over the path.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
