Jardin des arènes de Montmartre

The Jardin des Arènes de Montmartre is a small urban park featuring an open-air amphitheater set into a hillside in the 18th arrondissement of Paris. Stone steps descend into a sunken space surrounded by trees and grass that soften the dense neighborhood around it.

Created in 1941 by the local association Les Petits Poulbots, this garden replaced former orchards that once covered the site. The amphitheater structure reflects the neighborhood's tradition of building shared spaces for community culture.

The name references ancient arenas, and today it functions as a gathering place where local performers and residents come together for informal events. The tiered layout creates a natural stage setting that encourages creative uses of the space.

The park sits on Rue Chappe in the 18th arrondissement and is walkable from the Anvers metro station. It is freely accessible as an open public space, making it easy to visit at any time and ideal for blending into a neighborhood walk.

The amphitheater was engineered to sit beneath a church and water reservoir, its structure supporting the weight of both buildings above. This creative engineering solution allowed the garden to exist on a steep slope in a densely built neighborhood.