Once a month, Paris Breathes! Indeed, in addition to the Champs-Élysées avenue, the first four districts of Paris go green and car-free, temporarily removing motor vehicles for a full day. The next event is scheduled for February 2026.
Every first Sunday of the month is the new car-free day in Paris. An initiative appreciated by many Parisians, who have fallen under the spell of a capital free of motorized vehicles and noise pollution.
The first four districts of Paris are closed to car traffic one Sunday each month. Since October 7, 2018, a "Paris Respire" zone has been established across the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th arrondissements, allowing pedestrians to enjoy the heart of the City of Light without cars. In fact, the same applies to the Avenue des Champs-Elysées. The next closure is scheduled for February 2026.
Journées du Patrimoine 2025: the full program for this year's event in Paris and the Île-de-France region
The Journées du Patrimoine (Heritage Days) return this weekend, September 20 and 21, 2025, for their 42nd edition. In Paris and Île-de-France, it's a chance to visit free museums and castles, places that are exceptionally open, unusual guided tours and other great activities, on the theme of "Architectural Heritage". [Read more]
Most of the streets in these arrondissements are affected. However, major thoroughfares such as"boulevard Sébastopol and the Quais Hauts" are spared and "remain open to car traffic", according to Christophe Najdovski, deputy mayor of Paris in charge of the greening of public spaces, green areas, biodiversity and animal welfare.
Motorized vehicle traffic is prohibited on the first Sunday of each month, from 10am to 5pm, in the area within the following perimeter:
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Place du Châtelet, 1st arrondissement
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Quai de la Mégisserie, 1st arrondissement
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Quai du Louvre, 1st arrondissement
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Quai des Tuileries, 1st arrondissement
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Quai François Mitterrand, 1st arrondissement
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Place du Carrousel, 1st arrondissement
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rue de Rohan, 1st arrondissement
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Avenue de l'Opéra, covering the 1st and 2nd arrondissements
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Place de l'Opéra, spanning the 2nd and 9th arrondissements
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Boulevard des Capucines, between the Place de l'Opéra and the Boulevard des Italiens, in the 2nd and 9th arrondissements
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Boulevard des Italiens, 2nd and 9th arrondissements
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Boulevard Montmartre, 2nd and 9th arrondissements
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Boulevard Poissonnière, 2nd and 9th arrondissements
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Boulevard de Bonne Nouvelle, spanning the 2nd and 10th arrondissements
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Boulevard Saint-Denis, covering the 2nd, 3rd, and 10th arrondissements
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Boulevard Saint-Martin, 3rd and 10th arrondissements
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Place de la République, spanning the 3rd, 10th, and 11th arrondissements
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Boulevard du Temple, 3rd and 11th arrondissements
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Boulevard des Filles du Calvaire, 3rd and 11th arrondissements
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Boulevard Beaumarchais, covering the 3rd, 4th, and 11th arrondissements
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Place de la Bastille, 4th, 11th, and 12th arrondissements
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Boulevard Henri IV, 4th arrondissement
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Pont de Sully, in the 4th and 5th arrondissements
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Quai de la Tournelle, 5th arrondissement
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Quai de Montebello, 5th arrondissement
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Petit Pont (Cardinal Lustiger), in the 4th and 5th arrondissements
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Rue de la Cité, 4th arrondissement
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Pont Notre-Dame, 4th arrondissement
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Rue Saint-Martin, 4th arrondissement, between Quai de Gesvres and Avenue Victoria
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Avenue Victoria, 4th arrondissement, between Rue Saint-Martin and Boulevard de Sébastopol
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Boulevard de Sébastopol, in the 1st and 4th arrondissements, between Avenue Victoria and Rue de Rivoli
The above-mentioned roads, which form the boundaries of the perimeter, are excluded.
The following roads are also excluded from the perimeter:
- Sébastopol Boulevard, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th districts
- City Hall Square, 4th district
- Geszvres Quay, 4th district, between Pont Notre-Dame and Pont d’Arcole
- City Hall Quay, 4th district; Célestins Quay, 4th district
- Tacherie Street, 4th district; between Gesvres Quay and Victoria Avenue
- Victoria Avenue, 4th district; between City Hall Square and Saint-Martin Street
- Henri IV Quay, 4th district; between Célestins Quay and Henri IV Boulevard
- Tournelle Port, 5th district
- Montebello Port, 5th district
Until now, the"Paris respire" scheme, created in 2003, has covered 20 districts in the capital's different arrondissements. At weekends and on public holidays, the streets in these districts are closed to motorized traffic.
Journées du Patrimoine 2025: the full program for this year's event in Paris and the Île-de-France region
