If Paris is often associated with its emblematic monuments and wide Haussmann boulevards, the capital also conceals unsuspected reliefs. Its buttes, natural or artificialhills, offer green breathing spaces and unexpectedviews over the city. Inherited from quarries, embankments or rural areas, they are a reminder that before it was a dense metropolis, Paris was also made up of villages and hilly landscapes.
Each hillock has its own personality. Some have known an intense popular life, with guinguettes, mills or neighborhood parties. Others have become landscaped gardens, shaped in the XIXᵉ century to offer Parisians new spaces for strolling. A few still harbor more discreet traces of their past, such as vineyards, winding staircases or picturesque alleyways.
The capital is said to have 13 hills, but when you use the exact definition and its 100-metre height limit, there are only 5 left, with the highest peaking at almost 130 metres! As for the others, their relief is not necessarily visible from the ground, but can be felt as you walk through their streets, as on Montagne Sainte-Geneviève.
Today, climbing these hills is another way of exploring Paris. Whether it's to discover a spectacular panorama, stroll through a hilly park, or simply enjoy the village atmosphere of certain districts, these little heights hold many surprises in store. Far from the usual tourist circuits, they reveal a more intimate and sometimes little-known Paris, where the capital is experienced "in relief".
Butte Montmartre: Paris's charming and artistic high-perched district
Are you going to Montmartre and looking for a great place to visit? Here are some places in the 18th arrondissement that are sure to delight you! [Read more]
Les Collines de Chaillot et Passy: the refined hills of western Paris
Chic, discreet, and bucolic, the neighborhoods of Auteuil, Passy, and Bois de Boulogne are well worth a longer stop during your stroll. Follow the guide to the heart of the 16th arrondissement! [Read more]
La Butte-aux-Cailles: the 13th arrondissement's village atmosphere perched on a hill
For a green, artistic, and relaxing stroll through the Butte-aux-Cailles neighborhood in Paris's 13th arrondissement, follow the guide! [Read more]
Buttes de Belleville, Ménilmontant and Charonne: the bohemian districts of the 20th arrondissement
Are you strolling around Belleville, Ménilmontant, and Père-Lachaise, in the heart of Paris's 20th arrondissement? There's no time to get bored in these lively and cosmopolitan neighborhoods. Follow the guide! [Read more]
Montagne Sainte-Geneviève: the historic hill of the Latin Quarter
How about a stroll around the Latin Quarter, the Panthéon and Saint-Michel, in the heart of Paris's 5th and 6th arrondissements? Here are some great tips and the best places to visit in the neighborhood! [Read more]
Les Buttes-Chaumont and la Butte Bergeyre: 19th-century green spaces
The Parc des Buttes-Chaumont, in the 19th arrondissement of Paris, is one of the largest green spaces in Paris. For a jog, a picnic or a walk in the countryside, this large green setting is a must. [Read more]
Parc Montsouris in Paris: the little hill in the south of the capital
In the south of Paris, the 14th arrondissement boasts several parks, including Montsouris, a great place for a stroll, a jog or to discover the many remarkable (and century-old) trees that grow there! [Read more]
Parc de la Butte-du-Chapeau-Rouge: a little-known green spot in the 19th arrondissement
Looking for an undiscovered spot to relax on the grass? Not far from the famous Parc des Buttes-Chaumont, a verdant garden awaits you in the 19th arrondissement. Parc de la Butte-du-Chapeau-Rouge. [Read more]
Exceptional towers, domes and roofs to climb to get the best view of Paris from above
The capital reveals itself in a whole new way when you get up high. Between narrow staircases, majestic domes and contemporary rooftops, each high point offers a unique view of Paris. [Read more]
