The 20th Arrondissement is not commonly known as a tourist hang out nor does it stand out for anything in particular when compared with the other 19 districts of Paris. However if you are looking for one of the best free views of Paris then I would have to recommend Parc De Belleville.
Parc de Belleville has been known to be labelled as the “Montmartre without the tourists”. Yes it is situated high up on a hill and has great views of Paris but I would have to say that is where the similarities end.
One of the biggest differences is that you can actually see the Eiffel Tower from the top of Parc du Belleville where as it can be quite difficult to get a clear view of the Eiffel tower from the top of Montmartre. If you don’t mind missing out on the view of the Eiffel tower then I would stick with Montmartre.
As you can see in some of the pictures, the day we chose to visit Parc de Belleville the city of Paris had a very high pollution rate so this may be something you need to monitor if you want some better pictures.
The park looks to be a great place to have a picnic in the sun on the grass or read a book on a park bench. You can either enter the park via the bottom or the top end. I suggest entering the park from the top end of the park if you don’t wish to climb the large stairs to the summit.
Located in a number of areas within the park is a public WiFi hotspot, which is quite rare in public areas. There is a three level child’s play ground located at the North East end of the park and is completely internal. Children can climb each level while participating in activities along the way, once at the summit they can descend the playground via a large slide. This playground is recommended for ages six years and up.
With so many beautiful parks and great picnic spots in Paris to choose from I would say that it just misses out of our top ten parks in Paris. We were also a little disappointed to find out that dogs are not permitted in the park on or off the leash.
The atmosphere in the park feels very multicultural and family orientated. The park feels mostly safe and unlike some of the more touristy parks in Paris I did not see any Roma or Gypsy scams occurring. There is an equal amount of both shade and sunny areas to sit depending on your preference.
It is refreshing to see that this park does have public toilets located at the northern end of the park, even though I did not use them I would not expect much in the way of cleanliness as most public toilets in Paris are not great.
If you want to use public transport then the best metro stops would either be Belleville or Couronnes Metro’s. The official address is (47 Rue des Couronnes, 75020) however as I mentioned before if you want to avoid walking up the stairs located in the park I would suggest entering via Rue Piat.
Park Facilities
Tourist information
WiFi Hotspots
Open air theater
Grass areas permitted for sitting on
Child’s Playground (ages 6 and up)
Public toilets
Lookout with view of Eiffel Tower and Paris
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