Parc de Belleville Belvedere
Climb to the top of Parc de Belleville and you'll find one of the highest natural points in Paris — a sweeping panorama stretching from the Eiffel Tower to Sacré-Cœur — with barely another tourist in sight.
The View That Beats the Eiffel Tower Queue
At 108 metres above sea level, the belvedere terrace at the summit of Parc de Belleville offers an unobstructed 180-degree view across the rooftops of central and western Paris. On a clear day you can pick out La Défense's glass towers on the horizon.
Unlike Montmartre, which draws millions of visitors a year, Belleville's summit is a genuine neighbourhood park — dog walkers, pétanque players and local teenagers with cans of Orangina outnumber tourists ten to one.
The Park Itself
The 4.5-hectare park cascades down the hillside in terraces connected by staircases and vine-covered pergolas. In late spring the wisteria is spectacular, and a small urban vineyard produces a modest but ceremonially harvested Pinot Noir each October.
Street-art murals from the Belleville Arty Farty festival decorate the walls at the park's lower entrance on Rue des Envierges, making the walk up feel like an outdoor gallery.
When to Go and How to Get There
Sunset is the magic hour: the Eiffel Tower's hourly light show begins at dusk and is perfectly framed from the upper terrace. Bring a bottle of wine from the Nicolas shop on Rue de Belleville and settle on the grass.
Take Métro line 2 to Couronnes or line 11 to Pyrénées, then follow Rue de Belleville uphill for about 10 minutes. The park entrance on Rue Piat is the most dramatic arrival point.
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