Bercy Hotels Deals

in Paris

The 12th arrondissement has seen a number of exciting urban regeneration projects in the last few years. Much of the development has taken place in the riverside Bercy quartier, which extends from the Gare de Lyon down to the Peripherique. For centuries this was the site of warehouses where the capital's wine supplies were unloaded from river barges. Much of the area has now been turned into a welcome green space, the extensive Parc de Bercy, cleverly incorporating elements of the old warehouse district such as disused railway tracks and cobbled lanes.

Even better for a stroll, especially if you feel like escaping from the bustle of the city for a bit, is the Promenade Plantee. This is a stretch of disused railway line, much of it along a viaduct, that has been converted into an elevated walkway and planted with a profusion of trees and flowers, What's more, the arches of the viaduct itself have been ingeniously converted into spaces for artisans' ateliers and craft shops, collectively known as the Viaduc des Arts. The Gare de Lyon is one of Paris's main train stations, with trains to the south of France as well as to Switzerland and Italy.