The green lung of the city: the vast Bois de Vincennes and its lakes, an elevated garden that inspired New York's High Line, the old wine village of Bercy and the golden glow of the Train Bleu.
A wildlife park, a cinema museum, an elevated garden walk and the great green woods — the 12th is the most family-friendly corner of Paris. A hand-picked selection, most with free cancellation.
Around a thousand animals roam landscaped biozones beneath the 65 m Grand Rocher — one of Europe's most modern zoos, on the edge of the Bois de Vincennes.
A guided stroll along the 4.5 km elevated park that inspired New York's High Line, from the Bastille to Vincennes, with rose gardens and rooftop views.
Rent a rowing boat on Lac Daumesnil or cycle the shaded trails of Paris's biggest park — lakes, islands, a Buddhist temple and the Parc floral.
Explore the history of cinema in Frank Gehry's striking building by the Parc de Bercy — daily screenings and the magical Musée Méliès.
Graze the covered Marché Beauvau and Marché d'Aligre, then wander the old wine village of Bercy with a local guide — cheese, wine and history.
Climb the tallest medieval keep in Europe and tour the royal chapel of France's great eastern fortress, on the northern edge of the woods.
The 12th trades monuments for space and air. It runs from the Bastille down to the Bois de Vincennes — Paris's biggest green space — taking in a former wine quarter, an elevated garden and one of the grandest stations in the world along the way.
Paris's largest park: nearly 1,000 hectares of woods, four lakes, a Parc floral, a Buddhist temple and the city's zoo — the eastern counterpart to the Bois de Boulogne.
A 4.5 km elevated garden along an old railway viaduct — the world's first of its kind, opened in 1993 and the direct inspiration for New York's High Line.
The Cour Saint-Émilion: cobbled lanes of restored stone wine warehouses, now a pedestrian village of shops, terraces and a cinema.
A grand 1900 station crowned by a Garnier-style clock tower, home to Le Train Bleu — a gilded Belle Époque dining room that's a monument in its own right.
One of the world's great film archives, in a sculptural Frank Gehry building beside the Parc de Bercy, with daily screenings and the Musée Méliès.
A beloved daily market — the covered Marché Beauvau, an open-air stretch and a flea market — at the buzzing, village-like heart of local life.
From a gilded railway palace to a guinguette in the woods, the 12th eats well and unpretentiously — with two of the best markets in Paris on its doorstep.
A listed 1901 dining room dripping with gilt and frescoes, above the platforms of the Gare de Lyon. Come for the room as much as the classic French menu.
One of the liveliest markets in Paris — a covered hall, an open-air stretch and a flea market, daily except Monday. Cheese, oysters, produce and bargains.
A former mail-sorting depot turned vast food hall and bar near the Gare de Lyon — street food, craft beer, DJ sets and a free-wheeling, creative crowd.
A pedestrian lane of the old wine warehouses, lined with restaurant terraces and a cinema — easy, family-friendly dining beside the Parc de Bercy.
An open-air guinguette bar in the woods — tapas, dancing and a festive crowd by Lac Daumesnil. The eastern sister to the original on the Buttes-Chaumont.
The streets around the market are lined with natural-wine bars, neo-bistros and cafés — a relaxed, local alternative to the tourist centre.
Great woods, an elevated garden, a wine village and a cinema cathedral — the landmarks that give the green east of Paris its character.
Paris's biggest park, with four lakes, rowing boats on Lac Daumesnil, the Parc floral, a Buddhist temple and shaded cycling trails. Open daily, free.
The original elevated park (1993), 4.5 km from the Bastille to Vincennes along a former viaduct — rose gardens, ponds and rooftop perspectives.
The Vincennes zoo: around a thousand animals in landscaped biozones around the iconic Grand Rocher. One of Europe's most modern wildlife parks.
Cobbled wine-warehouse lanes of shops and terraces (Cour Saint-Émilion), beside a romantic park with rose gardens, vines and a footbridge over the Seine.
A world-class film archive and museum in a Frank Gehry building by the Parc de Bercy, with daily screenings and the magical Musée Méliès.
The brick arches beneath the Coulée verte, home to a parade of craft and design workshops along Avenue Daumesnil — cabinet-makers, luthiers and more.
Every park, landmark, market and table of the 12th on one interactive map. Filter by category, or click a place to locate it and open its links.
Paris is divided into 20 arrondissements that spiral outward clockwise from the centre, like a snail. The 12th is the south-eastern corner of the Right Bank, running from the Bastille and the Gare de Lyon down to the Bois de Vincennes.
It's one of the greenest and most spacious arrondissements, popular with families — but the Gare de Lyon and metro line 14 put the rest of the city within minutes.
Since 2025 the system has been simplified: paper tickets are gone, replaced by the contactless Navigo Easy card or your phone. A single Métro/RER ticket is now a flat fare, and a day pass quickly pays for itself if you ride often.
For door-to-door directions, the Bonjour RATP and Citymapper apps are the most reliable companions.
Anchored by the Gare de Lyon — a major rail, RER and metro hub — and superbly served by the driverless line 14. Here are the essentials.
A few practical essentials to make your visit to the 12th arrondissement smooth and stress-free.
Spring and autumn are glorious in the Bois de Vincennes and along the Coulée verte. The Marché d'Aligre is liveliest on weekend mornings; Bercy Village is especially pretty during the festive season.
Pre-book the Parc zoologique de Paris and a table at Le Train Bleu. Check Cinémathèque screenings and any concerts at the Accor Arena before you go.
Cards are accepted almost everywhere; markets often prefer cash. Service is included by law; rounding up for great service is appreciated, never expected.
The 12th is made for cycling — the Coulée verte, the Bois de Vincennes trails and riverside paths link up beautifully. Vélib' stations are plentiful.
The Marché d'Aligre runs daily except Monday, mornings best. The zoo and Cinémathèque close one day a week — check ahead. Parks are open from dawn to dusk.
This is one of the best arrondissements for kids: the zoo, the Parc floral, boats on the lake, the Musée des Arts Forains and acres of space to run.
Compare stays, tours and experiences across the platforms travellers know best.
Each Paris arrondissement has its own guide. Hover the map to reveal a district's name, then click to open its dedicated site — you are currently in the 12th.
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