The Perfect Parisian Picnic: Our Top Spots
July 23, 2010
Mark Nunez
Picnic season is in full swing in Paris, and because nearly everything (eating included) is better when done outdoors, now is the time to take advantage of the city’s myriad picnic spots. While lunch in Paris is often a serious sit-down affair, summer loosens people up, and you’ll notice everyone from schoolchildren to businessmen grabbing a sandwich and a spot on the nearest bench to mellow out for a bit.
Mark Nunez
And while benches and sandwiches are great, pro picnickers prefer to take it to the next level. We want real grass to sit on (I’ll make exceptions for the right cobblestones), hours to waste, an assortment of delicious things to sample, and lots of friends to come and go as they please. Oh, and lots of wine.
Many of my more memorable afternoons and evenings in Paris seem to have involved those elements. They often began somewhat spontaneously, and then suddenly, five hours had passed and we’d discussed everything from the latest exhibit at the Pompidou to the rise of bionic cats (my friends are a little weird). But this is what picnics are for—musing, lounging, making sense, not making sense, and practicing the ever-important art of doing nothing.
Mark Nunez
Here are a few spots where picnickers of all kinds can find their bliss.
Family picnic: Jardin du Luxembourg. Round up your crew and head to one of Paris’ most idyllic public spaces. While most of the grass is off limits (ah, the French) there is a wide swath on the south side where you can relax without getting covered in limestone dust (enter on rue Auguste Comte for easiest access to this spot). Kids can sail boats in the central pond, ride ponies, and run on the park’s winding trails until they’re nap-ready. Access: boulevard Saint-Michel, rue de Vaugirard, rue Guynemer, rue Auguste Comte, rue de Médicis, 5eme and 6eme arrondissements. Metro: Odeon (Lines 4 and 10), Luxembourg (RER B).
Mark Nunez
Ultra-Parisian picnic: Champ de Mars. Romantics and first-time visitors would do well to set up on the vast Champs de Mars at the base of the Eiffel Tower. There’s plenty of grass to spread out on, and if you go between sunset and 2am, you can catch the tower sparkling each hour (thanks to 20,000 embedded flash bulbs). Access: Avenue Gustave Eiffel, Avenue Charles Floquet, Avenue de la Motte-Picquet, Avenue Emile Deschanel, Avenue Elisée Reclus, 7eme arrondissement. Metro: Ecole Militaire (Line 8).
Picnic with a view: Parc de Belleville. As the city’s highest park, this off-the-beaten path refuge has one of Paris’ most breathtaking views. The trek to the 20th arrondissement is well worth it, especially if you come in the evening to watch the sun sink behind the Eiffel Tower. The park stays open until 9:30pm during the summer, after which you can grab a drink on the terrasse of nearby bar La Mer à Boire. Access: rue des Couronnes, rue Piat, rue Julien-Lacroix, rue Jouye-Rouve 20eme arrondissement. Metro: Pyrénées (Line 11) or Belleville (Lines 2 and 11).
Mark Nunez
Endless picnic: Canal St. Martin. The 4.5 km-long canal provides plenty of space for mellow groups to gather and while away the evening hours, without having to worry about “closing time.” It’s common for picnickers to hang out until well into the night, when you can slip into any of the neighborhood’s low-key bars. Access to canal at various points; we recommend Quai de Jemmapes or Quai de Valmy between rue du Faubourg du Temple and rue de Lancry, 10eme arrondissement. Metro: Republique (Lines 5, 8, 9, 11), Goncourt (Line 11), or Jacques Bonsergent (Line 5).
Mark Nunez
Of course, you don’t need to plan a “destination picnic” to enjoy the outdoors in Paris. The city’s little squares, hidden gardens, sprawling staircases and winding riverbanks provide perfect places to spontaneously settle in for an unplanned afternoon of time-wasting. And isn’t that what summer’s all about?
Related Links:
- Girl’s Guide to Paris strolls along the Promenade Plantée
- Le Best of Paris’ tips for Picnicking at Versailles
- Cristina, From BA to Paris’, impression of the haute Prix de Diane picnic in Chantilly
Written by Tory Hoen for the HiP Paris Blog. Photography by Mark Nunez, who was born in Chicago and has contributed photography to several travel websites and blogs, and Erica Berman. For our amazing rentals in Paris, Provence & Tuscany check out our website Haven in Paris.
Written by Tory Hoen
After attending Brown University and spending two years in New York, Tory bought a one-way ticket to Paris to pursue her dream of becoming a writer (and of drinking wine at lunch). During her time in the City of Light, she chronicled the euphoric highs and the laughable lows of ex-pat life on her blog, A Moveable Beast. Though she's now based in New York, she travels frequently to Montreal and Brazil, and she'll use just about any excuse to jet to Paris ("I ran out of fleur de sel"). A regular contributor to Hip Paris, Tory also writes for New York Magazine, Time Out New York, and she is a co-author of Gradspot.com's Guide To Life After College.
Website: http://www.toryhoen.com/
Tags: Canal St Martin, Champ de Mars, jardin du luxembourg, La Mer à Boire, Parc de Belleville, Parisian Picnic, Picnic, Picnic in Paris, Picnicking
Posted in Parisian Living | 5 Comments »
[...] The Best Picnic Spots in Paris [...]
I remember my first picnic on the Seine , that my best friend over there, did in my honour .. it was fab .. so many people, dancing ,music and good friends
Mine is Place des Vosges – green space you can actually sit on! Plus it feels like museum picnicking
[...] on a quiet cobble stone street directly between the historic church of Saint Sulpice and the glorious Luxembourg Gardens, the apartment has its own private roof deck, complete with couch, armchairs and table — [...]
My favourite picnic spot in Paris is Pont des Arts – the best view over the city in my opnion!
M.