Beginning in Bastille, the ‘Coulée Verte’ walkway winds its way to the Porte Dorée near the Bois de Vincennes. The numerous green spaces in the Bois de Vincennes, which is often referred to as a ‘green lung’ of Paris, makes the 12th arrondissement, where it is located, the perfect district for nature lovers. There is the Parc Floral with its botanical garden, the Lac Daumesnil, the garden of tropical agronomy and the racecourse. A leafy walkway running above street level leads all the way to the edge of the Bois de Vincennes. Known as the Coulée Verte René Dumont (or Promenade Plantée), it was built over a disused railway line winding through the 12th arrondissement to the Palais de la Porte Dorée. The nearby Parc de Bercy, located on the site of the city’s former wine depot, is another very popular leisure spot with a variety of landscaped features such as a ‘romantic’ garden and an educational vegetable plot.
