Le Bercy Square: Two Days in Paris's 12th Arrondissement

Most first visits to Paris follow the same map: the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, a walk along the Seine, perhaps Montmartre. The 12th arrondissement rarely makes the list, which is part of its appeal. I spent two days there at the invitation of Le Bercy Square Hotel, as part of the #weekendsaresocial campaign, and came away with a different picture of the city.

Paris had fascinated me for years. I had wanted to explore it properly since moving to Europe about four years earlier. My parents had taken me when I was four or five, and all I retained was the lift up the Eiffel Tower, feeding pigeons in a park, a ride on a carousel, and a teddy bear I insisted on buying that was as big as I was. This time I wanted more than the attractions. I had already spent two days in Montmartre, which I loved, and the 12th promised something else: an ordinary residential quarter.

A district called Bercy

The 12th is also known as Bercy, and it holds more than its quiet reputation suggests: the Bois de Vincennes, one of Paris's great green lungs; the Opéra de la Bastille, the second-largest opera house in the city; the Parc de Bercy; the Promenade Plantée; Bercy Village; the Palais Omnisports; and several local markets. People had told me the area was becoming the new fashionable address, the next Saint-Germain. It is also where the Bastille stood, the fortress used as a prison until the locals stormed it during the French Revolution.

This is a less-visited part of Paris, and it shows. Restaurants, supermarkets and shops line the surrounding streets, and the pace is that of a neighbourhood rather than a tourist route.

The walk above the streets

The Promenade Plantée, which appears in Before Sunset, is also called the Coulée verte. It is a 4.5 km (2.8 mile) elevated park built on an abandoned 19th-century railway viaduct that once linked the Bastille area with the eastern suburbs. The line closed on 14 December 1969, and the conversion to a park ran from 1987 to 2000. Walking it gives you the city at roof height, which is a different city altogether.

Getting in and out

The location near Gare de Lyon was a real advantage: a bus and a few minutes on foot brought me to the door. Staying near Dugommier metro station meant good connections across the city, including a direct 20-minute ride to Trocadéro for the Eiffel Tower and a shorter one to the Catacombs.

Two days, and one queue too many

I had planned a full day after a hearty breakfast. The plan met reality at the Catacombs, where the queue was enormous. Two hours in scorching heat was not how I wanted to spend the morning, so I went to Notre-Dame instead, then the Louvre, then the Eiffel Tower. Notre-Dame had a long queue for the towers and the gargoyles too, but I waited it out.

The Catacombs got a second chance on another day, in the evening. Eerie is the right word. I still queued for an hour, but at least the heat was gone.

The hotel

Le Bercy Square suited me. My room was cosy rather than grand, with everything I needed. The wifi was excellent, breakfast was good, and the reception and bar had a style of their own. The house also keeps a tradition of leaving green apples on the pillows to welcome guests.

The street outside

One small thing made a difference: the kiosk next door. Returning late, with every restaurant closed, I could still pick up fruit and snacks. I also liked simply walking the area, past the restaurants and houses. People seemed warm. I talked to a woman working in a hair salon, and every time an elderly couple or another resident passed, greetings and a quick chat followed.

That is not the Parisian stereotype you hear about. On this trip I met a number of interesting people and was glad to learn a piece of their stories.

Much love and strength to the people of Paris.

If you are planning a trip, my two days in Montmartre are worth reading about too. Details of the hotel are on the Le Bercy Square website.