A hidden gem of Paris - the park with Eiffel Tower views you didn't know about

Wanting to avoid the hustle and bustle of Paris, which one encounters even in parks around the city, I went on a search for a park in Paris where I could take a pleasant walk with a proper Parisian vibe. The criteria: it had to be well-connected and easily accessible by public transport, be decently sized, and have facilities such as shops and cafes nearby. Oh, and have views of the Eiffel tower. Sounds like a tall order? I dare say I found it – the Paris’s equivalent of London’s sprawling luscious Hampstead Heath, the Saint-Cloud park.

a hidden gem of paris – the saint-cloud park

Just to get a potential naming discussion out of the way, let me admit straight away that this park, in fact, bears the official stately name of Domaine National de Saint-Cloud – and I’m calling it the Saint-Cloud park for ease of writing. In terms of location, as you can see on the map, it’s situated to the west, just outside of the periphery encompassing central Paris, on the edge of the west bank of the Seine. You can reach it easily by public transport both from Versailles (like we did) or from Paris proper.

Paris parks, Paris hidden gems, Paris view, Eiffel tower view — Panoramic view of Paris from the La Lanterne observation point, the Eiffel Tower off-centre to the left

Paris, Paris park, Eiffel tower, Eiffel Tower view, Paris views, hidden gem — Another beautiful panoramic view from the northern side’s highest point (Marie-Antoinette’s gardens part)

access from versailles

If coming from Versailles, the fastest and easiest way involves some walking. You need to take the Transilien L line from Gare de Versailles Rive Droite, and get off just a couple of stops later at Sèvres-Ville-d’Avray. (Note that the last train back to Versailles leaves early, before 9 pm – there should be an up-to-date schedule at the station, so be sure to take a picture of it).

Paris streets, Paris suburb, Paris hidden gems, Paris walking, Paris nature — A pedestrian alley along the tracks, heading from the station Sèvres-Ville-d’Avray to the town of Sèvres.

Paris streets, Paris quirky, Paris greenery, Paris walks, Paris hidden gems — A quirky doorbell solution in this Paris neighbourhood.

It’s a quiet residential neighbourhood, with little through traffic, wonderful for a leisurely walk. An additional bonus are the few stores in the centre of the town where you can get supplies for a picnic in the park.

Paris cafe, Sevres-Ville-d'Avray, Parisian, French cafe, Paris streets — A picturesque cafe just opposite the station of Sèvres-Ville-d’Avray

Paris suburbs, Paris villas, Paris home, Paris streets — A tranquil leafy area with beautiful villas

Paris suburbs, Paris streets — Stair route from the station to the town centre where you can find grocery stores for picnic supplies

picnic supplies

I recommend the very reasonably priced selection of organic cheese and bread and wine at the location of the organic grocery chain called Bio c’est bon. We tried a combination of Fourme d’Ambert (very creamy blue) and Cantal (semi-hard); in any case, they offer an overall of I’d say 40 types of cheese made from cow, sheep, or goat milk at prices ranging from 15 to 40 Euro per kilo, with a lot of types costing 15-25 Euro. Grab some nice crusty bread, cherry tomatoes, and dried or fresh fruit – et voila, picnic complete (don’t forget water! – see Annoyances section below). You can also conveniently pass by it or another store nearby on your way north to the Saint-Cloud park, so you don’t even need to lug picnic supplies from far away on the train or metro.

organic French bread, bread crumb, bread making — Look at this crumb! Organic French bread at Bio c’est bon. Tastes as good as it looks.

Paris graffiti, bread graffiti, French bread, cute wall — Bread bread everywhere!

French cheese, bread, fruit, picnic — Le pique-nique

Have it all to yourself

On a weekday in May, when we visited the park, we encountered only a few people – mostly joggers, and the gardening staff, a lonesome reader and a painter, a trio of young people singing on a bench – pretty colourful as far a people watching goes! Otherwise, the park seemed to be quite deserted, in a good way.

Paris view, Paris park, Paris hidden gems, Paris gardens, Eiffel tower view — A couple of people taking a lunch break at the observation point. The other bench was destined to host our picnic!

Paris parks, Paris view, Paris walks, Paris hidden gems — Notice the solitary painter in the garden below?

Paris park, Paris gardens, French style garden, Paris hidden gems — Looking from the north (landscaped gardens) to the south of the park (forested)

It’s well maintained with pretty poppy and rose beds straight from Alice in Wonderland and beautiful statues – even though the design, admittedly, does not score quite as high in terms of elaborateness as that of the gardens in Versailles.

Paris park, Paris garden, Paris hidden gem, French style gardens — The French-style gardens in the north part of the park showcase the manicured look of Versailles without the crowds

Paris parks, Paris gardens, Paris Saint-Cloud — A charming manhole

opening times

It’s a public park so entry is completely free. However, like all parks in Paris, this one also closes doors at 9.30 pm in the summer (May to October) and at 8.30 pm the rest of the year (to the best of my knowledge, but best to check times in advance for the most recent information).

Paris parks, Paris green spaces, Paris walking, Paris hidden gems, Paris suburbs, Paris streets — The gate at Rue du Guet

In addition, do note that some gates may close even earlier – for example, this one that we used to enter apparently stays open only until 5 pm.

Paris parks, Paris gardens, Paris hidden gems, Paris walking, Paris nature — The gate at Rue du Guet shown above closes at 5 pm even during the summer, so make sure to check the opening times of the gates as you enter

To be on the safe side, you should look around for signs when you enter the park to make sure you can exit from where you want. You’re probably not going to delight at the prospect of heading for an exit after a long tiring walk in the heat, only to find it locked up, and having to backtrack to find another exit. And, you *will* need to walk for quite some time to get to an alternative exit, as the alleys don’t connect very well throughout this giant park.

stay cool

Speaking of cooling, be sure to take plenty of water or other drinks to stay hydrated, especially in the spring and summer. Although I didn’t notice any water fountains, there’s a small cafe close to one of the entrances, as well as a couple of restaurants on the north (Paris) side of the park (I didn’t try any of them though.)

Paris park, Paris gardens, French style garden, Paris hidden gems, Paris park cafe, Saint-Cloud — This cafe in the northern part of the park seemed deserted

However, it’s worth noting that these places where you can potentially have a drink are far away from each other. Grab a big bottle of water from one of the nearby stores (see Picnic supplies section above) for an easy and cosy self-catered picnic with bread, cheese, wine, and salad/fruit.

vibe

In terms of walking, you can enjoy a really varied landscape in St Cloud, including manicured gardens and sculptures on the one hand, and wilder, more wooded areas on the other. Unfortunately we found the fountains array (the cascade) not working when we visited (on a weekday in May). I could not find information online about opening times or a schedule either.

Paris park, Paris gardens, French style garden, Paris hidden gems, Paris park cafe, Saint-Cloud, fountains — The fountains as you ascend up the stairs in the north part of the park – the French-style gardens.

In any case, the layout of the park includes lots of basins, ponds and canals that provide welcome cool from the heat starting in May through the summer months.

Paris hidden gems, Paris greenery, Paris parks, Paris gardens, Paris Saint-Cloud park — A shady cool ornamental canal in the Saint-cloud park, Paris.

Paris park, Paris hidden gems, Paris gardens. Paris Saint-Cloud — A fountain (unfortunately not working)

Paris parks, Paris hidden gems, Paris Saint-Cloud — Detail of a statue

annoyances and head-ups

You might have guessed it already – the number one annoyance for those among us not in possession of super-human bladder abilities, remains the sparsity or non-existence of public toilets that seems to be common in Paris. As far as I could see, there are no public toilets in this park too. Of course, you can always resort to the forest but beware of the very real possibility of adopting a tick or two (joking aside, stay safe and get an anti-tick spray, and avoid tall grass and humid forest clearings). Note: the cafes and restaurants in the park all have restrooms, of course.

On another note, vast areas of the French-style gardens part includes open spaces with little shade so take sunblock and a hat if you can, particularly if you’re going in the afternoon. You’ll find some benches but they are often in sunny spots – which would be great in colder weather but in late spring and summer finding a good shade becomes a priority. I prefer spots on stone stairs shaded by trees – very cooling to sit on and cool your heels, despite the lack of back support.

In some areas you’ll be getting a tan no matter what – not easy to come by any shade

Another drawback of this park is that it can be quite noisy due to the traffic on the big busy roads passing nearby at the bottom of the hill where the park is located, especially on the northern side of the park (where a road actually tunnels under it). Once you have enjoyed the views and landscaping, I suggest taking a walk further south into the park where the atmosphere becomes more tranquil. The park boasts quite a few well-maintained paved and unpaved trails that provide for pleasant shady walks, and you can easily find many corners to have all to yourself if you’d like to read a book, have a picnic or jog.

Cars can, unfortunately, drive through some areas, which deducts from the peacefulness (but I guess could be handy if you have reduced mobility). Do stay vigilant because what may not appear to be a road at first sight, may turn out to be one. Traffic signs cue the possible presence of vehicles so watch out for those.

Paris view, Paris parks, Paris hidden gems — The view due east-north-east from the highest point in the north part of the park

All in all, considering the solitude, views, size and variety of the Saint-Cloud park, I think it kind of fits under the Paris “hidden gem” category – and I’d recommend it if you’re interested in seeing the green side of Paris without the crowds. Do let me know how you like it if you visit!

A hidden gem of Paris – the park with Eiffel Tower views you didn’t know about