When most people think of Paris, they imagine the majestic Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame edifices standing proudly against the Seine River, which flows through one arrondissement after another. When I think of Paris, I think of the 400+ beautifully manicured parks that make this city unlike anywhere else in the world.
What better way to explore the City of Lights than by slipping on those running shoes and cruising along the Seine as the Eiffel Tower shimmers at dusk? From historic castle gardens to modern architecture esplanades, you’ll find different places to run in Paris everyday for an entire year. Use this short list of the top 10 running spots to help inspire your upcoming trip.
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Table of Contents
Coulée verte René-Dumont
I’m not saving the best for last; I’m starting with it! During my time living in Paris for 4 months in the Bastille area, I unfortunately wasn’t introduced to Coulee verte until the end of those months. I don’t want you to make the same mistake, so I’m sharing one of Paris’ best-kept secrets!
Coulee verte or Promenade Plantee, as it’s often referred to, is a 2.7-mile elevated walkway built along an old railroad track that dates back to the mid-1800’s. If you’re from the United States, think of the High Line in New York City or the 606 Trail in Chicago, except with much more greenery and less people. Beginning behind the Opera House in the Bastille, the trail leads you through several parks and tunnels before opening up to Bois de Vincennes in the 12th Arrondissement. There are a couple off-shoots that will take you by neighborhood gardens as well as up a spiral staircase. You will hit Bois de Vincennes at the end of this route, which you can combine for an even longer scenic run.
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Canal Saint-Martin
Canal Saint-Martin is absolutely one of the most charming areas of Paris, scoring it #2 on my list of the best places to run in Paris. Cheap rent plus its proximity to popular neighborhoods like the Marais have attracted locals and foreigners alike to move into the Canal St-Martin area. Today, you’ll see a mixture of bohemian and bourgeois, a style known as bobo to Parisians, filling the tree-lined walkways and tall arch bridges of the canal for 4.6km.
Canal St-Martin was originally constructed by Napolean I in 1802 to help provide Paris with fresh water. The water was diverted from the Ourcq River to support the growing population and help avoid diseases like cholera that were spreading like wildfires throughout the streets. The canal took 23 years to construct, and was funded by a newly implemented tax on wine at the time. The canal was also used to bring food into the city, carried on boats through the system of locks. Today, you can cruise on small tour boats down the locks as well.
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Banks of the Seine
This goes without saying, but the endless banks of the Seine make a perfect location for your long run. The River Seine, which begins at Source-Seine near Dijon, France flows for 482-miles before opening up to the English Channel in Le Havre, a region of the Normandy coast. From the east edge of Paris to the west, the river runs for 8-miles with 37 bridges crossing over.
If running one direction for 8 miles isn’t enough, I can assure you, you’ll have a completely different experience running on the other bank of the river on the way back. With sights like the islands of Ile St Louis and Ile de la Cite in the middle of the Seine, you’ll get a completely different view and perspective of Paris from each riverbank. You’ll pass under some bridges and over others, while cruising by numerous outdoor cafes, boat restaurants, and modern art installations.
As of 2017, there is now a 2-mile stretch that is only open to pedestrian traffic, spanning from the Tulieries Garden to the Bastille neighborhood. My best recommendation though is to venture along the Seine River at dusk and marvel at the beautifully lit-up Eiffel Tower.
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Jardin Du Luxembourg
The Luxembourg Garden is known for being one of the prettiest public parks, but did you know it’s also one of the best places to run in Paris? Most visitors will stop by the lush gardens for a weekend picnic with friends or an afternoon siesta on the grassy patches with the sounds of fountains flowing in the background.
When I was living in Paris, Le Jardin Du Luxembourg was one of my go-to running spots because the large bundles of trees provide shade for almost the entire 1.3-mile perimeter. There’s something so enchanting about this garden with its numerous fountains and statues speckled throughout. Keep your eyes peeled, as you’re sure to notice something new each loop you make.
The gardens were originally created by Queen Marie de Medici in 1612 to mimic the Boboli Gardens in Florence. Today, they’re open to the public for free between 7:30am – 9:30pm depending on the season.
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Parc des Buttes-Chaumont
Located off-the-beaten-path in the 19th arrondissement, Parc des Buttes-Chaumont is a place you must add to your Paris sightseeing bucketlist. You’ll quickly realize why this is one of the best places to run in Paris when you see the striking suspension bridge with Renaissance buildings as a backdrop; and the Temple de la Sibylle perched atop the island in the center of the park.
The artificial lake and surrounding areas were first opened in 1867 by Napolean III and engineered by Adolphe Alphand, whom also constructed Bois de Boulounge and Bois de Vincennes under the guidance of Georges-Eugene Haussman. 1,000 workers took part in the building of this landscape from digging the lake to installing hydraulic pumps that would lift water from the River Ourcq. This was a huge feat for that time.
Today, it is the 5th largest park in Paris with 3.4 miles of roads and 1.4 miles of dirt paths. While Paris is not known for having hills, this park surely is. You can get quite a workout by walking up one of those steep hills.
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Bois de Vincennes
Located on the Eastern edge of the city, Bois de Vincennes is the largest park in Paris taking up almost 10% of the city’s geography. It’s about 3 times larger than Central Park in New York City to give you more perspective. What makes this space so unique is that it is so much more than just a park. There is a botanical garden, the Hippodome Vincennes horse-racing track, a Buddhist temple, the Cirque Phénix and a zoo, just to name a few. With numerous cafes and boats for hire, this is an space you could spend a full day enjoying; just like the Parisians did in old times.
You can easily get a 10k or 15k in here with so many scenic paths to choose from. No matter which entrance you take into the park, you’ll most likely come across a map board with signs pointing for the Grand (11km) and Petit (8km) Circuits Pedestres. There are also extra add-on loops like the 1-mile around the Chateau de Vincennes and the 1.4-miles around Lac Daumesnil.
The Bois de Vincennes was originally part of the forest that surrounded the ancient Roman town of Lutetia. In 1150, King Louis VII built his hunting lodge in the area. Then, King Philippe-Auguste decided to enclose the forest and stock it with game for his own pleasure. It was not until 1854, when Napolean III was emperor, that this park, and its Western counterpart, Bois de Boulougne, were turned into public parks. At the time, Paris only had four public parks, all centrally located in the city. Napolean was inspired by Hyde Park’s lakes, rivers, and walking paths in London and wanted to create something just like that in his own city. He hired Georges-Eugene Haussmann, the same man who designed Parc des Buttes-Chaumount and Le Jardin du Luxembourg, to build the two “green lungs”, as they were nicknamed.
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Bois de Boulogne
Bois de Boulogne houses several iconic sites including the Longchamp horse racing track, Louis Vuitton Foundation art museum, the newly renovated Jardin d’Acclimatation, and of course, Roland-Garros. There are several restaurants to choose from, including Chalet des Iles that can only be reached by boat.
There are 9 miles of cycling paths and 17 miles of walking paths, so there’s lots of room to roam freely and never pass the same sight twice. This is a great place to escape the hustle and bustle of the city without having to travel too far. Make sure to check out the areas around Lac Inferieur and Lac Superieur.
Similar to Bois de Vincennes, this was a huge part of Napolean’s and Haussmann’s plan to rebuild the city of Paris. This park took 5 years to construct with thousands of workers hired to dig lakes, plant trees, and channel water from the nearby Ourcq River. Today, it is the second largest public park in Paris.
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Parc de la Villette
Parc de la Villette, located at the Northeast corner of Paris is the third largest park in Paris and also home to many cultural venues including Europe’s largest science center, Cite de la Musique, and the Paris Philharmonic. According to Bernard Tschumi, the architect of the park, its intention was to create a space for activity and interaction, rather than to adopt the conventional park mantra of relaxation and self-indulgence. No matter what time of the year you visit, there is always something going on in the park.
You can enjoy over 2-miles of paths throughout the park with plenty of eye-catching modern art structures to distract you from the distance. Canal Saint-Martin ends at Parc de la Villette, so you can combine both of these routes for a longer run.
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Tuileries
You don’t have to look far to find the best places to run in Paris. This is especially true of the Tuileries, right in the center of Paris between the Louvre and Champs Élysées. If you’re short on time or just don’t feel like traveling far for a run, the Tuileries is a great place to get in a couple laps. Running around the perimeter will put you at about 1.6-miles. You can also add some extra mileage by passing through Place de la Concorde and down the Champs for a grand total of 3-miles. Because of the number of tourists that frequent this area at any given time, I’d definitely recommend an early morning run.
Versailles Palace
While this isn’t exactly in Paris, I had to add it to my list of top places to run in Paris since chances are high that you’re already planning on visiting the palace during your travels. You’ve probably heard about the vast gardens of the Versailles Palace estate, but did you know that this is also an extremely popular place for running and biking? The park opens between 7-8am depending on the season and is free of charge to visit. I recommend taking an early train to Versailles and exploring the grounds before heading inside the palace. The park is super quiet and peaceful at that time of the day; quite a different experience from the crowds you’ll encounter a couple hours later.
There are 26 miles of walking paths throughout the estate, passing many historical places of interest like Marie Antoinette’s home and the Colonnade Grove. Many of the trails are also shaded to escape that summer heat. If you follow the main road around the perimeter of the Grand Canal, that will put you at 3.4 miles. You can also rent a bike for €5.50 for 1/2 hour or €19 for the whole day.
Versailles also partners with various sporting organizations to host several running, biking, boating and triathlon races throughout the year.
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RECAP: Places to Run in Paris
- Coulée verte René-Dumont
- Canal Saint-Martin
- Banks of the Seine
- Jardin Du Luxembourg
- Parc des Buttes-Chaumont
- Bois de Vincennes
- Bois de Boulogne
- Parc de la Villette
- Tuileries
- Versailles Palace
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You’ve given me a whole new perspective on ways to enjoy Paris. It’s our favorite city in Europe and we always eat and drink way too much. Now I can work off those extra calories by following your running (or walking) guide. It’ll also take me to areas that I haven’t explored. Thank you, Shanelle.
I enjoyed reading the blog post. Paris is my favorite city in Europe to run in and you’ve introduced me to some new areas. Thank you 🙂
Hi. Haven’t been to paris but it is in one of my dream list. Thanks for sharing.
Paris is a very beautiful city and as written in previous posts basically eat and drink 🙂 I, as like many others, did not view Versailles as a place for jogging.Although at home I train every day. Probably this relaxing spirit of the city is so working 🙂
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I always eat so much when I’m in Paris. Thank goodness there’s equally as many beautiful places to get a workout 😉