Martine in Paris - Promenades 

The previous walk along Rue Saint-Jacques to Porte d'Orléans follows the route to Tours, the Via Turonensis, which has been marked out in Paris, in Parc de la Villette and from Tour Saint-Jacques. 

Since 2024, Camino signs have also appeared in the 12th arrondissement between the Bassin de l'Arsenal and along Avenue Daumesnil. They mark the Via Senonensis (from Paris to Vézelay via Sens). This walk starts at the Tour Saint-Jacques and ends at the Porte de Charenton. 

From the Tour Saint-Jacques, we walk to the Seine and follow the Quai de Gesvres, then the Quai de l'Hôtel de Ville.  Do not follow the Camino shells as they mark the route through the Île de la Cité and Rue Saint-Jacques. Stay on the right bank and walk between the booksellers and the Hôtel de Ville; the statue represents Etienne Marcel, provost of the merchants of Paris, in 1354, a role similar to that of mayor of Paris.  

Just past the Louis-Philippe bridge, my curiosity leads me to take Rue de l'Hôtel de Ville to stop at Piéton de Paris, the most Parisian of bookshops. A double reward, as the street leads to the Hôtel de Sens, a superb Middle Ages building. It is named after the archbishops of Sens who used it when the city depended on the Sens archdiocese.

The photo by Atget, taken from the corner of the Hôtel de Sens, almost at the level of Rue du Fauconnier, poetically captured the facade of the old mansion, blackened by the years. The view today, striking in its contrast, shows the building after its extensive restoration, completed in 1962. On the left side of the medieval narrow street, the old insalubrious buildings were replaced in 1952.

Let's now turn right onto Rue du Fauconnier to reach Quai des Célestins. In Atget's time, Île Saint-Louis had a real local life, and boatsmen worked and ate there. Today, the view of Pont Marie is like a postcard, elegant and polished but almost artificial.

We now pass the Fieubet Hotel, transformed in the 19th century with rich Spanish-Italian Baroque-style details, and where the Massillon School is today located.

We cross Boulevard Henri IV, built over part of the former Convent of the Celestines, to take Rue de Sully opposite. Here, we walk alongside the Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal on our right. It was formerly home to Sully, minister of King Henry IV. The military building became a library in 1757, with a vast collection of books. It's today part of the National Library of France, with a major collection of French literature.

Let's cross Rue Mornay and take the footbridge over the Arsenal basin, an unusual sight in the heart of Paris with its marina-like atmosphere. Before becoming a marina in 1983, it had been abandoned for a long time with the declining role of the Canal Saint-Martin. Originally, the basin supplied water to the moat around the Bastille fortress.

From this point, the Camino route is marked by Camino shells all the way up to Rue de Charenton. Let's cross Boulevard de la Bastille and take Rue Jules César leading to Avenue Daumesnil that we take on the right.

Coulée verte (Greenway) René Dumont / Viaduc des Arts

There are several options: either to follow the ground Camino shells along the Avenue Daumesnil and walk along the arches of the Viaduc des Arts; or to take the René Dumont Greenway, a nice garden perched between the buildings; or to switch back and forth as you stroll along, using the stairs and elevators (when they work) located at various points. 

When I discovered the first time the planted walkway created in 1988, I was absolutely delighted. The railroad viaduct blackened by dirt and soot and used by dusty garages was transformed into an elegant row of brick and stone hosting artisan studios with a delightful terraced garden overlooking the buildings along Avenue Daumesnil.  

The former railway line between Bastille and Marles-en-Brie in Seine-et-Marne was replaced by the RER, leaving space for a green way stretching to the Petite Ceinture. 

The lovely tree-lined garden offers plunging views over the streets, buildings, and rooftops...

The official Camino route joins Rue de Charenton. After the green path above the viaduct and the André Leo footbridge above the Reuilly gardens, cross Avenue Daumesnil and take Rue aux Enfants Bignon opposite.  Then turn left onto Rue de Charenton and continue to Porte de Charenton. Having followed it, I personally find this part of Rue de Charenton rather dreary. I would suggest another route, a little longer but much more pleasant - through the trees and therefore  more suitable for meditation. 

Alternative route ...

After the footbridge over the lawns of the Reuilly Gardens, continue along Allée Vivaldi. The Coulée Verte continues, going under tunnels and arriving at Square Charles Péguy, which leads to the Petite Ceinture. Take the Petite Ceinture south towards Porte Dorée and Porte de Charenton. The Petite Ceinture ends at Porte de Charenton, so you can't go wrong. Take the stairs that lead to Rue des Meuniers, leading to Boulevard Poniatowski. From there, pilgrims can retrace the Camino route.