The steps linking Boulevard Delessert to Avenue de Camoëns are one of those quietly theatrical Paris moments that feel half-hidden unless you know to look.
From Boulevard Delessert, just along from the Palais de Chaillot area, a stairway rises sharply between residential buildings. It’s a little grand with its Luis de Camoëns bust but almost secretive, (or at least it was before Instagram) but the ascent is deliberate. As you climb, the city noise drops away and the perspective begins to shift.
About halfway up, the reason for the steps becomes clear. The stairway opens onto Avenue de Camoëns, a short, elegant cul-de-sac. From here, you’re rewarded with one of Paris’s most perfectly framed views of the Eiffel Tower, rising directly ahead across the river. It’s a view that feels composed rather than accidental, framed by Haussmann façades and stone balustrades.
The avenue itself has literary weight, named after the Portuguese poet Luís de Camões, and once home to figures such as Jean-Paul Sartre. The steps act as a physical and symbolic transition, lifting you from a busy thoroughfare to a calm, elevated pause in the city.
It’s a short climb, but one that delivers that classic Paris sensation, effort followed by beauty, bustle giving way to stillness, at least it was before Instagram.
Part of the “Bon week-end” Series
Every Friday we share a small Paris moment — a starting note for your weekend in the city.
© About Paris — Bon week-end · Back to Home
Comments
Post a Comment