A bench, a view and a story...

This isn't the prettiest bench in Paris. The paint is worn, the seat is covered in graffiti, and a metal fence stands between it and the view. Yet it's one of those places where sitting still is rewarded.

Beyond the railings lies the Clos des Chaufourniers , one of Paris's smallest vineyards. Beside it, local residents cultivate a small communal garden, adding vegetables, flowers and fruit to this unexpectedly rural corner of the 19th arrondissement. 

Beyond the vines, the view stretches across the rooftops to the unmistakable silhouette of Sacré-Cœur on the Montmartre skyline.

The Butte Bergeyre remains one of Paris's quieter residential enclaves. Hidden above the surrounding streets, it has retained an atmosphere that feels more like a hilltop village than part of a capital city.

The hill takes its name from Robert Bergeyre , a promising French rugby player who was killed during the First World War at just twenty years of age. In 1920, the Stade Bergeyre was built below the hill in his memory. Although the stadium survived for less than a decade, it hosted football and rugby matches and was one of the venues used during the 1924 Paris Olympic Games . Today, the stadium has disappeared beneath housing, while the hill above has found a quieter purpose among gardens, vines and views across Paris.

 

Happy Sunday everyone! Have a peaceful day, everyone.

Paris has many views — but the one from a Sunday bench might be the most honest.”

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Part of the “Mon Banc Dominical” Series

Each Sunday, we find a quiet corner of Paris — a bench, a park, a view — and let the city breathe for a while.

Browse the full series

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