Paris Montmartre / Pigalle Running Route

Click here for route map
Length 5.5 km (3.4 miles), terrain: one hill, gain 60 meters

Paris Running Routes:
Best Paris Running Routes: Overview
Seine island of St. Louis, St. Paul, botanical garden  
Left bank and Luxembourg Gardens 
Paris' green heart: Bois de Boulogne   
Canal St. Martin  
Montmartre/Pigalle
Rock formations of Parc Chaumont  
Seine loop with Champs Elysees and Eiffel Tower  
Seine riverside run 
Bois de Vincennes 
Versailles Palace Gardens 
La Défense/Nanterre 
Saint Germain 
For more running routes, see Route List

If there is one neighborhood in Paris that fits every tourist's romantic Paris dream, it has to be Montmartre. This is the place where so many impressionist painters made Paris the center of the art world, where Toulouse-Lautrec painted the cancan dancers at the Moulin Rouge.

Artist in Montmartre: you just have to love Paris!

Renoir, van Gogh, Matisse, Degas, Picasso, Modigliani... They all lived and worked here, and they painted the scenes that played out before them in the streets and cafés of Montmartre. Many of them are now buried in the Montmartre cemetery.

The neighborhood is not big, so we'll zig-zag a bit on this short run, to see a few of the most scenic streets. Montmartre is one of the few hills in the Paris area, so this is one place to actually do some real hill-climbing.

South of the hill is the gritty Pigalle red-light district, with clubs like the Moulin Rouge, which adds a nice contrast to the picturesque hilltop. We'll combine the two neighborhoods, plus the cemetery into one really interesting run!

Start of the run at Place Pigalle

So get yourself to Place Pigalle, easy to reach with the Pigalle station of the number 2 and 12 Metro lines. The Folies Pigalle club lines one side of the round place.

Along Boulevard de Rochechouart

The big street here is the Boulevard de Clichy. It has a wide, tree-lined pedestrian promenade down the middle, so we'll follow that eastwards. We'll pass Star's Music store with its amazing variety of musical instruments, and a lot of local shops. Lots of people of leisure sit around on the benches along the promenade day and night.

The street-name soon changes to Boulevard de Rochechouart, and you'll come to Place d'Anvers on the right side. It's a nice little square, so let's round it and enjoy the greenery and come back out to the boulevard.

Place d'Anvers

Now we'll head north towards Montmartre hill. So cross the boulevard and run northwards along Rue de Steinkerque.

In two blocks you'll be at the base of the hill with Sacré-Cœur basilica crowning the hilltop with its beautiful white domes, throning above a park along the slope. This is the one-kilometer mark.

Sacré-Cœur from below

There are lots of people here, plenty of tourists and a lot of hustlers trying to separate them from their money. As runners, luckily, we're too fast for them...

So run up the zig-zag pathways heading to the top, then continue on the central steps to the plaza in front of this really impressive church.

View from the top!

The view from the top is great! You can see southwards and eastwards across the whole city. And good news: that was already the main climb, there isn't much more of a rise for the rest of the run!

Now turn left (westwards) to run past Sacré-Cœur along Rue Azais. It ends soon at Rue du Mont Cenis, where you turn right to run a bit uphill to a square at an older church, St. Pierre. This church is left from an old monastery at the site, built where St. Dennis was martyred by the Romans.

Until the late 1800s, the hill was still mainly open country: just the monastery on top, with hillsides covered with vineyards and fields, and with 13 windmills grinding the grain for the nearby city.

Portrait artists in action at Place du Tertre

Turn your back to St. Pierre and run straight west along Rue Norvins to the next square in just a block: the Place du Tertre. This square is the heart of the neighborhood, surrounded by restaurants, and the whole square is full of their outdoor tables. In the evening, the colorful lights make it enchanting.

Street scene in Montmartre

Really talented portrait artists line the square, waiting for people to request a portrait. It's fascinating to take a look.

So circle the square and continue down Rue Norvins for a couple of blocks, one of the most charming streets you'll ever see. In fact, EVERYTHING around here is charming. Keep your eyes open! A lot of things look somehow familiar if you've spent any time looking at impressionist art.

At La Bonne Franquette

At the first right-hand turn, take that street, Rue des Saules past more famous spots. That restaurant on the right, La Bonne Franquette, was made famous by van Gogh in his painting "La Guinguette". Pissarro, Sisley, Cézanne, Toulouse-Lautrec, Renoir, Monet and Zola all used to drink there.

We head downhill, then turn left at the first chance (at the pink house called La Maison Rose, onto Rue de l'Abreuvoir.

Photo shooting at La Maison Rose

The road leads to a square called Place Dalida, named after a popular singer and actress who had lived nearby. A lot of fans make a pilgrimage to her statue at the square. There is a viewpoint down the steps to the north. This area is noticeably quieter than the touristy area behind us: a nice change!

Fans visit Dalida

Now turn south along Rue Girardon for just a hundred meters, till Square Suzanne Buisson comes up on the right.

At the 2-kilometer mark, turn into the square to run past the boules players and others relaxing in this nice little park. Exit to the north through the flower gardens.  

Boules players in the heart of Montmartre

NOTE: at the moment, the northern part of the park is being renovated, so you have to head back to Place Dalida and turn left to run westwards, down the narrow lane that heads past the park.

Exit the park to the left and head west along quiet Rue Simon Dereure. It ends at Avenue Junot, where you turn left and follow it as it curves uphill back towards the area where we already were. On the right side, take a look into the beautiful little cul-de-sac, Villa Léandre.

Nice homes along Villa Léandre

When you reach the first intersection, at Rue Girardon, turn right and run the block till it ends at Le Moulin de la Galette (one of the old windmills, and scene of one of Renoir's most famous paintings, "Bal du moulin de la Galette".

Now continue along the narrow alley, Rue d'Orchampt. There is some interesting street art along the house walls here, so keep your eyes open!

Rue d'Orchampt

The alley turns to the left and continues downhill until it meets a couple of squares that connect, bringing you farther down the hill. So head downhill through Place Èmile-Boudeau and pass a couple of friendly pubs.

Place Èmile-Boudeau, heading downhill

Keep running straight downhill along Rue Ravignan until it ends at one of the main streets down along the hillside, the Rue des Abbesses.

This is a lively neighborhood, with lanes heading further downhill, and restaurants and shops all around.

Let's turn left to run just two blocks to the Place des Abbesses, a spot that looks so Parisian. This 3-kilometer mark has a carousel and a Metro station, and there's an interesting little park behind it, with its "Le mur des je t'aime", the "I love you" wall. The words are translated into lots of languages all over the wall, and many romantics head here to take a few pictures.

The "I love you" wall

Circle the park then head back along Rue des Abbesses in the other direction, heading downhill to the west.

Run about five blocks, until the road splits. Continue straight along the left-hand street, Rue Joseph de Maistre (stay to the left of the nice old half-timbered house with the Le Basilic restaurant).

This way along Rue des Abbesses!

In a block, you'll come to a busy street, Rue Caulaincourt, where you turn left. You'll cross a bridge above the Cimetière de Montmartre below. The cemetery was built in an old gypsum quarry, which is why it's so low. In fact, the whole hill is honey-combed by old gypsum mines. The mining started back in the Celtic days, before the Romans arrived.

At the south end of the bridge, take the stairs downward and then turn left to enter the cemetery, at the 4-kilometer mark. It's an interesting place, with memorials to lots of famous locals (lots of artists, and Dalida again!).

The Montmartre cemetery

Basically, just circle the cemetery on whichever paths you think look most interesting. You'll have to exit at the same place that you came in.

It's a bit eerie, a sea of old tombs and monuments, in its own little netherworld below the busy city streets.

When you exit the cemetery, continue south, down Avenue Rachel until it ends at Boulevard de Clichy.

Now you just have to get to the promenade in the middle again and turn left to run eastwards back to Place Pigalle.

The Moulin Rouge, always good for a picture!

Along the way, you'll pass the Moulin Rouge club on the left side with its famous dance revue (cancan was invented here). And a few hundred meters later, you'll be at Pigalle again. Now that was a lot of contrast!

Paris Jardin du Luxembourg Running Route

Click here for route map
Length 4.6 km (2.9 miles), terrain: flat


Paris Running Routes:
Best Paris Running Routes: Overview
Seine island of St. Louis, St. Paul, botanical garden  
Left bank and Luxembourg Gardens 
Paris' green heart: Bois de Boulogne   
Canal St. Martin  
Montmartre/Pigalle
Rock formations of Parc Chaumont  
Seine loop with Champs Elysees and Eiffel Tower  
Seine riverside run 
Bois de Vincennes 
Versailles Palace Gardens 
La Défense/Nanterre 
Saint Germain 
For more running routes, see Route List
 
Here's a nice little run that packs-in a lot of real Parisian flair: a route from the middle of the Seine River through the creative Left Bank neighborhood of St. Germain and then on through the elegant Jardin du Luxembourg park. Along the way, it will pass such historic sites as the École des Beaux-Arts, Saint Germain des Prés church and the French Senate palace.

Picnic on the Pont des Arts. The love-locks have since been banished

The St. Germain neighborhood is full of history, famous for its cafés, bookstores and art galleries. It's long been the home of great French designers, students, revolutionaries, musicians and free-thinkers of every sort. St. Germain was almost predestined to become the home of the existentialist philosophy movement in the 1950s.

NOTE: see the Destinations Tips page for tips about spending your free time in this great town!

Intrigued? Then let's get going! Head to the Pont des Arts footbridge across the Seine, at the Louvre. This is one of my favorite bridges anywhere: gathering place for couples and friends for a bottle of wine and a piece of cheese on nice summer evenings, with the Louvre Palace on the one bank and the domed elegance of the Institut de France on the other. But we're not here to just hang out and watch the tour boats glide beneath the bridge, so off we go!

Facing the Institut de France, with fish-people doing their thing

Run south across the bridge, heading towards the Institut dome, then turn right to follow the river and the green booksellers' boites for a block along the quay. Now cross the zebra stripes to the left to enter narrow Rue Bonaparte, heading south again.

Boites along the Seine

The galleries begin immediately, with amazing objects which you would you can hardly imagine that such things really exist. Every cross-street around here is full of even more galleries, a collection that no other city in the world can offer. After a block, you'll pass the École des Beaux-Arts, the French national school of design. The lucky students who get to study design around here!

Art-gallery opening-night vernissage across from the design school

In another two blocks, you'll cross Rue Jacob, and down that street on the right the Treaty of Paris was signed between the US and Britain, ending the American War of Independence. Benjamin Franklin led the American delegation. 

Amazing objects at this gallery

NOTE: And down Rue Jacob in the other direction, there's one of my favorite Parisian hotels, Hôtel des Marronniers, set off the street on its own courtyard, with a beautiful breakfast terrace out back.

The good life in the Hotel des Marronniers

After another block, you'll come to the church of Saint Germain des Prés, what's left of a once-important monastery. It was closed during the French Revolution and was then partly used as a prison, where a massacre of the prisoners was carried out when counter-revolutionary armies approached Paris. The church is beautiful, and maybe you'll get lucky and be able to visit it for a concert some evening.

Now cross the busy street Boulevard Saint Germain and keep running south along Rue Bonaparte. In a couple more blocks, at the one-kilometer mark, you'll see the huge, strangely unfinished church of St. Sulpice. The bell tower to the right side was never finished: work stopped when the tower threatened to collapse.  

Saint Sulpice church

NOTE: By the way, this church played a role in Dan Brown's thriller, The Da Vinci Code, where a nun is murdered by a bad-guy who was searching for a clue buried under the Rose Line running through the church floor.

Continuing south from the church, Rue Bonaparte is lined by a narrow park on the left, making it even nicer.

The street ends at Rue de Vaugirard, with the fence for the Jardin du Luxembourg straight ahead. Turn left and run along the fence until you find the entrance after just 30 meters.

Chess players in the park

Now run into the park, continuing southwards through the trees, past the chess-players and the playgrounds and the mini Statue of Liberty. There are oases of quiet towards the back side. While other Parisian parks, like Tuileries, are totally overrun by tourists, this one is still full of locals. How refreshing!

Quiet spot in the back-end of the park

When you get to the back end of the park, keep to the left to exit at the main south gates, at the two-kilometer mark.

You are now running south through a green, narrow square, the Jardin des Grands Explorateurs, flanked by some old university buildings.

Run the two blocks until the square ends, rounding the fountains with their wild copper horses and return to Luxembourg Garden along the other side, re-entering the south gates.

Heading towards the palace

Run straight towards the Palais du Luxumbourg ahead, home of the French Senate. Keep along the right side, and enjoy all the people relaxing in this amazingly elegant setting, passing the three-kilometer mark. 

The palace, home to the Sénat

You'll pass another quiet oasis on the right side, the Fontaine Medicis. The 350-year-old palace and gardens was built by Marie Medicis, mother of King Louis XIII.

The Fontaine Medicis, with obligatory couple making-out

Now exit the park next to the palace and turn left and run towards the Sénat entrance and the police watch, and then turn right to head up Rue de Tournon.

This fairly residential neighborhood is typical Saint Germain, upscale but creative, with a lot of nice local shops and a covered market to the left in a couple of blocks.

The street name changes to Rue de Seine and you'll cross busy Boulevard Saint-Germain again.

Lively Rue de Buci

In a block, you'll cross Rue de Buci, a street of door-to-door restaurants full of tourists, but a fun place nevertheless.

The famous Boissonnerie fish restaurant

Run past the wonderful mosaic facade of the Boissonnerie fish restaurant and you'll find yourself back in the heart of the galleries again, with each gallery window more amazing than the last.

Still more galleries

In a few blocks, you'll be back at the Institut de France, and just a few steps away from the Pont des Arts finish. Ah, Paris!

Paris La Défense/Nanterre Running Route

Click here for route map
Length 6.4 km (4 miles), terrain: one small hill at beginning, gain 50 meters

Paris Running Routes:
Best Paris Running Routes: Overview
Seine island of St. Louis, St. Paul, botanical garden  
Left bank and Luxembourg Gardens 
Paris' green heart: Bois de Boulogne   
Canal St. Martin  
Montmartre/Pigalle
Rock formations of Parc Chaumont  
Seine loop with Champs Elysees and Eiffel Tower  
Seine riverside run 
Bois de Vincennes 
Versailles Palace Gardens 
La Défense/Nanterre 
Saint Germain 
For more running routes, see Route List

This run through modern La Défense and Nanterre shows you a very different side of Paris and the French soul. You wouldn't know it from most of Paris, but the French have a love of things futuristic, and of modernistic architecture: just land at Charles de Gaulle Airport and wander through the terminals. The old Terminal 1 is a vision of the future as imagined in the 1960s: shaped like a circular space station, with passengers transported through tilting glass tubes through the central hole. Or take a look at Centre Pompidou, with its revolutionary exposed pipes and conduits.

La Défense is full of architectural surprises

La Défense and Nanterre fit the mold, with flamboyance in abundance, embodying the current French vision of the Brave New World. Glass towers of every shape jostle for position to capture visitors' imagination.

La Défense is Europe's largest purpose-built business district. It began in the 70s but most was built in the 80s and later, and it's still growing. It's based on a very good idea: a modern city needs modern office buildings, but we want to protect our heritage, so move the skyscrapers to the edge of town. So a whole new business area was erected west of the city, continuing the axis of the Champs Elysees westwards.

A wide pedestrian open space, full of trees, fountains, benches and bistros forms the central axis of La Défense. Dominating the axis, the Grande Arche provides a gargantuan, modern interpretation of the Arc de Triomphe, visible on the eastern horizon. Grande Arche is itself an office building.

In La Défense

And Nanterre, just west of La Défense, continues the axis and includes lots of extravagant modern architecture, too. A lot of it is apartments, rather than offices. The most striking project in Nanterre is the collection of social-housing towers known as the "Cloud Towers". Each tower is a bundled collection of cylinders of varying colors, giving them a cloud-shaped footprint. With their muted-color tile facades, they look like they have been blasted in a nuclear war, which just might be an improvement. They would be the perfect backdrop for the next Mad Max movie.

And -- perfect for us runners -- Nanterre is centered around a nice park, Parc André Malraux, a lunch-hour favorite running route for workers from the nearby office buildings. So, if you put all that together, you've got the basis of a very interesting run! I was lucky enough to be back working in the area this past week, and got to try out this great route.

The Route
So lets head to the east end of La Défense, at the Esplanade de La Défense metro station. The station steps come up just west of a square pond full of artsy poles. You're in the pedestrian area that stretches westwards towards the lurking silhouette of the Grande Arche. 

Start of the run at the Esplanade

The way there goes gradually uphill. You can take the sidewalks to the left, right or center. The map here traces the northern walkway on the right.

Along the pedestrian area

Just enjoy the sights, watch out for the many pedestrians if you're here during the rush hour or at lunchtime. 

Lunchtime Boules players at La Défense: hey this is really Paris!

When you come to the Grande Arche and the 1-kilometer mark, cross to the left and continue running westwards along the arch's southern side.

At Grande Arche: continue along the left side of the arch!

NOTE: Or head up the steps to get a view from under the arch: it's worth it!

Now turn left when you get past the Arche, heading into the group of modern glass office towers around the Cours Valmy. The tall Société Générale building is right in front of you.

At the Société Générale building: keep right!

Circle the building around the right side, heading down the ramp to street level below. You now turn right and follow this circular street, Boulevard Aimé Césaire, into Navarre. You are rounding a cemetery. Unfortunately two cemeteries and some unbuilt wasteland separate the Grande Arche area from Nanterre, but the last bit of wasteland is now finally being developed, so soon you might be able to run directly past the arch into Nanterre to the west, without running next to the traffic on Aimé Césaire.

View back towards Grande Arche from Nanterre

When you come to the park-like pedestrian area in Nanterre at the 2-km mark, turn left and continue running west past offices and apartments until you come to the main exit of the RER train station.

At the station, turn left and run through the opening in the buildings to the south and through a little market square, towards the entrance to Parc André Malraux. 

Park entrance

The entrance is marked by a line of green/white columns. Just past the gate, turn right and follow the path along the park perimeter. At the 3-km mark, you'll go by two little hills that they piled up here with dirt from the artificial lake, so you can do some hill-work by taking the trails upwards, if you prefer.

The biggest hill in the park: used for hill-work

After circling the second hill, head to the south edge of the park and head eastwards, following the south shore of the little lake.

Parc André Malraux

Keep running past the playground to the eastern end of the park, towards the Cloud Towers straight ahead. You can't miss them.

At the towers, the path circles northwards again (to the left), going by another little hill. But now take the eastern exit of the park and run along Allée de l'Arlequin past the northern row of towers.

NOTE: For some added distance, you could just loop the park again at this point. That's what all the local runners do. At lunchtime, the park is totally full of runners, when the weather is good.

The Cloud Towers after a shower

Just before the last Cloud Tower, take the Chemin Vert pedestrian trail, continuing eastwards. It will go under Avenue Pablo Picasso and then head past more conventional-looking apartments on Rue Hoche. You are just a block south of the Société Générale building again.

Cloud Tower entrance

At the 5-km mark, a raised pedestrian bridge will take you over a freeway, the Boulevard Circulaire and back into La Défense.

Turn left to head past a mall, Les Quatre Temps, and the round UGC cinema into the main square in front of Grande Arche, where you run down the steps and turn right and head back downhill to the start.

Paris Versailles Running Route

Click here for route map
Length 10.4 km (6.5 miles), terrain: mainly flat with light hills

Paris Running Routes:
Best Paris Running Routes: Overview
Seine island of St. Louis, St. Paul, botanical garden  
Left bank and Luxembourg Gardens 
Paris' green heart: Bois de Boulogne   
Canal St. Martin  
Montmartre/Pigalle
Rock formations of Parc Chaumont  
Seine loop with Champs Elysees and Eiffel Tower  
Seine riverside run 
Bois de Vincennes 
Versailles Palace Gardens 
La Défense/Nanterre 
Saint Germain 
For more running routes, see Route List

You may have heard that Versailles is the biggest and most spectacular palace in the world. And you may have heard that the palace gardens are one of the landmark examples of European gardening, full of fountains, statues, reflecting pools and manicured hedges. But maybe you haven't heard that the gardens are free, and open to the public every day from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. And they are actually quite easy to get to, using the Paris public transport network.

NOTE: The gardens are only free during the winter, from November through March, or Mondays in the rest of the year. From April to October, access to the gardens is subject to a fee from Tuesday to Sunday (days of the Fountain Shows or Musical Gardens). Tickets can be purchased online for €10.50 at this website.

Autumn colors in the Versailles gardens

So, if you're in Paris and have time to get to the gardens in time for a run before the park closing time, take my recommendation: just jump at the chance! You will get a close-up view of the palace and then explore the vast gardens to an extent that few of the other visitors can. The gardens are very formal and detailed close to the palace, but get more natural as you head westwards, further away. You will even find yourself running past vegetable fields and sheep pastures at the furthest reaches of the grounds: quite a contrast to the manicured environment around the main buildings.

So, if you'd like to try the Versailles Challenge, just jump on one of the commuter trains of the RER "C" line, heading towards St. Quentin or Versailles itself. The SARA and VICK trains all stop at either the Versailles Chateau station or the Versailles Chantiers station. The two Versailles stations are just a few blocks apart, and a short walk from the palace. The current Metro price from the city is €3.50.

Avenue de Paris, looking towards the chateau

To take on this very contrasty run, get yourself to the corner of Avenue de Paris and Avenue du Général de Gaulle, at the Versailles city hall (Mairie). This is just a block north of the Versailles Chateau station. The tree-lined Avenue de Paris is the main boulevard leading up to the chateau, just two blocks away.

The town itself is elegant and worth a visit in its own right: set up by the king to house government offices and employees, and it was the French capital for 100 years. It's a lot like Berlin's Potsdam: a pleasant, planned town created to provide a fitting first impression of the king's neighborhood.

Standing at the corner, next to the mairie, turn west to face the palace a few blocks in the distance. Now run the two blocks to the big open, cobble-stoned plaza in front of the palace, now used mainly for parking. Run past the equestrian statue of Louis XIV, who built the palace, and head through the first, ornate metal gate.

Versailles entrance: to enter gardens, run between the 2 buildings on right

Now you run right up to the golden gate, where people buy tickets for the palace tour. There will be masses of tourists milling all over, but don't worry, it won't stay like this for long.

The palace is one of the most opulent buildings in the world, with golden fences and decorations glittering in the sun, and imposing facades everywhere you look.

The palace from the front

So now, turn right and head to the alley to the left side of the ornate chapel, past the building with the inscription "A Toutes les Gloires de la France". Humility wasn't Louis' strong-point.

This is the way into the gardens. Just run through the arched walkways to the gardens on the other side. There is a boarding spot right there for a little train that takes people on tours of the gardens. The people will still be pretty numerous here, but the gardens are so big that even here there is plenty of room to run past them.

The gardens just behind the palace

So now run to the backside of the massive palace, with its three wings. Past the little ponds behind the central wing of the palace, towards the left. There is a wide staircase leading down into the further gardens to the west. We'll basically follow a counter-clockwise loop around the grounds from here.

Overlooking the huge grounds: full of great running trails

There is a great view up there, and you just follow the walkways down past the clipped shrubs and statuary towards the fountains and lake straight ahead.

Next, you'll come to the Apollo fountain at about the 1.5-km mark, with the god driving his chariot horses through the pond. Immediately thereafter, the "Grand Canal" starts, a cross-shaped lake that dominates the park. To run in the gardens means having to run around the lake.

Fountain of Apollo, with Grand Canal lake in background

You could just stay along the shores of the lake, running a cross-pattern, or follow the trails that connect the tips of the cross with each other, in a diamond shape, or loop around the outside of the whole grounds. This route combines a bit of each, but of course, you could do it any way you please. It's all good.

To follow this route, head to the right side of the lake, where the café and the rowboat-rental are. This is the liveliest corner of the gardens, and the most fun place to people-watch. Just watch out for all the bicycles and rental golf-carts that vie for the walkways.

The lake, with boats and café

Run to the café, then -- immediately afterwards -- turn right to head along the Allée de la Reine, a quiet walkway with little woods to each side. You're now heading northwards towards Trianon Palace, the place where the king normally lived: homier and more livable than the gigantic main palace. The main building was used mainly for parties and receptions.

Trianon Palace

When you reach Trianon, just after the 2-km mark, take a look around, then head to the left. You'll now run downhill along the paved path called Allée de 2 Trianons to the northern point of the cross-shaped lake. The walled gardens of Trianon Palace are along your right side, and woods to the left.

When you reach the water, keep heading west directly next to the wall, along Allée de Bailly. The main path is paved, but there is a little dirt path to the right side, next to the wall. The main path later turns to cobblestones and isn't very pleasant to run on.

Allée de Bailly: suddenly fields and woods everywhere

From now on, you will see fewer and fewer people: just a few hikers and bicyclists, and even a few other runners. You won't be the only person to be running the gardens.

You will soon be running out between farm fields and woods. At the third turn-off to the left, where you will see a wooden gate to a horse pasture on the left, turn left onto the Allée de la Ceinture, at the 4-km mark. This is also just before reaching the stone wall along the west edge of the grounds, which you can see bordering the far side of the pastures.

The turn-off onto Allée de la Ceinture, along meadows full of horses and sheep

Now head southwards. Here, you'll also find a dirt path next to the cobble-stoned lane, along the left side this time. You'll head a bit downhill, with the horse pastures along the right side, and woods and vegetable fields on the left. There are also sheep pastures at the little farm buildings along the right, as it starts going uphill again.

You will now come to the western entrance into the park at Grille Royale, to the west of the lake. Now turn left to run through the open lawns leading down to the lake, at the 6-km mark.

At the intersection of the lake

Just follow the southern shore. Run until you reach the intersection of the cross, then turn right to keep following the water towards the south.

Round the southern tip, at the 7.5-km mark, then take the diagonal path to the right, another lane called Allée de la Reine. This time you're heading towards the eastern tip of the lake, at the Apollo Fountain. This avoids the ever-growing crowds along the eastern edge of the lakeside.

Last stretch along Allée de la Reine towards Fountain of Apollo

Once you get back to the eastern tip of the lake, just re-trace your original steps for the last two kilometers. You'll run back eastwards to the palace, head out into the plaza out front, then continue towards the east, along the Avenue de Paris. In 2 blocks you'll be back at the city hall again. Now that was a run with a lot of amazing variety!