Street art, a market, the cheapest good food in Paris and a view over the whole city. Here is the walk.
The short version
- Come on a Tuesday or Friday morning for the Belleville market on the boulevard, 7:00 to 13:30; days and hours on paris.fr. It is one of the busiest and cheapest markets in the city.
- Rue Dénoyez, off rue de Belleville, is one short street painted end to end. The art changes every few weeks.
- Walk up to the Parc de Belleville for the view. The terrace at the top looks across all of Paris to the Eiffel Tower, and it costs nothing.
- Belleville is one of Paris’s two Chinatowns, with Chinese, Vietnamese and North African food side by side on the same blocks.
- Édith Piaf was born on rue de Belleville, by the story at number 72; a plaque marks the doorway.
- It is a working neighborhood, not a museum district. Keep an eye on your bag in the market crowd, as you would anywhere busy.
The walk
From Belleville metro on a market morning, walk the stalls along the boulevard de Belleville first: fruit, vegetables, fish and spices at prices that make the rest of Paris look silly. Then turn up rue de Belleville.
Rue Dénoyez is on the left a few minutes up, covered in murals and tags, with artists often at work. Keep climbing rue de Belleville, then cut right on rue Piat to the top of the Parc de Belleville.
From the belvedere at the top, the city is laid out below you with the Eiffel Tower on the horizon. Walk down through the park’s terraces and waterfalls to rue des Couronnes and back to the boulevard.
Or start the day with a guide and finish it here: our half-day Paris walking tour is about three hours with a private guide, start times from 9:00 to 18:00, routed around what you want to see.
Where to eat
Rue de Belleville and the side streets off the boulevard have the Chinese and Vietnamese restaurants: noodle soups, roast duck, dumplings, most of them cheap and fast.
The North African places along the boulevard are the couscous and the mint tea, and the bakeries do the pastries by weight.
The bars at the top of rue de Belleville and around the park are where the neighborhood drinks at sunset, with the city below.
When to go
A Tuesday or Friday morning for the market, then the walk up the hill. The market packs up at 13:30.
Late afternoon for the park and the view, which faces west into the sunset.
Belleville is lively every day. Lunar New Year brings a parade through the streets in late January or February.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the Belleville market?
Tuesday and Friday mornings, 7:00 to 13:30, on the boulevard de Belleville. It is one of the largest and least expensive street markets in Paris.
Where is the view in Belleville?
At the top of the Parc de Belleville, on rue Piat. The terrace looks across the whole city to the Eiffel Tower, and it is free and open all day.
Is Belleville safe?
Yes, in the day and on busy evenings. It is a crowded working neighborhood: watch your bag in the market and your phone on the metro, as anywhere in Paris.
How long does Belleville take?
Half a day for the market, the street art and the park. Add lunch on rue de Belleville.
Is there a tour of Belleville?
Our private Paris walking tour is eight hours with a local guide, and the route is built around your list; put Belleville and the canal together in the afternoon, ten minutes apart on foot.
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