Marked by the electrical and transport industry, the Vaugirard-Citroën district is full of highlights of its history. A veritable hive of workers for 60 years, the Citroën factories today present a paradox of rich and varied gardens. The architects Patrick Berger, Jean-François Jodry and Jean-Paul Viguier and the landscape designers Gilles Clément and Allain Provost have emphasized the perpetual movement of the gardens, linked together by water, which creates an island of greenery favorable to relax and dream.

Not far away, in the village factory, it is the bleach that took its source in the 18th century. Opposite, a section of the Petit Ceinture has been converted into a green and artistic promenade. Finally, the Parc des Expositions is home to the largest urban farm in the world, and offers, nestled on its rooftop, a restaurant and a bar signed “Le Perchoir” which offer a panoramic view of the capital. Also, the site offers educational visits, workshops and rental of plots of land for the inhabitants of the surroundings.

Crossed from east to west by the Avenue Daumesnil, from which it takes its name, this district of the 12th arrondissement is undergoing a complete renewal. Gaining in reputation, it welcomes in its streets a multitude of small boutiques and food shops, giving rise to some notorious addresses. Among them, the rue du Rendez-Vous, known for its fresh and local produce shops.

There are many places of interest such as the prestigious Ecole Boulle and the National Museum of the History of Immigration in the Palais de la Porte-Dorée. Representative of the Art Deco style, this monument with its magnificent gates designed by Jean Prouvé, features rhythmic and monumental sculptures by Alfred Auguste on its façade.

Located a stone’s throw from the Bois de Vincennes, the district also offers lovers of green spaces the possibility of escaping for a few moments to the banks of Lake Daumesnil and taking advantage of this immensity of greenery and its many activities.

A former small village where King Dagobert had a royal residence, this district is ideal for families looking for greenery. Well served by public transport and just one metro station from the Gare de Lyon, the district is bordered by the lively rue de Reuilly and the calm countryside of the planted promenade. The Viaduc des Arts, a former railway line that has been transformed into a veritable green artery, welcomes joggers and families who let themselves be carried to the Jardin de Reuilly: a green space designed by the architect Pierre Colboc and the landscape architects François-Xavier Mousquet, Philippe Thomas and Thierry Louf. The small Reuilly barracks, unique in its kind, which preserves the remains of the former ice cream factory, is also worth a visit.

High quality plaster was extracted from the quarries, which was used for large-scale construction projects as well as for the design of works of art. The 11 hectares of the Montmartre cemetery are located on this huge site.

The neighbourhood is rather quiet and residential, with mixed architecture. There are buildings from the 1920s known as HBM, recognisable by their different shades of brick, as well as very beautiful and imposing Haussmannian buildings and artists’ lofts. For the more privileged, a few confidential cul-de-sacs, such as the cité Pilleux, hide charming little houses.

At number 189 rue Ordener, the monumental “Montmartre aux artistes” housing estate is worth a visit. Designed in the 1930s by the architects Adolphe Thiers and Henry Résal, it is made up of 177 studios and still hosts artists and exhibitions.