To say that Paris has only seven villages is not entirely accurate: the capital is actually home to dozens of micro-neighborhoods that retain an authentic charm and an almost rural atmosphere.
A vast network of ancient galleries was dug under Paris during the Gallo-Roman period and then exploited extensively from the Middle Ages to the 19th century, providing limestone, gypsum, and other materials used to build the city.
The presence of these numerous underground quarries in several Parisian districts made the ground unstable, limiting the construction of heavy buildings. Low houses were therefore built there, which explains the unique, village-like appearance of certain neighborhoods in Paris.
Here are seven of these charming neighborhoods that we recommend visiting.
La-Campagne-à-Paris is a housing development in the 20th arrondissement, near the Porte de Bagnolet, between Boulevard Mortier, Rue du Capitaine-Ferber, and Rue Géo-Chavez. Built on a former gypsum quarry, the complex comprises around a hundred small one- or two-story townhouses.
The 92 houses built between 1911 and 1928 were intended for a population of foremen and employees with modest incomes. Inspired by English garden cities, the neighborhood was designed with specific rules: no raising the height of houses, respect for alignment, and visual consistency in order to preserve light, ventilation, and overall harmony.
As you leave the neighborhood via Rue du Capitaine-Ferber, don’t miss a break at the Country Bar, the café on the corner. It has remained unchanged over the years.
Access:
Porte de Bagnolet subway station – Rue du Capitaine-Ferber
Leaving the Campagne in Paris, you can head to Place Edith Piaf and then Saint-Germain de Charonne Church. Rue Saint-Blaise is at its feet. The church, whose first stones date back to the 12th century, is surrounded by a cemetery, which is probably very old. It is one of the smallest in Paris.
You can then walk down the charming Rue Saint-Blaise.
Butte Bergeyre, located west of Buttes-Chaumont Park, is one of Paris’ hills, rising to a height of around 100 meters. It is a unique, relatively isolated spot, accessible via Rue Georges-Lardennois and several stairways.
La Butte Bergeyre is a small neighborhood consisting of four streets. It is a former gypsum quarry and was subdivided in the 1920s and 1930s. It also includes a small vineyard, Clos des Chaufourniers, which produces wine in modest quantities.
Access:
– Georges-Lardennois Street (including a staircase at No. 2)
– Staircase at 52 Simon-Bolivar Avenue
– Staircase at 19 Manin Street
Leaving Butte Bergeyre, you can cross Buttes-Chaumont Park and reach the Mouzaïa neighborhood. The neighborhood is crisscrossed by a dozen small paved streets called “villas” that are easy to walk around.
Access:
Botzaris subway station
La Butte-aux-Cailles is undoubtedly the largest of Paris’s “village neighborhoods” and is well worth a visit in its own right. Located in the south of the 13th arrondissement, it is built on a former limestone quarry, like other Parisian hills.
Most of the houses here are low-rise, sometimes with a small garden, and the neighborhood has a lively village atmosphere. Rue de la Butte-aux-Cailles is lined with cafés and restaurants that contribute to its friendly atmosphere. The neighborhood is also home to one of the most beautiful swimming pools in Paris, with an indoor pool and an outdoor pool that is heated all year round.
On the outskirts of the neighborhood, don’t miss Square des Peupliers and Petite Alsace, two picturesque enclaves. The Cité Florale, often associated with Butte-aux-Cailles, completes this unique setting where it is not uncommon to see artists sketching the flower-covered facades.
To begin this picturesque walk, head to Square Caulaincourt, at 102 Rue Lamarck. Take a break at the charming café Le Cépage Montmartrois, then take the second flight of stairs.
A little further on is Villa Léandre, a little-known cul-de-sac in the heart of Montmartre.
Here you can explore the outskirts of Montmartre, away from the tourist crowds, where you can enjoy the village atmosphere almost everywhere you go.
La Cité des Fleurs, created in 1847 in the Épinettes neighborhood (17th arrondissement), this private road lined with gardens was designed as a model residential subdivision. Located near the Goüin factories, it was home to engineers and executives from the nascent industry. Still governed by a union association, it has seen figures such as Alfred Sisley and Simon Hantaï pass through its gates and was home to a Resistance network during World War II. A rare place where harmony, greenery, and industrial memory come together, the Cité des Fleurs remains an early example of social and aesthetic urban planning in 19th-century Paris.
Access:
– At 154 Guy Moquet Street
– At 62 Jonquière Street.