Written
by Andrew James based in Paris
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| Photo CC Paris photographer Wazim |
One of
my favourite places in all of Paris is frustratingly under-exposed through the
usual guidebooks and tourist information sites. Right next to the Eiffel Tower,
the Allée des Cygnes is a pedestrian route down a man-made island in the middle
of the Seine between the 15th and 16th arrondissements. The island itself is
known as Ile aux Cygnes (Isle of Swans), apparently named after an island
called the Ile des Cygnes in the Seine that no longer exists.
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| Copyright - Andrew James |
The
artificial island was built in 1827, is 850 metres long and only 11 metres
wide, a long thing finger of land that was built to support the three bridges
that cross it. It boasts a replica of the Statue of Liberty that faces
west towards her sister statue in New York City (built to ¼ scale). The statue
was unveiled on 4 July 1889 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the French
Revolution, a gift from America to Paris. Interestingly, it was always intended
to face west but the French President at the time, the little known Marie
Francois Sadi Carnot arranged for it to face east. He realised that the
inauguration would be a bit of a dull event if crowds were gathered facing the
back of Liberty’s head during the unveiling so it was launched facing east. It
stayed that way for almost 40 years and was only turned west in 1937 to
coincide with that year’s exposition universelle.
Today
the island is a wonderful place to take a walk and boasts incredible views of
the river banks and the Eiffel Tower. It’s a popular spot for jogging and
dog-walking and at the western end there is a free outdoor gym with exercise
machines for anyone to use.
The
path is lined with trees whose branches reach over the banks like long spidery
fingers.
I’d
recommend starting from the Pont Bir Hakeim where you’ll find the Viaduc de
Passy, the over ground railway that carries metro line 6. From there you can
walk along the Allée and take in views of the Radio France building, the
skyscrapers of the 15th arrondissement and finish with Lady Liberty herself.
This is
definitely a place that shouldn’t be missed if you’re in the area to visit the
Eiffel Tower anyway.
Andrew
James is a blogger who writes about things to do in Paris away from the main
tourist destinations and the history of the city. He has a fascination for the
stories behind French streets named after non-French people.
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