Abandoned tracks

The « Small Belt », la « Petite Ceinture », the circular railway on which I have posted a number of times, e.g. here, here, here, which was supposed to supply the city’s fortification walls and also to connect the different railway terminals, was created in the middle of the 19^th century. Some smaller parts are still used, but the major part has been abandoned since the 1930’s, when the metro system had been developed. Some of the local stations are still around, but today used as shops, restaurants…, see one example here.

The abandoned tracks are more and more opened as some kind of “green space”, where you can walk around, see e.g. here. Another little part was recently opened, close to the Parc de Belleville (see here).   

You are not allowed into the tunnels. You can see that before the official opening, the tracks have been occupied by squatters. There is a lot of tagging, the (now) closed gates to the tunnels are painted in the “LGBT” colours…

There are a few flowers… and soon, I hope, there will be more!