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Visit Paris: Parc de Bercy -Très Grande Bibliothèque

A very nice walk near the center of Paris that goes off the beaten track.

This route starts at Bercy village, crosses the Bercy park, crosses the Seine by the Simone de Beauvoir footbridge to reach the Bibliothèque Nationale de France (BNF), called Très Grande Bibliothèque (TGB). The return journey follows the banks of the Seine and passes the AccorHotels Arena concert hall. A very nice walk that gets you out of historical Paris. During the summer season, the terraces of the restaurants in Bercy village are literally taken by storm.

Interest: very good (3 users)
Difficulty:
Duration: 2 h.
Practical information

Start of the walk

The departure is located Passage Saint Emilion in Bercy Village (metro Cour Saint Emilion line 14). Bercy Village is a kind of large shopping center with many shops and restaurants. The creators wanted to recreate the atmosphere of a village (hence the name Bercy Village). It is worth the detour, there is always a lot of animation. As soon as the first rays of sunshine appear, the restaurant terraces are packed.
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Passage Saint-Vivant

Bercy village has long been a wine market. The site has been totally restored and the place has a lot of charm. It is a successful marriage between modern and old which is rare in Paris. A must see. Be careful, it is very crowded.
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Parc de Bercy

The entrance of the park. It is not the most beautiful park in Paris but it is still very pleasant.
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Pond of the park of Bercy

In this part of the park you can find ponds with many ducks.
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Crossing of Joseph Kessel Street

Use the pedestrian bridges to cross Joseph Kessel Street. The park consists of two parts separated by the road.

The vegetable garden in Bercy Park

A little bit of countryside in the middle of the city with vineyards, a vegetable garden and formal gardens.
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Exit from the park

The park continues with the Yitzhak Rabin garden.
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Exit from the Yitzhak Rabin Garden

Leave the Yitzhak Rabin garden by the stairs leading to the Simone de Beauvoir footbridge. At the top of the stairs there is a beautiful view of the library and the Seine.
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Simone de Beauvoir Gateway

Take the Simone de Beauvoir pedestrian bridge. You can see the Grande Bibliothèque with its four large towers. The footbridge spans the road. The view is grandiose.
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Very Large Library

Inside the library, there is a garden with some majestic trees that cannot be seen from above. The garden is not open to the public.
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The National Library of France

The Very Large Library is composed of four large towers at each corner which symbolically represent four open books: the Tower of Times, the Tower of Laws, the Tower of Numbers and the Tower of Letters. You can walk around inside. The entrance to the library is free but the visit is a bit disappointing, you walk in large corridors. Paradoxically, we see few books.
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Passing in front of the Joséphine Baker swimming pool

This pool is actually on a barge. It can be covered or uncovered depending on the season.
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Bercy Bridge

Take the Bercy bridge to start the return journey. In the distance, on the other bank, the large building is the Ministry of Finance.
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