In zinc, slate, or verdigris, with small clay chimneys and aerials that point to the sky, the roofs of Paris are one of the icons of the city.
So much so that they are in the running to become a candidate for Unesco's intangible cultural heritage alongside the baguette de pain and the Biou d'Arbois wine festival.
The Minister of Culture Roselyne Bachelot must decide in mid-March which of these three candidates will be presented by France.
In the meantime, it's up to us to admire them.
The reliefs of the city, from Montmartre to Belleville via the Butte Bergeyre, offer natural pedestals for this.
Even if museums, monuments and rooftops are closed due to Covid, here is where to find a panorama on the roofs of the capital.
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The square of the Sacred Heart
Montmartre hill rises 131 meters above Paris.
Franck Legros / Adobe Stock
It is one of the most admired views of the capital.
Normally, it is assailed by tourists in search of romance or young Parisians at aperitif time.
Perhaps now is the time to admire it a little more quietly ...
You just have to turn around to admire another impressive view: that of the Sacré-Coeur.
The interior of the monument remains open to visitors, with the exception of its dome.
Parvis du Sacré-Coeur, 75018 Paris.
Getting there
: by metro, Anvers station, line 2. By bus, line 40 and 54.
The Belleville park belvedere
1/2 - View from the belvedere, with the Montparnasse tower on the left and the top of the Eiffel tower on the right.
Suzanne Plumette / Adobe Stock
2/2 - The Belleville belvedere, dotted with works of street art and participatory mosaics.
UlyssePixel / Adobe Stock
Created in 1988 on the slopes of Belleville hill, this 45,000 square meter park offers a wide panorama over the rooftops of the capital, with the Montparnasse tower and the Eiffel tower in focus.
The best spot is at the top of the park, under the belvedere adorned with frescoes by street artist Seth and ephemeral mosaics made by locals.
Witness to the winegrowing past of the hill, the park also has 140 vines which each produce 2 to 3 kilos of grapes.
The harvest takes place every year.
Parc de Belleville, 47 Rue des Couronnes, 75020 Paris.
Getting there
: By metro, Pyrénées station, line 11.
The garden of the Butte-Bergeyre
The view of the Montmartre hill from the Buttes-Bergeyre garden.
Studio Laure / Adobe Stock
It is a pretty garden run by the association of the inhabitants of the Butte Bergeyre, in the 19th arrondissement.
On the slopes of the hill, trees and aromatic plants rub shoulders with around ten individual plots of one square meter, as well as a small vineyard and a few beehives.
The top of the park offers a superb view of the Montmartre hill.
Please note, the garden is only open on Wednesday and Sunday afternoon.
However, you can enjoy the view without entering it from rue George-Lardennois, or fall back on the Buttes-Chaumont, a large park located just next door with another beautiful panorama of Paris.
Shared Garden of the Inhabitants of the Butte Bergeyre, 78 Rue Georges-Lardennois, 75019 Paris.
Getting there
: by metro, Bolivar station, line 7 or colonel Fabien station, line 9. By bus, via lines 26 and 75 to the Mathurin Moreau - Simon Bolivar stop.
Paris Generali balloon
1/2 - The Paris Generali balloon, in the André Citroën park in the 15th arrondissement of Paris.
Ballon de Paris Generali / Photo press
2/2 - The view from the balloon basket, which rises up to 150 meters depending on the weather conditions.
Ballon de Paris Generali / Photo press
It is part, with the pilots of the Patrouille de France and the helicopters of the Tour de France, of the very closed club of aircraft authorized to fly over Paris.
The Generali balloon has been hovering over André-Citroën Park, in the 15th arrondissement, since 1999. It can lift 30 people up to 150 meters in altitude depending on weather conditions.
The balloon is also an indicator of the pollution of the capital.
The pictograms on its envelope change color depending on the air quality: blue if it is good to purple if it is extremely bad.
Adult € 12, 3/11 years € 6.
Ballon de Paris Generali, Parc André-Citroën, 2 rue Cauchy, 75015 Paris.
Phone.
: 01 44 26 20 00.
Getting there:
by metro, Javel or Balard stations, or via the RER C to Javel or Boulevard Victor.
By bus, Parc André-Citroën stop, line 30.
The Butte du Chapeau rouge
The roofs of Pré-Saint-Gervais from the red Butte-du-Chapeau park.
Suzanne Plumette / Adobe Stock
This 4.7 hectare park created in 1939 is located on the edge of Paris, between the Mouzaïa and Danube districts, in the 19th arrondissement.
The clearest view is in the center of the park, on one of the blue benches lined up along the path.
But be careful, it does not dive over the roofs of the capital, but on those of Pré-Saint-Gervais, a town bordering the ring road.
Sometimes it doesn't hurt to turn your back on the capital.
Parc de la Butte-du-Chapeau-Rouge, 5 Avenue Debidour, 75019 Paris.
Getting there
: By metro, Pré-Saint-Gervais station, line 7bis.
By tram, Butte du Chapeau-rouge station, line T3b.
By Bus, lines 48 and 75.
Saint-Cloud park
The Saint-Cloud estate offers an unobstructed view of Boulogne-Billancourt and the south-west of Paris.
Studio Laure / Adobe Stock
The national domain of Saint-Cloud is a vast park of 460 hectares.
There is plenty to get lost in the long rectilinear alleys that cut through the forest and lovers of French gardens will certainly love the perspective games and geometric shapes that make up the parterre.
The Grande Cascade is the main part of the park designated by Antoine le Pautre.
But the best place from which to see Boulogne-Billancourt and the south-west of Paris is at the round of the balustrade, at the intersection of the alley of the lantern and the alley of Chartres, near the Seine.
You can then see the Eiffel Tower and the Montparnasse Tower.
Domaine national de Saint-Cloud, Avenue de la Grille-d'Honneur, 92210 Saint-Cloud.