Le Mur des Cascades

A waterfall of jagged, layered concrete stones tumbles down the steep slope of the Rue des Cascades. This structure marks the historic path of the old Belleville aqueducts that once funneled water into Paris. In the nineteenth century, locals climbed these hills to wash clothes in the public fountains fed by these springs. Today, the concrete stones mimic that long-lost rush of water, turning a quiet neighborhood street into a permanent, dry monument to the springs that built the city.