Escalier hélicoïdal de la Coulée Verte René-Dumont

You are standing near the beginning of what was once the Vincennes railway line, a path that famously transformed from industrial transit into the world first elevated urban park. Before you climb the stairs to the promenade, look at the red brick arches supporting the structure beneath your feet. These arches form the Viaduc des Arts, where the old railway vaults now house workshops for glassblowers, furniture restorers, and other master craftspeople. This repurposing is a deliberate echo of the site history, as the space that once carried steam locomotives toward the suburbs now supports the delicate, slow-paced work of Parisian artisans.