Vélib' Vendredi: Butte aux Cailles

So, I have a confession to make, this Vélib' Vendredi didn't actually involve a Vélib'. Maybe these posts should be called something like Exploring Fridays instead. Oh well, regardless, it's made me get out more and see new parts of the city. This week, I visited the neighborhood of Butte aux Cailles, which is in the southern part of Paris.

It's been on my list of things to do in Paris for a while now, so when Wednesday was a gorgeous, sunny fall day, I decided it was the perfect day to head out and do some exploring before heading to work that afternoon. Turns out where I teach my classes is very close to this little neighborhood!

When I walked out of the metro and saw this as my entrance,
I knew it was going to be some great exploring!

Butte aux Cailles was one of the "villages" of Paris (along with more famous Montmartre), and to this day it still retains the feel of a village despite being in the middle of Paris. As soon as I climbed those stairs, I felt as if I had been transported to a sleepy little village in the countryside of France. There were hardly any people out and about, and the style of architecture is much different than the rest of Paris. Little hilly, cobblestone streets abound.

There's so much to see in this little area. "Little Alsace" contains many half-timbered homes, however, sadly, the gate to the courtyard was locked, so I only got a tiny view of what I'm sure were even more beautiful homes. I read online that "Little Russia" is nestled behind "Little Alsace" but you have to know a resident to even get close that area.

Street art is everywhere in this little neighborhood!

Of course, there's gorgeous churches too. What amazes me is how many of these churches are in Paris, that in any other city would be a tourist draw, but here are unknown and hidden away. I wanted to go inside because I had read the stained glass was really beautiful, but of course, there was an "exceptional closing" of the church starting the day I was there. I should probably be used to these "exceptional closings" by now, but I'm not.

I then wandered to Square des Peupliers, which technically isn't in the Butte aux Cailles, but it's very nearby, and also a bit of a hidden gem, I think. It's literally about two alleyways of houses tucked off a main road. It almost feels like something out of a movie, with vines and trees hanging over the narrow, cobblestone sidewalk.

Such a cute little neighborhood, and I highly recommend checking it out for a different side of Paris! It was dead during the day, but I read online that at night, it's a hip place for young people to hang out. I saw lots of signs advertising happy hours at a much cheaper price than anywhere else in Paris, and have confirmed with a French person that it is indeed a fun area at night, so I foresee a return to this area in our near future! :)