A promenade along les Berges de Seine

A couple of weekends ago, looking for a bit of inspiration on what to get up to on a Sunday afternoon, I thought a walk and lunch along the banks of the Seine would do it. Les Berges are deemed the coolest place to hang out and a definite hot area for the young and old alike. Following on the advice of Hip Paris blog and others I plied my children out  of the house with promises of some really cool places along the Seine, and great places to have lunch. Let's just say the marketing exercise by the city of Paris has been a wondrous success.

After we walked the length of the Seine, with me promising delightful food and a place to sit and cool off with every metre walked, we finished our walk off with bottled water bought from one lone drinks truck and went off to other parts of Paris for a late lunch. To say our walk along the Berges de Seine was a disappointment is an understatement - where were the restaurants I'd read off, with cool people hanging about? Closed. And what of the play areas on which my children could scramble and climb? Overcrowded and honestly more suited for five year olds and under. The only place that was open was the Zzz place - in which one intrepid couple had brought their bottle of wine and packed lunch, and were quietly going about their game of chess.

We did manage to catch a rollerblading show as we were leaving - from a vantage point high about the crowds. Don't let this post put you off though - it is still a great place for a walk along the Seine, just manage your expectations somewhat and you'll have a good time. Younger children will have a great time on the climbing wall and playing with the various games along along the road.
All said, it is a great initiative by the city to rejuvenate old spaces and make limited open spaces available to all.