A Walk from Porte de Champerret to Batignolles in the 17th

The Paris Vignettes series features the inspired work of street photographer William “Bill” O’Such in themed installments

A Paris Greeters excursion offered a fascinating itinerary I’d never encountered in my decades of wandering the city: a long, rich trek from Porte de Champerret to the gentrifying Batignolles district. Our guide, Gérard, promised a journey through time, tracing the transformation of this northwestern corner of the city.

The walk began where the old wall of Paris once stood, defining the city limits and creating a ring of marginal land outside it — a “remote” area once home to farms and shantytowns (bidonvilles). Today, this area has been completely reborn, its landscape dotted with beautiful, high-ceiling ateliers for artists that are now coveted apartments with striking architectural details. We spotted charming stone relief work that decorated the facades of these buildings

One of the first major stops was the Église Sainte-Odile, a striking church known for its distinctive design. Inside, the play of light was spectacular, especially in the dome, where the high, recessed windows created an incredible, almost abstract sense of geometry and darkness. We also admired its intricate stained glass, including a panel by the artist Décorchemont — a wonderful detail that is actually a self-portrait!

The walk continued past institutions and down broad avenues, where we paid close attention to the artistry embedded in the urban fabric. We noted intricate bas-reliefs celebrating art and nature and passed a uniquely textured building featuring a distinctive green-tiled brick facade, punctuated by a classic nude relief. These unexpected details highlighted the area’s rich artistic heritage. As Gérard shared local stories, we had an impromptu chat with a resident who pointed out the former apartments of celebrities, including the apartment of a mistress of Jacques Chirac. Nothing like a local for some fun stories.

Our journey criss-crossed the Petite Ceinture — the abandoned railway line that once circled Paris — and entered the Batignolles neighborhood. This area represents the pinnacle of modern Parisian urban planning, centered on the incredibly green Parc Martin Luther King. The park is an oasis of biodiversity, complete with ponds and wetland areas, dramatically framed by the sleek, high-rise residential architecture.

Passing the Théâtre de l’Europe (Ateliers Berthier), we eventually arrived at the grand, contemporary structures designed by Renzo Piano: the monumental Tribunal de Paris. It was a journey of perfect contrast, moving from the ghosts of old shantytowns and the remnants of the city wall to the clean lines and ambitious scale of 21st-century Paris.

As always, the Greeters walks always reveal the best of the city’s contrasts.