Just steps away from the Porte de Versailles, a little-visited spot reveals the everyday life of 19th century Paris: the Petite Ceinture railway. Built during the Second Empire, the route operated for nearly 70 years, running for 32 kilometres and circling Paris. Dedicated to the transport of passengers and goods, the railway was partially abandoned after the Metro was built. It was relegated to hauling merchandise before being abandoned completely. The stations on the route served the old Citroën plants (now André Citroën park) and the Vaugirard slaughterhouses (now Georges Brassens park). Today, nature has completely taken over. Rails are buried under greenery, the tunnel houses bat colonies, walls are covered in ivy… the views from the ends of the platform is delightful.
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