September 2025
Exploring the 15th is exhausting. At 3.3 square miles, it is the third-largest arrondissement in Paris; it would be the largest if the Bois de Boulogne and Bois de Vincennes were not counted as part of the 16th and 12th arrondissements, respectively. It is also the most populous. So it isn’t hard to say I only saw a fraction of the 15th.
I began at Pont de Bir-Hakeim.
The bridge was built between 1903 and 1905. It was renamed in 1948 in honor of the Battle of Bir-Hakeim during World War II, where French troops fought the Germans in North Africa.
It is unique in that the upper part of the bridge is reserved for the metro, while the lower part is for pedestrians and vehicles.
The Bir Hakeim Bridge spans the Ile aux Cignes. At the end of the Ile is a replica of the Statue of Liberty. I first saw this replica when I was a student here in the 1970s. It was fun to hunt her down and photograph her.
Next was Pont Mirabeau with its gorgeous statuary.
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It wasn’t far to Square Bela Bartok with its unique fountain.
Art
Another painted tower that stands in the 15th is by Keith Haring.
At more than 88 feet, the Keith Haring Tower is the second largest Haring piece in Europe. This was originally a fire escape in a defunct building. In a visit to Paris in 1989, Haring painted the tower to entertain the children at the hospital where the tower sits in the middle of the gardens.
The Garden Djendi
The Garden Djendi is a very special place. It is technically a part of the Andre Citroen Garden, but it sits alone off to a corner. The garden’s name is a tribute to Sub-Lieutenant Eugénie Djendi (1923-1945), a former radio operator with the Corps féminin des transmissions d’Afrique du Nord, who was parachuted into occupied France by the special services in Algiers. A notorious Resistance fighter, she was arrested and deported in August 1944, before being murdered at Ravensbrück in January 1945.
The garden is a series of sunken gardens that let you wander almost af in a maze.
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The 15th does not have a lot of tourist attractions, so exploring it was a great way to get to see a Paris that many people do not see.