The secret Parisian railway: Line around French capital that was abandoned in the 1930s has become an oasis of beauty




Stunning pictures have emerged of an abandoned railway line in the centre of Paris, which has been not been used for almost 80 years.



A blog called Messy Messy Chic has taken a tour of the tracks of the Petite Ceinture (which translates to 'Little Belt') which are still accessible to the public.

The photos show the railway has become a habitat for wild plants and flowers, and it provides an oasis of calm for many of the city's natives.



La Petite Ceinture railway in central Paris has been abandoned since 1934, leaving flowers to grow where tracks once stood

One of the old stations, Gare de Charonne, has since been converted into a café and rock'n'roll music venue, La Flèche d'Or

The abandoned railway track once serviced the entire French capital, and now backs onto apartments Officially off-limits to the public, the national rail service SNCF has left the tracks largely untouched. The blog, an off-beat culture, travel and style blog based in Paris, states the tracks are 'open for pleasant summer strolls if you look hard enough for a way in'.



The Petite Ceinture was a 17-mile railway which navigated its way around central Paris within the old fortified walls.

It was built in 1852 to connect the Gares of Paris, and became one of the world's first suburban transit systems.

It fell into disuse during the 1930's and was closed in 1934. Its closure was accelerated by the extension of the Paris Metro into the suburbs in the 1930s.

French railway enthusiasts regard the Petite Ceinture as a treasured piece of France's rail history.

And there are several associations in existence to try and protect its remaining stations as part of the country's national heritage.

The blog, Messy Nessy Chic has taken a tour of the railway, which offers a look into a bygone era

One of the old 'Little Belt' stations, called Gare de Charonne

The blog says the railway track is open to the public 'if you look hard enough for a way in'

La Petite Ceinture has gone untended for almost 80 years, but it is seen as an important part of France's rail heritage

End of the line: The railway line was superseded by the Paris Metro, which still runs today

Where the new meets the old: Graffitti sits alongside overgrowth on a building backing onto the railway Animals peep over the wall on Rue Florian, which is opposite Philippe Starck's Mama Shelter Hotel, where you can have cocktails on the terrace overlooking the railroad A strange face-like image can be seen embedded into an old tree trunk along the railway track

The overgrowth from the abandoned railway is starting to encroach on nearby apartments

A side benefit of a tour of the La Petite Ceinture is that it offers an excellent vantage point into Parisian homes



