Auteuil Behind the Garden Gates
A self-guided walk in Paris.
2h. 2.6 miles. From Notre-Dame-d'Auteuil to Jardin des Serres d'Auteuil Entrance.
A compact architecture walk through Auteuil's private lanes and modernist streets, where workers' cottages, artists' houses and quiet garden façades sit unusually close together. Photo credit: Palmarium Jardin Serres Auteuil - Paris XVI (FR75) - 2022-05-28 - 1 by Chabe01. CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0 Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Palmarium_Jardin_Serres_Auteuil_-_Paris_XVI_(FR75)_-_2022-05-28_-_1.jpg Resized and cropped for display; photo remains under the same licence.
The local move
Treat every gated lane as residential: admire what is visible from public space, enter only where access is clearly open and never tailgate a resident.
Best time to go
Weekday daylight hours
When to avoid it
After dark, when the residential lanes lose both their detail and their welcome
The stops
Notre-Dame-d'Auteuil
The neighbourhood church marks the historic centre of Auteuil before the route slips into smaller residential streets.
Tip: Use the square to orient yourself; interior access is never required for the walk.
Hameau Boileau
A nineteenth-century private hamlet hides a mix of cottages and studios behind a discreet entrance.
Tip: View it only from permitted public access; gates and access rules can change.
Villa Mulhouse
Rows of modest houses recall an experimental workers' development inside one of Paris's wealthiest districts.
Tip: Stay on the accessible lane and respect residents' privacy.
Fondation Le Corbusier – Maison La Roche
A modernist white façade signals Le Corbusier's radical break with the surrounding villas.
Tip: An interior visit requires its own timetable and ticket; the exterior belongs naturally to the walk.
Square du Docteur-Blanche
This short private-looking street gathers modern architecture in a surprisingly leafy setting.
Tip: Keep to public space and avoid blocking entrances while looking at the façades.
Rue Mallet-Stevens
A unified ensemble of geometric houses turns the street itself into an open-air lesson in 1920s design.
Tip: The cleanest overall view is from the southern end of the street.
Jardin des Serres d'Auteuil Entrance
Finish at the entrance to a botanical garden of glasshouses, rare plants and formal avenues.
Tip: The garden is a separate visit and its opening arrangements should be checked before extending the walk.
About these walks
Explore our self-guided routes by city, with useful stops and practical notes from Chic Trip. Explore the destinations we plan.
