211 avenue Jean Jaurès 18th Arrondissement Open 24H Designed in 1984 as part of an international competition won by architect Bernard Tschumi the park is a deconstructivist take on design. Most notable are the red 'follies', dispersed pavilions containing walkways, restaurants and clubs or just as visual cues for navigating the space. http://www.villette.com/en/

Seine Bank between Louvre and Eiffel Tower The banks of the Seine have been redeveloped extensively over three years. The result is an eclectic design that incorporates plenty of seating with garden, cafes, game tables, floating play parks theatre and climbing walls.

Place Valhubert or rue Geoffroy St-Hilaire Park Every Day, 7.30 - 7.45 Museums, Wed -Mon, 10 - 6 Park - Free Greenhouses - €3 Museums €7 Zoo €8 The Botanical gardens, located in central Paris, are home to a small zoo, the Grande Galerie de l’Evolution and several other natural history museums. There are diverse displays of decorative plants around the park from alpine gardens to hothouses. Specifically of interest is the art deco winter garden.

Free first 30mins €1 next 30 mins 1500 locations Hire one of 20 000 bikes from all over the city, the cheapest and most fun way to get around. If you can brave the Parisian traffic

1 Rue Botzaris May - Sep, 7 - 22 Sep - Apr, 7 - 20 This elaborately landscaped park is a great way to escape the crowds of the city. Less touristy than other parks it has a waterfall, bridges and miles of paths and trails, from the high island in the centre you can get a great view of the skyline. http://butteschaumont.free.fr/

2 Rue Cauchy Every Day - 8/9 - 7.30/9 Built on the site of the former Citroen factory is a modern public garden that contains two large exotic greenhouses. The southern end has dancing fountains and pools and a big helium balloon that can take visitors up to see the city from the sky.

Rue de Médicis - Rue de Vaugirard (Summer) 7am to 1 hour before sunset (winter) 8am to 1 hour before sunset Over 25 hectares are, Boboli gardens inspired, vast formal rose gardens and ponds. Amongst the greenery is a forest, orchard, greenhouses and a lot of activities for children. All in the centre of Paris. http://www.senat.fr/visite/jardin/

From Avenue Daumesnil, Bastille to Bois de Vincenne Winter Mon - Fri, 8 - 5.30 Sat - Sun, 9 - 5.30 Summer Mon - Fri, 8 - 9.30 Sat - Sun, 9 - 9.30 Like a precursor to the High-Line the Promenade Plantee is an elevated garden that follows obsolete railway lines beginning in Bastille. Over 4.5 km of beautifully planted walkways, tunnels and trenches offer great views of the 12 arrondissement