Before the Paris Métro, there was the ‘Chemin de fer de Petite Ceinture’ or “little belt railway”. Its steam engined trains run around the French capital, on tracks built between the city’s forts, encircling 19th century Paris.
The railway fell into decline from the 1930’s and by 1985 all parts of the 30km (19 miles) line were shut down. The ancient walls through which the trains were running kept the Petite Ceinture isolated and allowed nature to reclaim the space. Recently, a small part of the railway opened as a park, with Parisians debating the fate of the rest of the line.
