Sport and fitness

It’s a bit of a hike from the centre of Paris but this cutting-edge and comprehensive sports centre is worth the travel time. Facilities include two outdoor and six indoor tennis courts (hopefully the bright red ceiling won’t put you off your game), a dance studio and spaces for basketball, football and squash. There’s also a 150 sq m gym with all the equipment that’s necessary to break a sweat. And to add a little variety to your fitness regime, why not try the climbing wall?

This huge park on the eastern edge of the city is one of the most popular spots for boating and all-round R&R. From €13.50 per hour you can hire one of the boats moored at the northwestern tip of Lac Daumesnil (a five-minute walk from the Porte Dorée métro stop). Look out for the neoclassical pavilion on the edge of the Île de Reuilly. Rent a ride from Cyclorama on the edge of the lake; it will cost you €12 for half a day. From there either pedal northeast to the 14th-century Château de Vincennes or spend the afternoon tracing the 13km of bicycle lanes. 

Distance: 5km
Gradient: Flat
Difficulty: Moderate
Highlights: No matter the season, the park’s dense foliage is always beautiful
Best time: Morning
Nearest Métro: Les Sablons

Begin along Boulevard des Sablons from the corner of Avenue Charles de Gaulle. After three short blocks, Jardin d’Acclimatation will be on your right. This children’s amusement park opened as a zoo in 1860 as part of Napoleon III’s mission to remodel the gardens of Paris. Follow the park’s grounds around to your right and you’ll see the silhouette of the Fondation Louis Vuitton. Designed by Frank Gehry, the building’s sails are made from 13,500 sq m of glass that was manufactured in a custom-built furnace. Next head across the pedestrian crossing, turn right and after just 10 metres turn left onto a trail towards Porte Dauphine. Continue along this track until you reach the intersection road. Cross at the pedestrian crossing and take a sharp right followed by a sharp left away from the road. 

Back on a woodland track you’ll soon cross a small stream; keep running south along the paved footpath. Once on Route de Suresnes turn right and cross the roundabout to run along the left bank of Lac Inférieur. Follow the lakeside track past the small ferry terminal. Shortly after, go up the rugged stairs and along the cycle path crossing the intersecting road. Continue down towards the Hippodrome d’Auteuil, looping up around the grandstands and then taking the path to your left. Follow the border of the jockey club along Route d’Auteuil aux Lacs, which will soon land you at the Porte d’Auteuil Métro entrance: a good place to end your run.