Paris visit April 2026 day 2...part II. Visiting Bercy Village: Paris’ Historic Wine Cellars Reborn.

With time to kill before our visit to the 'Musée des Arts Forains' so we decided to revisit Bercy Village which is in the same set of former wine cellars. We had last visited way back in 2013.

Once a bustling 19th-century wine hub, 'Cour Saint-Emilion' which was home to the cellars, fell silent in the 1960s. Today, the cellars (42 apparently) have been beautifully converted to form Bercy Village.

Saved from decay and listed as a Historical Monument, the site underwent a major transformation in the late 1990s. The result is a lively, all-generation destination blending history with modern energy set in the 12th arrondissement of Paris.

There are around 30 shops and probably too many restaurants with sunny terraces, plus fun leisure spots: a climbing wall, games bar, and immersive Science Experiences. We started our visit off at one of the coffee shops and finished it with a light lunch at another spot. We did no shopping as we had planned to also visit the nearby Parc de Bercy.

A popular 18-screen cinema and year-round cultural events complete the mix here.

Atmospheric, welcoming, and refreshingly different, Bercy Village proves old cellars can become one of Paris’s coolest hangouts, according to the official website - it does have a good vibe but 'coolest hangout', not so sure.

 Bercy Village is best accessed by taking metro Line 14 to station Cour Saint-Émilion. This brings you out directly at the main entrance to the 'village'.