The street art murals of the 13th arrondissement

One of my favourite things about Paris is its street art... And without question, 1st prize goes to the 13th arrondissement, where the local mayor and Galerie Itinerrance have been supporting the creation of large public murals by international artists.

So... for lovers of street art - below is a quick guide to the large murals and their locations (with artist names in brackets).

Allow 2-3 hrs to seek them all out, and keep an eye out for the countless smaller works along the way. The murals have been listed below in an order that follows an overall clockwise route...so following this order will be an efficient use of your walking / biking energy.

Auvers-sur-Oise: Van Gogh's final destination - a Paris day trip

The village of Auvers-sur-Oise was the final chapter in Van Gogh's life, and an easy day trip from Paris.

Van Gogh was particularly productive here, painting around 80 works over a 70 day period. This all ended however, when he suffered a gunshot to his chest. This is said to be a suicide attempt, although some contend that he was shot by someone else, by accident. In any case, he managed to return to his hotel and survived a further two days before passing.

What's there?

••  Large signposts featuring an image of the relevant Van Gogh painting, placed next to the building or vista which was the subject of the painting - This is the highlight of the trip, as it provides some insights into his works that you would never see from the paintings alone. It's also worth pointing out that there are only five or so signposts where this comparison can be made easily. The remaining signposts are less interesting, as they show locations where the scenery has significantly changed since 1890, or show the locations of portraits, or show the paintings of other artists.