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Let Paris surprise you. Away from the main sights are fascinating places just waiting to be discovered, where you will rub shoulders with locals rather than tourists. Most of them are outdoors so expect plenty of fresh air and some healthy walks. To see Paris with a difference, head for the eastern suburbs. This is only a taster; explore and you will find plenty more.

Canal St Martin(10th arrondissement)
Lined with poplar and plane trees, this quiet waterside promenade stretches for several kms and attracts fishermen, cyclists, walkers and joggers and taichi enthusiasts. The canal is within walking distance of the Gare du Nord, flowing from the long tunnel of the Arsenal pleasure harbour to the Villette marina and beyond. There are locks, swingbridges and footbridges and canoes mingling their reflections with those of old and new buildings. Cruises are available in season (www.pariscanal.com).

Beyond the "bassin" and its handful of waterside restaurants, the canal reaches the futuristic Parc de la Villette (19th arr.), its green open spaces dotted with water features, elevated walkways and bright red follies. The area is devoted to knowledge and culture and on a short visit, you need to be selective. You may just want to picnic on the bank and gaze at the amazing sphere of the Geode (housing a huge documentary screen) or pop into the Cite des Sciences or the Cite de la Musique. Look out for the Argonaute submarine, the Grande Halle, a 19th century cattle hall turned concert and exhibition space currently undergoing refurbishment, and stroll around the secret bamboo grove tucked away in a hollow. La Villette is the only park in Paris open 24 hours.

The other "Buttes"(19th arr.)
A fair walk south of the Villette and a world away from busy Montmartre, the romantic Buttes de Chaumont cling to a hillside, all steep valleys and lawns, weeping willows, flower beds and the scent of gorse lingering in the air. The older Parisians come here to read while families relax on the grass. The beautifully landscaped park occupies the site of an old gypsum quarry and was designed by Baron Haussman, by order of Napoleon III, to enhance the World Exhibition in Paris. It includes an artificial lake with a 30 metre high rocky island, also man made, grotto, waterfall and neo-classical temple on the top. The 180 degree views extend all the way to Sacre-Coeur and it is a favourite spot for artists, yogi and occasionally film crews.

The nearby Butte du Chapeau Rouge, named after a former guinguette, is smaller but it is a haven of peace where residents stop on their way home to gaze at another slice of cityscape and the planes taking off in the distance.

Belleville (19th arr.)
Paris has over 60 open air markets and the Boulevard de Belleville claims one of the best. It is one long avenue, so you cannot get lost, and definitely a genuine local market reflecting the ethnic character of the surroundings. You will be hard-pressed to find a mini Eiffel Tower or such like souvenir on the tree-lined central promenade but there is no shortage of exotic fruit and veg., cheap clothes, trainers for 10 euros, beads, shimmering Asian fabric, spicy sausages, mint and coriander, luggage, perfume, sunglasses or mouse traps. Oriental shops and eating-places abound and the slender spire of Our Lady of the Cross seems almost out of place.

Take time to walk up the rue de Belleville and look out for number 72 where Edith Piaf was born on the steps of a humble house on 19th December 1915. Then wander around the rue de l'Ermitage and step back in time as you discover the old covered wash-houses and springs. If you are a keen photographer, morning is the best time to head for the hilltop park for great shots of the city, including the Eiffel and Montparnasse Towers. In the afternoon (except Monday), you can visit the Maison de l'Air and learn all about the natural environment in Paris. Don't miss the vineyard nestling on a south-facing slope, it produces masses of grapes in summer.

Village Paris
Forget St Germain or Batignolles and make your way to the rue de Mouzaia (19th arr.) with its cool archways of plane trees and here and there, a brightly-painted facade adding an almost Provencal touch. Close to the Place des Fetes, on either side of the avenue, is a string of tiny cobbled lanes, known as "villas", where neat cottages are draped in greenery and front gardens burst with roses and bougainvillaea. A few surprises await you, here "Paris honey" for sale, there a reassuring sign reading "chat gentil", friendly cat. This is a protected area which gives you a taste of countryside at the heart of the city.

Bercy Village (12th arr.) is different. The crowds come in droves to look at the old wine stores converted into trendy boutiques and cafes on the village square. But behind the main street and its disneyesque decorations, the back lanes are deserted and you will find rows of nostalgic cellars sometimes taken over by a craftsman, a bakery school or the Musee des Arts Forains, the Fairground Museum, open only for group visits though individuals may join (see www.pavillon-de-bercy for details). Across the main road, the Parc de Bercy enjoys a delightfully rural atmosphere and views of the National Library buildings across the river, said to look like open books.

Viaduct to Vincennes (12th arr.)
On the shaded Avenue Daumesnils, the Viaduct des Arts is a success story. Once carrying the railway from Bastille to Vincennes, the viaduct has been renovated and its graceful pink brick archways converted into craft and workshops, with items ranging from theatre costumes to painted furniture and restored antiques. It is a breathtaking sight and you could spend a whole afternoon browsing around fifty or more arcades.

But the story does not end there. The railway track running on top is now a "promenade plantee", a hanging garden with lavender hedges and rose bushes, ponds and a brilliant bird'ss eye view of the streets. The path continues for 5 kms or so all the way to the Bois de Vincennes. The Bois de Vincennes is a vast leisure area to the south east of the city with a zoo, boating lake with islands and even a Tibetan temple. Across the road is a wild woodland, crisscrossed by cycle tracks, foot and bridlepaths, leading to the Chateau de Vincennes and the colourful Parc Floral (entrance fee) where most of the 450 species of plants grown in the Paris parks are on show. Don't miss the greenhouses, the stunning displays in the Valle des Fleurs or the popular adventure playground for children.

Time to spare?
Visit an unusual museum:
Musee du Vin, rue des Eaux (metro Passy)
Musee de la Magie, 11 rue St Paul (metro St Paul, opening times vary, tel.01 42 72 13 26)
Museee du Parfum, 9 rue Scribe (metro Opéra, closed Sunday Nov-March)

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