Paris wants Unesco status for its rooftops

Forget the Marais or the Ile st Louis, the real beauty of Paris is its rooftops.

That’s the view of Delphine Bürkli, the mayor of the 9th arrondissement, who wants the capital’s “forgotten” heritage to be officially recognised by Unesco.

She will lodge an official application for the rooftops to be put forward as a candidate for heritage status at the Paris Council meeting.

According to a report in France’s Metro magazine authorities in the French capital are favourable to the idea.

Not only does Bürkli want the roof tops nominated for World Heritage status, but she is also demanding plan be drawn up to protect them and promote them as a tourist attraction.

She points to various new roof-top attractions opening up in the capital, such as “restaurants, bars and swimming pools” that offer great views of the roof tops.

Currently the only site in Paris that has the title of World Heritage status are the banks of the River Seine.

But France is not short of Heritage sites. See below.

Ten French Unesco sites you won't have heard of