observatoire Sainte Cécile

Built in 1863, the footbridge and the observatory are the work of architect Paul Régnauld, assisted by his student Gustave Eiffel. 15 meters above Allée Emile Péreire (now Allée Pasteur), the footbridge leads up to the Observatory-belvedere. Its deck is 32 meters long, made from railroad tracks. It connects what used to be called the Saint-Paul and Sainte-Cécile hills. On Sundays, this footbridge is a passageway to go to the chapel, but its access from the side of the Faust alley, built of large enormous pebbles, which were intended to be picturesque, is in fact very inconvenient and makes it practically inaccessible to women. Historically, the owners and residents of the Town of Winter have called for improved access.
Originally, the Sainte Cécile observatory supported a full mast of a tall ship with its top and yards, a tribute to the sailing navy. 25 meters high, it offers a remarkable view of the forest and the basin. It used to be that you had to pay 20 cents to climb it, a postcard merchant rented eyeglasses for 30 cents.