Paris Rooftop Beehives

Paris Rooftop Beehives are on many Parisian Buildings

You may be surprised to find out that many of the famous buildings you visit in Paris have beehives on their rooftops. Beehives are on rooftops all over Paris, with some passionate Parisians even installing hives in their offices and on apartment balconies.

Did you know Paris is fast becoming the centre of apiculture with rooftop beehives around the city being cited as the salvation of the bee, together with growing public awareness of the crisis in rural bee-keeping caused by the collapse in bee numbers. City bees are apparently immune to the health problems facing their country cousins and they are also far more productive.

Beehives on Famous Paris Buildings

There are around 400 hives in Paris on rooftops including famous buildings and hotels, offices, balconies and public parks. Many famous restaurants have installed hives on their rooftops for their own use, for example, the Tour d’Argent restaurant opposite the Notre Dame Cathedral and The Westin hotel on Rue de Rivoli.

By having their own hives the restaurants always have fresh honey and it is on trend to have this added to their menu. Because apiculture or the ‘art of bee keeping’ is so popular in the city of Paris you can even take beekeeping classes with the Societe Centrale d’Apiculture (Central Society of Beekeepers), founded in 1856.

Bees and their Food Source in Paris

It is suggested that the main food source for Parisian bees is the tree flowers: “In Paris, the honey is from flowers of trees. If there are blooms in flowerbeds here in the parks, that’s attractive to them, but in terms of quantity, the amount’s not much” says Fredric Eggers de Villepin, beekeeper in George Brassens Park, Paris.

Simon Pierre Delorme, beekeeper beside the railway-line in the 14th arrondissement suggests the reason bees thrive in Paris is: “City people like flowers. We have parks, we have balconies, we have roadside verges, we have gardens – and we are planting them all year round with lots of different species to ensure year-round colour.  In the countryside, by contrast, these days there is often just one crop dominating an entire area. When that has finished blossoming, there is no more nectar for the local bees.”

Bees may also be thriving in Paris because of the decision 10 years ago to make the French capital a pesticide-free zone. Early breeding also seems to be helped by the warm city environment.

So where are those hidden beehives and who looks after them? Keep reading as I reveal where they are located and the names of their keepers:

Cathedrale Notre Dame de Paris

Nicolas Geant is the beekeeper who tends the beehives on the roof of the Bishop’s Palace of the Cathedral Notre Dame of Paris. What a fabulous view his ‘office’ has!

There are about 200,000 bees inhabiting hives on the cathedral. After the fire that destroyed the roof of the cathedrale on 15 April 2019 grave fears where held for the bees and their hives but they survived and were a symbol of hope for the Parisians in this dark period.

Mayor’s Office of Saint-Denis, Paris

Olivier Darn, artist and urban beekeeper set up his first hives in 2000 on the roof of the Mayor’s Office of Saint-Denis, at the foot of the basilica. His apiary now counts 20 hives.

Church of the Étoile

Louis Pernot, the pastor of the reformed Church of the Étoile has set up three hives on the roof of his neo-baroque building on the Avenue de la Grande-Armée.

Parc George Brassens

Fredric Eggers de Villepin is the beekeeper who looks after the Parc’s 20 beehives, yes that’s right, 20 beehives.

Jardin du Luxembourg

The Luxembourg Garden hives are grouped together in the southwest corner of the park and the beekeeper organisation at the Ecole Rucher looks after these bees. The apiary of the Societe Centrale d’Apiculture sure is a busy place while the introductory courses in beekeeping are happening.

Classes begin inside in February and then when the weather warms up the classes continue outside in the garden.  In September a honey festival is held where beekeepers and students sell their honey and celebrate the completion of their study.  The craze for beekeeping is now big in Paris and the provinces with amateur beekeepers buying more hives than ever before.

Institut National des Jeunes Sourds

The Institut National des Jeunes Sourds (National Institue for Young Deaf People) has four hives installed in its big garden on the Boulevard Saint Michel. The purpose of these hives is to help the children learn and be expanded through the fascinating world of bees.

Grand Palais, Paris

Nicolas Geant who attends the bees on Notre Dame Cathedral has more hives here on the amazing Grand Palais.

Louise Vuitton headquarters, Paris

Deluxe fashion brand Louis Vuitton has hives on the terrace of their headquarters near the Pont Neuf bridge. The unveiling of the hives on 6 May 2009 was even attended by company CEO, Yves Carcelle. These beehives I would love to see, but honestly I don’t expect I ever will… pity!

Lycee Jean-Jaures

The Lycee Jean-Jaures in the 19th arrondissement has hives on its roof attended by Christophe Morlon, a sculpture teacher.  This school is the regional school for adapted teaching which teaches students with difficulties.

Opera Garnier, Paris 

Jean Paucton, 76 years old, set up his hives about twenty years ago on the roof of the Opera Garnier just by chance. A prop man at the opera, he took courses in beekeeping at the Société Centrale for apiculture in the Luxembourg gardens.

Sharing his time between Paris and the Creuse, he didn’t know what to do with a hive given to him by a friend. It was the Opera fireman, who himself bred fish in the underground pond beneath the opera, who gave him the idea of setting up the hive and bees on the roof of the Garnier.

I think Jean Paucton has the most amazing interests.  Imagine being a prop man at this famous Parisian institute of the arts and spending time on the roof with your bees.  What a view!

Audric de Campeau of Honey Mead, Paris

Audric de Campeau takes his faithful beagle Filou, when doing the rounds of his rooftop beehives.  His Honey Mead in Paris Instagram Gallery is truly fabulous and his rooftop honey is widely available in stores and directly at le Miel de Paris.

So there you have it, some of the hidden beehives of Paris and the almost secret lives of Paris’ apiarists (beekeepers). Did you know all this activity was happening above the unsuspecting bustling crowds of Parisian locals and tourists?

Where Can You Buy Paris Rooftop Beehive Honey?

You can buy Paris honey at La Maison du Miel, Fauchon, the La Grande Epicerie de Paris and Monoprix – they carry a selection as do many outdoor neighbourhood markets.

Le Miel de Paris, Paris’s amazing rooftop honey by Confidences d’Abeilles are passionate about apiculture and create genuine french honey, cosmetics and products in the Rhone-Alpes.

To learn more about bees and beekeeping head over to EbeeHQ where you’ll find loads of informative articles, diagrams and photos.

So next time you visit Paris, remember that as well as all the bustling activity on street level, there are loads of busy bees making honey high in their Paris rooftop beehives.