Encompassing one of the major international airports in Paris, Orly is a commune located south of the French capital. It’s well connected by train to the museums and landmarks that line the River Seine and is just a stone’s throw from the largest wholesale market in the world.
Things to do in Orly
In the heart of Orly is Parc Georges Méliès, a recreational space that centres around a château where the innovative French filmmaker Georges Méliès once lived. After serving as Orly’s town hall between 1949 and 1996, it was transformed into a film school specialising in special effects. The park also features a collection of outdoor workout equipment that includes pull-up bars and incline benches.
Orly is renowned for its colourful street art, which can be explored on a walking tour of the commune. Highlights include the L’Oiseau Pylôn in Parc Marcel Cachin and Alexandre Chemetoff’s sundial in Parc des Saules. Keep an eye out for the huge fresco depicting Monégasque poet Léo Ferré on Rue Louis-Aragon.
On the doorstep of Orly is the Marché International de Rungis, an immense wholesale market that is the largest in the world. It’s here that many of the restaurants in Paris source their ingredients and it employs around 13,000 people on a daily basis. Join a morning tour to experience the market at its most lively, with everything from fresh fruit and vegetables to butchered meats and seafood for sale.
Getting around Orly
Orly is a 30-minute drive from the centre of Paris and 40 minutes from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport. Orly encompasses Paris Orly Airport, which has flights to destinations across Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and North America. Trains connect to the Orly Ville railway station while trams travel along the eastern and western sides of the commune.