In the middle of Paris’s bustling heart, where the famed Les Halles market halls once stood, rises the imposing Église Saint-Eustache. With its Gothic stained-glass windows and striking facade, the church has been a landmark in this part of the city for centuries. What was once a traffic square has now been transformed into a lively, green public space: exactly why we settled here during our photo trip through France.

In recent years, substantial investment has gone into public greenery around the church. Mature trees provide shade for the many Parisians and tourists who gather on the broad seating edges, while children run between the trunks and street musicians add to the atmosphere. The combination of monumental architecture and lush planting shows beautifully how to breathe new life into a historic city center: not by choosing between stone and greenery, but by letting the two reinforce each other.