The Best Indoor Climbing and Bouldering Sites in Paris

Escalad’Indoor, located within the Institut National des Jeunes Sourds runs sessions on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings. What’s great is that they offer expert training sessions where you can learn the basics of rock climbing and safety, techniques for climbing on different surfaces, and even undergo intensive preparation for competitions. For children aged nine to 17 years old, training takes place Monday 5.45pm until 7pm, and for younger climbers (nine to 12 years old), it’s Wednesday from 5.45pm to 7pm. The climbing centre also organises three outings in the spring to Fontainebleau, Burgundy, and the south of France.

Arkose Nation is one of the most popular indoor climbing sites in the whole of Paris, especially with English speakers given the friendly English-speaking staff. The climbing routes span an epic 1,000 square metres, with more than 200 frequently updated climbing blocks to test your strength. It’s not just a climbing centre but a whole complex with a restaurant, bar, and sauna space. There’s also a work-friendly ‘chill zone’ and artistic exhibition.

The best climbing centre in Issy-les-Moulineaux, and even in the whole of west Paris, is the MurMur climbing wall. The venue boasts five challenging climbing arches to choose from, all of which have been a go-to climbing challenge for Parisian climbing enthusiasts since 2001. In total, there is 1,350 square metres of climbing space available offering six different difficulty levels. There’s even a sauna and relaxation space with plenty of snacks for sale, if you need a little pause between sessions.

It would be a crime to not include Hardbloc on the list of best indoor climbing sites in Paris even though it’s not technically in the city as it is located 10 minutes south-east of central Paris. This venue has earned a reputation that is difficult to beat, proudly being the largest indoor bouldering wall in the whole of France. It offers 1,150 square metres of climbable space with an unimaginable 6,412 carefully placed and mounted holds that combine to offer seven levels of difficulty.

Block’Out Paris offers a generous 1,000 square metres of varied space available to climb. Interestingly, its unique patterns are modelled on the nearby natural bouldering sites at Fontainebleu, a forest just outside the City of Lights. Many climbers train in the indoor climbing centres before heading out to test their skills in the forest. There are 350 different possible routes in total at this venue, offering seven levels of difficulty. Each route strives to test a different aspect of climbing ability, whether that’s flexibility, strength, balance or courage.