BOIS DE BOULOGNE

Description

Essentials about Bois de Boulogne in brief

Covering an area of 850 hectares, Bois de Boulogne is the second largest urban park in Paris (only its “sister park” Bois de Vincennes is larger) and one of the largest urban parks in the world. The park is located on the western outskirts of Paris between the Périphérique ring road and the Seine River. As the largest recreational area in the west of the French capital, Parisians use the Bois de Boulogne for walking, jogging, cycling, boating, barbecuing and picnicking. In addition, there are plenty of playgrounds and sports fields in the park, and there is even a horse racing track, a tennis stadium, a botanical garden and a small castle.

The history and the grounds of Bois de Boulogne

As early as the 12th century, a royal hunting ground was located on the site of the Bois de Boulogne. In the middle of the 13th century, Longchamp Abbey was built at the level of today’s Longchamp racecourse. Today you can still admire the mill of the abbey, dating from 1312. In 1783, King Louis XVI finally opened its hunting grounds to the public. In the same year, a world premiere took place in the park: Messrs Pilatre and d’Arlandes took off here for the first manned balloon flight. In the mid-19th century, Emperor Louis Bonaparte wanted the Bois de Boulonge to be redesigned along the lines of Hyde Park in London. River-like waters with waterfalls, numerous chalets, pavilions, restaurants and a zoo were created.

The attractions in Bois de Boulogne

Today, Bois de Boulogne is the largest recreational area in western Paris and, together with the second large Parisian city park, Bois de Vincennes in the east, it is the green lung of the French capital. The park includes the Parc de Bagatelle with its small castle, the Jardin d’Acclimatation (a children’s park with a miniature train) and the Jardin des Serres d’Auteuil (a botanical garden with greenhouses).

Pedestrians, joggers, cyclists and horseback riders will find dozens of kilometers of pedestrian alleys, 15 kilometers of bike paths and 28 kilometers of bridle paths in the park. The many grassy areas invite to barbecue or picnic, there are several playgrounds for children, plenty of sports fields, you can rent boats on the Lower Lake, watch a race at the racecourse of Longchamp or at the tennis stadium of Roland Garros or have a meal in one of the many restaurants.