Description

Essentials about Parc de la Villette in brief

After the Bois de Boulogne and the Bois de Vincennes, Parc de la Villette is the third largest park in Paris, covering 55 hectares (35 of which are outdoors). Unlike the two Bois’, however, Parc de la Villette is not just a pure green space, but a cultural park where there is plenty to see and discover – from the largest science museum in Europe and an IMAX cinema to a concert hall and various exhibition spaces, a tent for pop concerts and a circus.

The landscaping of Parc de la Villette

Large slaughterhouses stood on the site until the 1970s. In the early 1980s, architect Bernhard Tschumi was commissioned to redesign the area. Tschumi designed a futuristic park with three central elements. First, the 26 red buildings called “points”, which are distributed as an orderly grid on the grounds of the park and have different functions (e.g. cafés, restaurants, ticket kiosk, information and exhibition rooms or children’s play castle). Second, the promenades called “lines,” most of which are paved in blue. And thirdly, the meadows of the park called “areas”, which are ten themed gardens.

The sights and attractions in Parc de la Villette

In the 1980s and 1990s, several major projects were successively realized in the Parc de la Villette. The Zénith – a tented structure for pop concerts, La Géode – a spherical stainless steel building with an IMAX cinema, the Cité des sciences et de l’industrie – the largest science museum in Europe, the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris – the Paris Conservatory and the Cité de la musique – a concert hall. Some older buildings of the former slaughterhouses have been preserved, such as the Maison de la Villette, La Grande Halle and the Fondoir à suif, which were converted into an exhibition space. Other attractions in the park include the Le Cabaret Sauvage concert-circus tent and the Argonaute submarine.

If you don’t have the time or inclination to visit the many attractions in the park, be sure to stroll along the Canal de l’Ourcq, which crosses the park, or relax a bit in the many green spaces with water basins and fountains. In addition, Parc de la Villette hosts first-class events throughout the year, such as the outdoor cinema festival in the summer.

Website

lavillette.com

Opening hours

Admission fees

None.

Address

Getting there

By public transport:

Métro line 5: Stop Porte de Pantin

Métro line 7: Stop Porte de la Villette

Bus line 75: Stop Porte de Pantin

Bus lines 71, 139 and 152: Stop Porte de la Villette

Tram line 3b: Stop Porte de Pantin, Ella Fitzgerald or Porte de la Villette

By car.

In Parc de la Villette there are several parking garages: Parking Sud La Villette – Cité de la musique, Q-Park Philharmonie, Parking Nord Cité des sciences, Parking 2000