Where is bois de boulogne

Free The wood is free to access for all. Free for young people and children The wood is free to access for all. Parc de Bagatelle: 9. Boat hire is open from mid-February to late October: 12 midday - 5pm Monday-Friday, 10am-6pm at weekends.

Voir la carte. Helping Napoleon III in this endeavor was the city prefect Baron Haussmann , who was in the process improving Paris with a better water system and new boulevards. It took five years to complete the reconstruction of the park, during which time lakes were dug, islands created from earth and rocks, an artificial waterfall and grotto were made, roads, paths and trails built, , trees planted, and deers imported to live on the grounds.

The park was meant to be used as a place for amusement and outdoor leisure activities so cafes, bandstands, riding stables, shooting galleries, and boat rentals were all put in place. On the northern end of the park, forty-nine acres twenty hectares were used to create a zoo and botanical garden with rare birds, exotic animals and plants.

But the good times didn't last for long, for the emperor, for Paris, or for France. During the ill-conceived and disastrous Franco-Prussian War — , Napoleon III lost power, went into exile, and the Bois de Boulogne suffered from artillery bombardment. The Grande Cascade restaurant was turned into an army hospital and many of the park's animals were hunted and used as food by the occupying Prussian troops.

But, after this calamitous interlude, Bois de Boulogne recovered and in the following years was a popular place for picnics, weddings, and for sporting events in the and Summer Olympics. It wasn't until that the park was annexed by the city of Paris and added to the 16th Arrondissement.

There is only one private residence in the park, and it's where the Duke of Windsor and his wife Wallis Simpson lived from to The Duke died there in and Wallis Simpson in Diana, Princess of Wales had visited the home on the day she died, August 31, Best of Versailles. Included is a 3-course traditional lunch by the Grand Canal.

Plus, time to stroll in the gardens. Located next to the Grande Cascade waterfall, the pavilion was originally built as a hunting lodge for Napoleon III in In mid-fifteenth century, Louis XI replanted the forest, enclosing the area and giving it several entrances, and in Napoleon III designed the park with large lawn areas, trees and plants. The cedar-dominated park includes other varied vegetation with two big lakes, linked to each other by a waterfall.

Boasting some 2, acres of trees, walking paths, man-made lakes, cooling waterfalls, streams, and sprawling lawns, this is the second-largest park in Paris it's more than twice the size of New York City's Central Park. No wonder it's such an essential space for stressed city denizens to retreat to. Read on to learn how to make the most of your visit, including what to see and do and seasonal ways to enjoy the park. What is now a park open to the general public was once reserved as hunting grounds for French monarchs.

An old-growth oak forest was developed and manicured into neat lanes where kings Dagobert, Philip Augustus, and Philip IV hunted boar, deer, and other game.

Several medieval abbeys also once stood on the grounds, and during the reign of Henri II and Henry III, the forest was surrounding by thick walls. Louis XVI, the ill-fated king who would be executed by guillotine during the French Revolution of , was the first to open the gates to allow the public to access the grounds.

The forest was known for centuries as a dangerous place to roam; it had a reputation for being frequented by bandits and thieves, and numerous murders were recorded there. Prostitution was frequent and still exists in the area to this day after dark, at least. In , the Emperor Napoleon III decided to cede the lands in order to create an expansive public park, which took about six years to complete.

This was part of larger efforts during the mid- to late 19th century to offer ordinary Parisians more green spaces, including the Bois de Vincennes to the city's east, developed from Together, the parks situated directly east and west of the city are referred to as "the lungs of Paris.

An immediate success with the general public, the Bois de Boulogne became an emblem of a new sort of Parisian citizenry and one associated with leisure and free time. It is referenced in numerous works of French literature from the 19th century onward, including by Marcel Proust, Gustave Flaubert, and other authors of note.

It also appears in several paintings, including "The Races in the Bois de Boulogne "by impressionist painter Edouard Manet.

While roaming around in the "wood" at night isn't advised, during the day it's a pleasant place for a stroll, picnic, lazy boat ride on the ponds, and general escape from the city grounds. Walking Paths, Trees, and Plants: If you're in need of some fresh air and a moderate walk, taking a couple of hours to explore the numerous wooded paths at the Bois de Boulogne can be a good option.