BOIS DE BOULOGNE
A large Parisian park with lakes, racecourses, rivers, waterfalls, pavilions, restaurants, garden, greenhouse, stadium...
A hunting ground for kings, the 846-hectare Bois de Boulogne was known as the Rouvray forest in the Middle Ages. It was Louis XVI who broke the royal privilege. The wood became a popular place for strolling. Of the follies built during this period, Bagatelle has survived - its English-style park includes a renowned rose garden, extraordinary in spring, when the first buds bloom. After being devastated by the Russian and English troops who set up camp there in 1814, the wood was gradually restored, but it was not until the Second Empire that it was designed as it is today. Engineer Jean-Charles Alphand and landscape architect Jean-Pierre Barillet-Deschamps transformed it into a vast park, one of the first in Paris. Upper and lower lakes were created, as well as the Grande Cascade, rivers, bridle paths and pedestrian walkways. The Longchamp and Auteuil racecourses were built, along with buildings (chalets, pavilions, kiosks, restaurants) and the Jardin d'Acclimatation. Other facilities followed, such as the Racing Club de France sports facilities, the Serres d'Auteuil, the Roland-Garros stadium, the Polo Club and bird sanctuaries... Today, the wood is an immense sports ground (you'll meet horse riders, joggers, hikers...), forming a link between the chic western suburbs and Paris's 16th arrondissement. You'll find restaurants and party venues here, but beware: nightlife is not recommended!
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