Bois de Boulogne

Bois de Boulogne is a wooded park area in the west of Paris with equipped walking and cycling paths, playgrounds and attractions, museums, cafes and restaurants. The Bois de Boulogne occupies an area of almost 8.5 km² – it is 2.5 times larger than the territory of Central Park in New York and 3.3 times larger than Hyde Park in London. Parisians themselves call this place, along with the forest of Vincennes to the east, “lungs” of the city – green islands of nature among the stone buildings of the modern capital.

.

The famous park has another side of life, the night side. Many people know from books and movies the reputation of the Bois de Boulogne as a place of gathering of various kinds of criminals, girls of easy behavior, people of non-traditional orientation. But such stories are rather echoes of the past and add mystery, attracting tourists even more. The park is located in a prestigious neighborhood of Paris, where the rich citizens of high ranks live, at night the police are on duty here, so even at late hours the Bois de Boulogne is absolutely safe. During the day, it is a great place of recreation for people of all ages.

.

Video: Bois de Boulogne

” title=”YouTube video player” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share” allowfullscreen> Contents

History of the Bois de Boulogne

In French, boulogne means “birch tree”, but the name of the Bois de Boulogne Forest is not related to this tree at all. Birch trees are virtually non-existent here. In the XIV century, King Philip IV, having visited the seaside town of Boulogne-sur-Mer on a pilgrimage, ordered to build here the same church of the Virgin Mary. At that time there was an oak forest of Rouvray, which in the VIII century was donated to the Abbey of Saint-Denis, and later bought by King Philip II Augustus for his hunting grounds. But by the name of the church and the forest itself came to be called Bois de Boulogne, which was finalized in the 15th century by a decree of Louis XI.

.

During the Hundred Years’ War, the forest hid numerous bands of English brigands, especially many were killed by attacks in 1416-1417. In addition, large areas were destroyed by fires.

After the end of the war, the affected areas were replanted with trees and roads were built. The Bois de Boulogne Forest became a vacation spot for Parisian aristocrats.

.

The park acquired its present form largely thanks to Emperor Napoleon III, who bought the territory from the Paris City Hall in 1853. In accordance with his wish to create a forest park in the image of London’s Hyde Park, the relief was transformed here, there were many winding paths, artificial lakes with islands and cascades of waterfalls, additionally planted more than 200 thousand trees of various species.

.

Interesting historical facts

  • The first balloon flight in the world took place in the Bois de Boulogne Forest: on November 21, 1783, Jean-François Pilatre-de-Rosier and Marquis François d’Arland took to the air and after 25 minutes landed safely on the other side of the Seine.
  • In the 17th century, the Bois de Boulogne was a popular place for duels, not only men’s duels but also ladies’ duels.
    • .
  • The Palace of Bagatelle was controversially built by Louis XVI’s brother in just 2 months, with 900 workers involved, and the name itself means “trifle” in French.
    • .
  • On the orders of Henry of Navarre, 15,000 mulberry trees were planted here – the king planned to create silk production.
  • In those days, when the slumbering forest of Rouvray was still here, the daughter of Louis the Saint founded the nunnery of Longchamp to keep the nuns away from the temptations of Paris. Nevertheless, as early as the 15th century, the nuns of Longchamp were renowned for their promiscuity.
  • The founder of the Shrine of Our Lady of Boulogne, which gave its name to the forest, King Philip II was never able to pray in it, as he did not live to see the completion of the construction.
  • The construction of the Chateau de Madrid hunting castle helped to get rid of bandit gangs – the royal guards constantly patrolled and combed the area.
.

Nature and outdoor activities

In the Bois de Boulogne you can ride a bicycle or walk, and there are also special paths for jogging. The total length of all the paths of various purposes is 86 kilometers. Almost all the alleys here are winding. More than half of all trees are oaks, but there are also hornbeam, cedar, linden and chestnut groves. The park is decorated with several dozen fountains.

.

The largest bodies of water are the Upper and Lower Lakes, but there are also the smaller ponds of Suren, Lonchamps, Bois de Boulogne, Armenouville, and St. James. There is a ferry to an artificial island in the middle of the Lower Lake, and boat rentals are available on both bodies of water.

.

In the center of the Bois de Boulogne Forest is the Bagatelle Palace, surrounded by a park of the same name. Most of all visitors are attracted by the rose garden, where more than 9000 bushes are planted.

.

The Shakespeare Garden deserves special attention, with a 200-year-old huge oak tree. Amateur productions of plays by Shakespeare and other world-famous authors are held in the Green Theater equipped here.

.

Nearby is the Otey Greenhouse, where exotic plants are grown. The greenhouses were designed by the famous designer J. C. Formiger. The spacious area is divided into sectors that showcase plants from around the world. Especially interesting are tropical and subtropical crops.

.

Riding enthusiasts will be interested in visiting the Lonshan and Otey racetracks. Lonshan is located on the site of the former monastery of the same name and is used for dressage trotters. Steeplechase races are held at Otey. Visitors can also go horseback riding: there are 28 km of special paths and riding instructors.

.

On the edge of the Bois de Boulogne Forest are the Roland Garros courts, whose courts are available to everyone during their free time from tournaments.

.

Museums and entertainment

The most interesting place in the Bois de Boulogne, especially for visitors with children, is the Jardin d’Acclimatization, or Climate Garden. Here work a zoo with rare animals, amusement rides, more than 12 playgrounds for children, equipped with bowling. The Museum of Masterpieces of Nature is also open to visitors.

.

The garden was originally created to study the adaptation of plants and animals atypical for Europe to the local climate. Now the bias is more towards the botanical garden and the development of children, their interest and attention to nature. For example, the Kitchen Garden is designed to familiarize kids with the types of plants that can be eaten. And the Little Norman Farm has a real well and a barnyard where geese and ducks lead a normal rural life: they go to the pond for watering and return in the evening. You can also feed the goats and rabbits on the farm.

History buffs in the Bois de Boulogne Forest will be interested in the Museum of French Tradition and Folk Art. It is dedicated to the history of everyday life and crafts of the French people. Here you can see rare exhibits, as well as watch slides and read information about folk crafts.

.

The Museum of Modern Art of the Louis Vuitton Foundation deserves special attention. It is remarkable not only for its expositions, but also for its unusual architectural solution. Initially, Parisians were against such a construction, considering it ugly image of the city. And even achieved a ban on construction. But in the end, the building was still erected and undoubtedly became one of the masterpieces of modern architecture, a challenge to traditionalism in art. The construction of the complex lasted 12 years, more than 100 engineers worked on it.

.

Now 11 pavilions exhibit paintings by contemporary authors, including those from the personal collections of wealthy residents of the French capital. Concerts and movie screenings are also held in the equipped halls, and one of the 4 terraces offers an unforgettable panoramic view.

.

Interesting events

The Bois de Boulogne can be visited at any time of the year. In the summer, there are outdoor events. For example, in the Climatic Garden, children’s activities take place right on the grass. Amusement rides and museums are open all year round.

.

Every year in June, an international rose competition is held in Bagatelle Park. The contenders are planted in the center of the park with numbers but no names. Anyone can vote: to do so, you need to fill out a special coupon. For the winner, in addition to a diploma, a medal and a cash prize, there is an honor to be smelled by the English queen. For this purpose, the flower is delivered to the palace on a special stretcher. The petals are subsequently used in a special recipe to make marmalade, which becomes part of the Royal Collection of marmalades and confitures.

.

The Bois de Boulogne Forest hosts an annual racecourse competition: the Paris Grand Prix races in July and the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in early October. The Roland Garros tennis tournament is held at the stadium of the same name every year in May and June.

.

Tourist information

The park itself is open 24 hours a day, and is free to visit. However, admission to the various museums, gardens and attractions must be paid for separately.

The Climate Garden is open from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm on weekdays, 10:00 am to 7:00 pm on weekends, vacations and holidays. Admission costs 3.5 euros for adults and children over 3 years old; toddlers go free.

.

A ticket to the Museum of Modern Art costs 9 euros. Opening hours are Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 12:00 to 19:00, Friday from 12:00 to 21:00, and Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

.

Bagatelle Park is open every day from October to February from 9:30 to 17:00, in March from 9:30 to 18:30, and from April to September from 9:30 to 20:00. Entry will be charged at 8 euros.

.

The National Museum of Folk Art is open daily, except Tuesday, from 9:30 to 17:15. Entrance costs 4 euros.

.

If you are going for a walk in the Bois de Boulogne for the first time, it is better to decide on the places that are most interesting for you. To walk around the entire park, it will take several hours. At the same time, the Bois de Boulogne is perfectly equipped for recreation: there are many benches, squares, restaurants and cafes, designed for different budgets.

.

How to get there

The Bois de Boulogne is located in the 16th arrondissement of Paris. The easiest way to get there is by metro, either Porte Dauphine or Porte d’Auteuil station. From the suburbs, it can be reached by train – Avenue Foch or Porte-Maillot stations.

.