Paris_ City Guide (Lonely Planet, 7th Edition) - Lonely Planet [97]
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TRANSPORT: BOIS DE VINCENNES & SURROUNDS
Bus Château de Vincennes for 46 to rue du Faubourg St-Antoine, place Voltaire, av Parmentier, Gare de l’Est & Gare du Nord, for 56 to place de la Nation, place de la République, Gare de l’Est, Barbès, Porte de Clignancourt
Metro Château de Vincennes, Porte de Charenton, Porte Dorée
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South of the Château de Vincennes is the Parc Floral de Paris ( 01 49 57 24 84; www.parcfloraldeparis.com; rte du Champ de Manoeuvre, 12e; adult/7-18yr €3/1.50; 9.30am-5pm to 8pm seasonal; Château de Vincennes), a vast green floral area with a butterfly garden, nature library and kids’ play areas; it’s host to some quite magical open-air concerts in summer. At its eastern edge, the Jardin d’Agronomie Tropicale (Garden of Tropical Agronomy; 01 43 94 73 33; 45bis av de la Belle Gabrielle; 11.30am-5.30pm Sat & Sun; Nogent-sur-Marne) is a vestige of the 1907 Exposition Coloniale.
Some 600 animals call the 15-hectare Parc Zoologique de Paris ( 01 44 75 20 10; www.mnhn.fr; 53 av de St-Maurice, 12e; adult/under 4yr €5/free; 9am-5pm or 6.30pm seasonal; Porte Dorée), also known as the Zoo de Vincennes, home.
CITÉ NATIONALE DE L’HISTOIRE DE L’IMMIGRATION Map
01 53 59 58 60; www.histoire-immigration.fr, in French; Palais de la Porte Dorée, 293 av Daumesnil, 12e; adult/18-26yr/under 18yr during exhibitions periods €5.50/3.50/free, non-exhibition periods €3/2/free; 10am-5.30pm Tue-Fri, to 7pm Sat & Sun; Porte Dorée
The National City of the History of Immigration, in the same building as the Aquarium Tropical (left), is not a museum to visit for a spot of light relief. A heavyweight, it documents the hot-potato topic of immigration to France through a series of informative historical displays, some more objective than others: many of the artworks portraying contemporary immigrant life are pretty emotive – take the video projections dealing with the Algerian family in Paris that has not seen its relatives in Algeria for 16 years, or the installation portraying life in a Parisian immigrant workers’ dorm (for those interested, www.mahophoto.com has a great photo story on this).
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BOIS DE BOULOGNE & SURROUNDS
The 845-hectare Boulogne Wood owes its informal layout to Baron Haussmann, who, inspired by London’s Hyde Park, planted 400,000 trees here. Along with various gardens and other sights, the wood has 15km of cycle paths and 28km of bridle paths through 125 hectares of forested land. Be warned that the Bois de Boulogne becomes a distinctly adult playground after dark, especially along the Allée de Longchamp running northeast from the Étang des Réservoirs (Reservoirs Pond), where all kinds of prostitutes cruise for clients.
BOIS DE BOULOGNE Map
blvd Maillot, 16e; Porte Maillot or Pont de Neuilly
The wood’s enclosed Parc de Bagatelle ( 3975; 9.30am-5pm to 8pm seasonal), in the northwestern corner, is renowned for its beautiful gardens surrounding the Château de Bagatelle ( 01 40 67 97 00; route de Sèvres à Neuilly, 16e; adult/student & 7-18yr €3/1.50, under 7yr free; 9am-6pm Apr-Sep, to 5pm Oct-Mar), built in 1775. There are areas dedicated to irises (which bloom in May), roses (June to October) and water lilies (August). The Pré Catalan (Catalan Meadow; 9.30am-5-8pm seasonal) to the southeast includes the Jardin Shakespeare, in which plants, flowers and trees mentioned in Shakespeare’s plays are cultivated. Exhibitions, flower shows or other events in the park and gardens cost adult/concession €3/1.50.
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TRANSPORT: BOIS DE BOULOGNE & SURROUNDS
Bus Porte d’Auteuil for 32 through the 16e arrondissement to av des Champs-Élysées, av Matignon, Trinité & Gare de l’Est; Porte Maillot for 73 to place de l’Étoile, av des Champs-Élysées, place de la Concorde & Musée d’Orsay
Metro & RER Av Foch, Pont de Neuilly, Porte d’Auteuil, Porte Dauphine, Porte Maillot
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Located at the southeastern end of the Bois de Boulogne is the Jardin des Serres d’Auteuil ( 01 40 71 75 23; av