Paris and its green lungs

Where to spend an open-air weekend in Paris? The numerous parks and gardens Ville Lumière are perfect for making full of green and vitamin D, especially during spring and summer.

Contrary to what is believed, the French capital is rich in green spaces, some particularly extensive and cared for. Everyone, at least once in their lives, will have heard of Jardin de Luxembourg, of Jardin des Tuileries, on parc des Buttes-Chaumont or the majestic Champ de Mars at the foot of the Eiffel Tower. But the beautiful Paris hides inside of yes many other small and large "green knobs", far from the traditional tourist circuits but equally worthy of note.

Come and find out with me?

Parc Montsouris

Not known to tourists but very popular among the Parisians, the parc Montsouris was inaugurated in 1869 and occupies an area of 15.5 hectares. To realize his fame, just go on a sunny day: finding a piece of free lawn is a real feat! All over Paris, the parc Montsouris is my favorite among the green lungs, in particular for its bright colours, rich biodiversity and ease of access through public transport.

You know why his name is Montsouris?

The etymology of the name would be to be sought in a windmill called Moque-Souris Moulin, that in the 18th century was right next to the park. Literally the name Moque-Souris means "taking around the mice" and jokingly suggested the will of the mill to challenge the mice to find grain inside the mill. With time it would have evolved into Montsouris, giving the name to this beautiful park and the residential district in which it is located.

Where is it? 14° arrondissement, tram stop T3A or RER B "Cité Universitaire".

Recommended for: jogging, relaxation and endless picnics.

Bois de Vincennes

The Bois de Vincennes is located in the east of Paris and takes its name from the city of Vincennes, an elegant Parisian suburb near the park. Born as a hunting reserve of the kings of France, it was converted to a military exercise area after the French Revolution, and was declared a public park in 1860.

Large 995 hectares, it is the largest green space in Paris, with an extension of approximately 10% of the total area of the city. Would you ever say it's three times bigger than the Central Park in New York and four times bigger than Hyde Park in London? Well yes! The Vincennes bois extends for about 10 km, almost as the first six arrondissements of the French capital. Practically a city in the city!

What to see at bois de Vincennes?

Inside is the parc floral of Paris, urban park and important botanical garden, beyond to the hippodrome and the veil of Vincennes. It also houses a zoological park and numerous ponds such as lac de Dausmenil and lac de Saint Mandé.

Where is it? between the 12th arrondissement and the city of Vincennes, tram stop T3A "Porte de Vincennes" or "Porte Dorée" or metro line 1, stop "Chateau de Vincennes".

Recommended for: practice all kinds of sports.

Bois de Boulogne

Along with the bois de Vincennes, it is among the green lungs par excellence in the city of Paris. In its majestic 846 hectares, the bois de Boulogne welcomes 6 million visitors a year, making it one of the most frequented Parisian parks.

Born as a place of hunting and leisure for Parisian nobles, today it contains numerous parks and minor gardens, such as the Jardin d’acclimatation, the garden of the greenhouses of Auteuil and the hippodromes of Auteil and Longchamp. The bois de Boulogne is also home to domain of Longchamp, which for some years has hosted music festivals such as the famous Lollapalooza Paris.

Where is it? at the gates of the 16th arrondissement, on the border with Neuilly-sur-Seine and Boulogne-Billancourt; accessible via several bus lines.

Recommended for: picnic in freedom, sport and long walks.

The spending bois de Boulogne hides another little treasure... curious to find out what? Keep reading!

Parc de Bagatelle

Surprise! Near the bois de Boulogne there is also the parc de Bagatelle, an authentic jewel among the Parisian green lungs. If you are in Paris even for a few days, you should never miss it in your bucket list, especially in late spring. In the first weeks of June the rose garden of Bagatelle is in the heart of its splendor and hosts the oldest international competition dedicated to roses.

Why "bagatelle"?

Bagatelle means "bazzecola" in French, with the addition at its cost of three-four million francs. A nonsense Marie Antoinette, that after a bet with his brother-in-law, the Count of Artois, made possible the realization of the park in only 64 days. Today is a botanical garden with all effects and one of the four main botanical poles of Paris, together with the garden of the greenhouses of Authentic, the parc Floral and theArboretum of the Breuil school. With 10000 roses and 200 different plants cultivars, the parc de Bagatelle is a real paradise of roses.

Where is it? 16° arrondissement, metro line 1, "Porte de Neuilly".

Recommended for: an elegant immersion in nature.

Parc André-Citroen

I include this roundabout with the most "young" among the green lungs of Paris. This is the parc André-Citroen, built on the site of a former Citroen car factory and opened to the public in 1992. Its 35 hectares are divided into three distinct areas: The Jardin Blanc, the lush Jardin Noir and the popular central park, in which stands among other things one balloon aerostatic with capacity of 30 people.

The parc André-Citroen also has two long greenhouses, which house a citrus grove and a Mediterranean garden, creating a harmonious interlock between nature and urban landscape, attractive and pleasant. The flat structure makes it perfect for long afternoon relaxing with family and friends. Here, by the way, I celebrated Easter 2021!

Where is it? 15° arrondissement, Balard stop (metropolitana line 8, tram T3A) or Javel – André Citroen (metropolitana line 10)

Recommended for: picnic and relaxation in the sun!

The green lungs of Paris are certainly not limited to these five. So how to explore all the others? You just have to admire them with your eyes!