Bois de Boulogne
The Bois de Boulogne is a large public park in the west of Paris. It was created between 1852 and 1858 during the reign of the Emperor Louis Napoleon.[1] It is in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, near the suburbs of Boulogne-Billancourt and Neuilly-sur-Seine.
The Bois is the second-largest park in Paris, a bit smaller than the Bois de Vincennes on the eastern side of the city. It covers an area of 8.46 square kilometres,[2] which is 2.5 times larger than Central Park in New York,[2] and comparable in size to Richmond Park in London.
Within the boundaries of the Bois de Boulogne are an English landscape garden with several lakes and a cascade; two smaller botanical and landscape gardens; a zoo and amusement park; a complex of greenhouses holding a hundred thousand plants; two tracks for horse racing; a tennis stadium where the French Open tournament is held each year; and other attractions.
Bois De Boulogne Media
Bois de Boulogne as seen from the Eiffel Tower
The Bois de Boulogne is in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, on the western edge of the city.
The plan of the park from 1879 shows the two straight alleys of the old Bois, and the lakes, winding lanes and paths built by Alphand.
Description =Grande cascade au bois de Boulogne * Source =Photo taken by Remi Jouan * Date =Septembre 2006 * Author =Remi Jouan
The giant sequoia tree in the Pré-Catelan, planted in 1872.
The Bois received its name during the reign of King Philip IV of France, when he built a replica there of a shrine to the Virgin Mary, which he had visited in the seaside town of Boulogne-sur-Mer.
The Château de Madrid in the Bois de Boulogne, built in 1526 by Francis I of France. It was demolished after the French Revolution.
The Château de la Muette was the home of Queen Marguerite de Valois after her marriage was annulled by King Henry IV of France.
The Château de Bagatelle was built by the brother of Louis XVI in just 64 days, in a wager with his sister-in-law, Marie Antoinette.
References
- ↑ Dominique Jarrassé, Grammaire des jardins Parisiens, p. 94
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 http://www.paris-walking-tours.com/boisdeboulogne.html General information about Bois de Boulogne. Accessed 19 July 2011.
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