Bois de Boulogne
Tel: 01-40-67-90-82,
Métro: Les Sablons, Porte Maillot, or Porte Dauphine, (16e).
Porte Dauphine is the main entrance.
The Bois de Boulogne, one of the most beautiful attractions in Paris, is located on the western side of the 16th arrondissement near the suburb of Boulogne-Billancourt. Originally cordoned off as a private hunting reserve for royalty, the park is three times the size of London’s Hyde Park and double the size of New York City’s Central Park. You could spend several days just exploring the beautiful hidden pathways and traversing the grounds by foot, but be careful at night as muggers do populate certain areas.
Parc Monceau
Tel: 01-42-27-39-56;
Address: 58 Boulevard de Courcelles, (8e)
Métro: Monceau or Villiers
Established in 1769 by Phillippe d'Orléans, Duke of Chartres, the Parc Monceau is one of the most charming and rustic garden parks in Paris. Its grounds display a diverse range of sculptures, plants and flowers collected over time. Lesser-known to tourists, Parisians flock here to take in the English-style gardens and leave with a sense of natural grandeur the park inspires.
Jardin des Tuileries
Tel: 01 40 20 90 43
Address: quai des Tuileries
Metro: Tuileries or Concorde, (1er)
This is where contemporary Parisian life and a prolific sense of history meet day after day. Stretching from the Carrousel du Louvre to the place de la Concorde to the rue de Rivoli and the banks of the Seine, the royal Jardin des Tulleries has seen it all. Grab a free chair and watch time and the people go by.
Le Parc de la Villette
Tel: 01 40 03 75 75,
Address: avenue Jean-Jaures, (19e)
Metro: Porte de la Villette or Porte de Pantin
Website: http://www.villette.com/fr/mainprog.htm
This park, designed by Bernard Tschumi, may be of particular interest to landscape artists and architects as it was the first major project to be built on the principles of the deconstructionist philosophy. The clashing points, lines, the bamboo garden, dragon garden, mirror garden, fog garden and wind and dune garden, as well as the musical arena and science museum, make this a unique place to explore.
