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Bois de Vincennes Review

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Bois de Vincennes

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Category: Gardens/Arboretums
Location: Canal St-Martin, Bastille, and Oberkampf

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Fodor's Review:

Like the Bois de Boulogne to the west, the lovely Vincennes Woods was landscaped by Napoléon III, and it is a much-loved retreat on the city's eastern border. The bois traces its roots back to the 13th century when Philippe Auguste created a hunting preserve here in the shadow of the royal Château de Vincennes. In 1731, Louis XV created a park and opened it to the public. Today, the bois features lush lawns, a flower garden, and summertime jazz concerts. Rowboats are for hire at the two lakes, Lac Daumesnil, which has two islands, and Lac des Minimes, which has three. There's also a zoo and a racetrack, the Hippodrome de Vincennes, a small farm, several cafés, and an amusement park in the spring. You can rent a bike (about EUR 14 a day) at the Château de Vincennes métro stop. To reach the park, use the Château de Vincennes stop (line 1) or Porte Dorée (line 8). The impressive Château de Vincennes (Av. de Paris, Bois de Vincennes. 01-48-08-31-20. www.chateau-vincennes.fr. EUR 7.50. May-Aug., daily 10-6; Sept.-Apr., daily 10-5. Château de Vincennes) was once the largest chateau in Europe. On the northern edge of the Bois, it was built and expanded by various kings between the 12th and 14th centuries.

The imposing high-walled castle was France's medieval Versailles, surrounded by a dry moat and dominated by a 170-foot keep. The royal residence eventually became a state prison, holding illustrious convicts such as philosopher Diderot. The chateau has undergone a spectacular renovation, and work continues in some parts. The Parc Floral de Paris (Rte. de la Pyramide, Bois de Vincennes. 01-49-57-24-84. EUR 3. Apr.-Sept., daily 9:30-8; Oct.-Mar., daily 9:30-5. Château de Vincennes) is the Bois de Vincennes's 70-acre park and flower garden. It has a lake and water garden and is renowned for its seasonal displays of blooms. It also contains a miniature train, a game area, and an "exo-tarium" with tropical fish and reptiles; in summer, an outdoor jazz festival makes this the most popular weekend picnic site in the city. The 35-acre Parc Zoologique, the largest zoo in France, is undergoing renovations until 2012. It remains open, with a reduced admission and about half the usual stock of 1,200 animals and birds. 53 av. de St-Maurice, Bois de Vincennes. 01-44-75-20-00. EUR 3. Daily 9-5. Porte Dorée.

An exceptional Art Deco building that once held an African art museum now teems with fish instead of artifacts. The Palais de la Porte Dorée Tropical Aquarium (293 av. Daumesnil, Bois de Vincennes. 01-53-59-58-60. EUR 5.70. Tues.-Sun. 10-5:15. Porte Dorée) has a basement full of tanks of colorful tropical fish, crocodiles, and turtles, but the building itself is even more captivating; built for the Colonial Exhibition in 1931, it has an ornate façade depicting France's erstwhile overseas empire. Sharing the building is the Cité Nationale de l'Historie de l'Immigration (293 av. Daumesnil, Bois de Vincennes. 01-53-59-58-60. EUR 3. Tues.-Fri. 10-5:15, weekends 10-7. Porte Dorée), which focuses on the history of immigration in France through permanent and temporary exhibits.