The Vincennes Woods in east Paris are often considered a poor man's Bois de Boulogne, but the comparison is unfair: the Bois de Vincennes is no more difficult to get to and has equally illustrious origins. It, too, was landscaped under Napoléon III, although a park had already been created here by Louis XV in 1731. The park has several lakes, notably Lac Daumesnil, with two islands, and Lac des Minimes, with three; rowboats can be hired at both. There's also a zoo, the Hippodrome de Vincennes (a cinder-track racecourse), a castle, a flower garden, and several cafés, and in spring an amusement park, the Foire du Trône. Bikes can be rented from the Château de Vincennes métro station for EUR 4 an hour or EUR 14 a day. To reach the park, take the métro to Porte Dorée or Château de Vincennes.

The impressive Château de Vincennes (Av. de Paris, Bois de Vincennes. 01-48-08-31-20. www.chateau-vincennes.fr. EUR 5.50. May-Aug., daily 10-noon and 1-6; Sept.-Apr., daily 10-noon and 1-5. Château de Vincennes) is on the northern edge of the Bois. Built in the 15th century by various French kings, the castle is France's medieval Versailles, an imposing, high-walled castle surrounded by a dry moat and dominated by a 170-foot keep. The sprawling castle grounds also contain a modest replica (built 1379-1552) of the Sainte-Chapelle on the Ile de la Cité and two elegant, classical wings designed by Louis Le Vau in the mid-17th century that house the archives of the French armed forces and are closed to the public.

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. 01-44-74-84-80. EUR 5.70. Wed.-Mon. 10-5:15. Porte Dorée) fills the basement with 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 facade depicting France's erstwhile overseas empire. A small collection of headdresses, masks, and other artifacts from former French colonies is displayed on the main floor (the African art has been moved to the new Quai du Branly complex).

The Parc Floral de Paris (Rte. de la Pyramide, Bois de Vincennes. 01-55-94-20-20. 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 flower garden. It includes 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 "exotarium" with tropical fish and reptiles; in summer, an outdoor jazz festival makes this the most popular weekend picnic site in the city.

Some 1,200 mammals and birds can be seen at the 33-acre Parc Zoologique (53 av. de St-Maurice, Bois de Vincennes. 01-44-75-20-10. EUR 8. Apr.-Oct., daily 9-6; Nov.-Mar., daily 9-5. Porte Dorée), the largest zoo in France. Parts of the zoo are currently closed for rehabilitation in 2008. The most striking element is the 210-foot steel-and-concrete Grand Rocher, an artificial rock built in 1934, inhabited by wild mountain sheep and penguins. You can take an elevator (EUR 3) to the top.