Bois de Boulogne

The haunt of robbers

 

Under Philippe IV it was given the name of the Bois de Boulogne following the construction of Notre-Dame-de-Boulogne-le-Petit. The lands, given by Childéric II to the omnipotent Abbey of Saint-Denis, were for a long time to become the site of many monasteries. Philippe-Auguste bought the main part of the forest from the monks which he made part of the Crown to create a royal hunting reserve. In 1256, Isabelle de France, sister of Saint-Louis, founded the Longchamp Abbey.

 

During the One Hundred Years War, the forest, already quite unsafe, became the haunt of robbers, before being pillaged by the Parisians. Under Louis XI, the estate was reforested and two roads were opened.

 

After François I built the Château de Madrid, a masterpiece of Renaissance art, the Bois de Boulogne became a place where festivities were held.

 

At this time, the forest having been restocked with game, was reforested. It was then enclosed by walls under Henri II and Henri III, interspersed by eight gates. Subsequently, all the monarchs contributed to the embellishment of the Château de Madrid and Bois de Boulogne.

 

Royal "Follies"

 

On the authority of Henri IV, 15,000 blackberry bushes were planted and a building was constructed where silkworms were bred. His wife, Marguerite de Valois whom he had repudiated withdrew retire. The present Allée Reine Marguerite evokes her pilgrimages to the tomb of Saint Isabelle.

 

Louis XIV ordered the reform of the royal forests. He planned to exploit the royal estates, including the Bois de Boulogne, to build vessels for the royal navy which was at the height of expansion. In parallel, the lands belonging to the Longchamp Abbey were restored to the crown. Wide straight paths, meeting in star shape, were created. Despite the closure of the Longchamp monastery to the public, which had attracted many Parisians, the Bois de Boulogne became a dignified, sophisticated and highly fashionable place to walk.

At the beginning of the XVIIIth century, the building of lavish follies and the presence of the Cour à la Muette, accentuated the frivolous and extreme pomp typical of the era. It was from here that the first hot air balloons were launched. When the Revolution came, the buildings here were transformed, sold or in some cases destroyed. The Bois de Boulogne then became a refuge of outlaws and down-and-outs. In 1815, the coalition troops bivouacked here, destroying the renovations undertaken by Napoléon

The retreat of Parisians

In 1848 the Bois de Boulogne became the property of the state and in 1852 was subsequently sold to the City of Paris which completely redesigned it.

 

The extremely popular new Bois de Boulogne, the product of the work of Haussmann was then fully integrated into the capital. The magnificent wide Avenue de l'Impératrice symbolically opened up the park to the population of Paris.

 

Between 1852 and 1855, the landscape was transformed into a landscaped park, with lawns and winding paths. All the straight paths, apart from the Allée Reine Marguerite and the Avenue Longchamp, were removed. The inferior and superior lakes, connected by a waterfall, were created and the excavated earth was used to create the Butte Mortemart. Between 1855 and 1858, the Longchamp racecourse was built on the plain of the same name. Three rivers flow off the Lac Inférieur providing the source of the Neuilly and Saint-James ponds and the Longchamp waterfall.

Playgrounds, pavilions, chalets and concessions such as the Pré-Catelan (gardens) and the Jardin d'Acclimatation (children's amusement park) add to the visitor's enjoyment. Four thousand trees and bushes are planted amongst the countless arrangements of flowers.

 

It was at this time that the Bois de Boulogne took on its present form.

 

A rich history

The Bois de Boulogne, the lungs of the capital, has a very dense vegetation dominated in particular by oak trees, and also locust and cherry trees.

 

Hornbeams, beeches, limes, cedars, redwoods, chestnuts and elm trees are also be found here. Rustic lawns and clumps of forests are intertwined by thirty-five kilometres of footpaths, eight kilometres of cycle paths and twenty-nine kilometres of riding tracks.

 

Ideal for strolling and rich in history, the Bois de Boulogne also offers visitors many sporting amenities, tracks, swimming pool, riding clubs, stadiums; multiple and varied leisure pursuits - race track, cafes and restaurants, playgrounds and picnic areas, concessions, boat and bicycle hire; relaxation - Auteuil, Bagatelle and Pré-Catalan glasshouses and open-air theatre, not forgetting the Musée des Arts et Traditions Populaires (Museum of Folk Art) or the Jardin d'Acclimatation amusement park

Constant improvements and careful upkeep ensure that this outstanding ecological and historical inheritance is preserved.

 

Address :

Portes Maillot, Dauphine or d'Auteuil,
75016 - PARIS

Metro : Porte Dauphine or d'Auteuil