Bois de Vincennes

Bois de Vincennes review

This is Paris's biggest park, created, like the Bois de Boulogne in the west, when the former royal hunting forest was landscaped by Alphand for Baron Haussmann. There are boating lakes, a Buddhist temple, a racetrack, restaurants, a baseball field and a small farm. The park also contains the city's main zoo, now largely closed because of lack of maintenance, and the Cartoucherie theatre complex. The Parc Floral is a cross between a botanical garden and an amusement park. Amusements include Paris-themed crazy golf, with water drawn from the Seine, and an adventure playground. Next to the park stands the imposing Château de Vincennes, where England's Henry V died in 1422.