Bois de Vincennes in Paris: Daumesnil lake tour

This hike describes the tour of the Daumesnil lake located in the Bois de Vincennes in Paris near the Porte Dorée.

Napoleon III, influenced by the parks of London, decided to equip Paris with parks for walking. First, the Bois de Boulogne was developed and, given its success, the Bois de Vincennes, its counterpart to the east, was also developed. The Daumesnil lake is dug, this artificial lake of a surface of 12 ha, includes 2 islands connected by suspended bridges. One of the islands includes a cave with a waterfall and a rotunda with Doric columns. This rotunda, now closed, was originally used as a bandstand. The Paris City Council is considering a swimming area in the future. In the meantime, only boats are allowed. Every weekend, joggers take over the place. The recommended access is by metro at Porte Dorée station (line 8) located 5 minutes from the wood. You have to go up the square of the Indochina veterans and enter the wood at the level of the Cité nationale de l'histoire de l'immigration.

Interest: ratingvery good (2 users)
Difficulty: difficulty
Duration: 1 h.

Start of the walk

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Start of the walk
It is possible to rent boats, mountain bikes or bicycles (5€ per hour). Children can also take a pony ride (about 3 €).

Passage near the island of Bercy

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Passage near the island of Bercy
The lake has 2 islands. It is necessary to pass by the other island to join the island of Bercy.

View of the course

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View of the course
Magnificent view on the opposite bank. The park is very beautiful but it is very crowded in the summer.

The fauna of the wood

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The fauna of the wood
Many species of birds can easily be seen on the lake.

End of the lake

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End of the lake
A mini waterfall feeds the lake.

View of the rotunda

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View of the rotunda
The island of Reuilly has a cave with a waterfall topped by a "Greek" temple.

Access bridge to the islands

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Access bridge to the islands
We cross the only bridge allowing access to the two islands.

Cave of the island

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Cave of the island
The cave can be accessed near the bridge. A waterfall is inside the cave. This recreation of nature (mountain, cave, lake) is typical of Parisian parks.

Woodland wildlife

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Woodland wildlife
You can see many swans on the lake. You can cross over to the other island by the bridge.

End of the island of Bercy

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End of the island of Bercy
There is no bridge to leave the island, there are two solutions: pay 1 € or go back.

Passage near the islands

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Passage near the islands
Passage near the islands on the opposite shore.

Back to the start

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Back to the start
Back to the start, to the boat rentals.
Departure point (Google Maps)

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