Walk around the lakes of the Bois de Boulogne

An easy and quiet walk around the lakes of the Bois de Boulogne, passing by the Grande Cascade and the Pré Catelan gardens.

The Bois de Boulogne is a huge park inside Paris, it has existed for a very long time but it is Napoleon III who gave it the aspect that we know today. He wanted to copy the English parks that he had known during his exile in London.

The Bois de Boulogne is not a closed park, many roads cross it and it is very famous for its night activity. Although located inside Paris, the park is not so easy to access for pedestrians, the metro lines are quite far away and you have to walk a bit before reaching the center of the park.

This walk is a loop starting from the Porte d'Auteuil metro station. It allows you to walk around the lakes, the most enduring will be able to push to the Grande Cascade and the restaurant the Pré Catelan.

The Bois de Boulogne has many restaurants, most of which are superb gourmet restaurants but with prices to match. Most of them cost a minimum of 60 E for a meal.

Interest: ratinggood (1 user)
Difficulty: difficulty
Duration: 3 h.
Departure point (Google Maps)

The start of the walk - Porte d'Auteuil

The departure is located at the Porte d'Auteuil station. You have to go around the racecourse to reach the Bois de Boulogne. There is no metro station that goes directly into the Bois de Boulogne. There are other possible stations, but in any case you have to walk before entering the wood.

Le Pré Catelan

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Le Pré Catelan
The Pré Catelan is a park inside the Bois de Boulogne, it is closed at night. It includes a small green theatre where plays are performed in the open air. The entrance to see the plays is not free but it is worth it.

The entrance to the green theatre

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The entrance to the green theatre
The Green Theatre also includes a series of small gardens known as the Shakespeare Gardens. Access to these gardens is not free.

The kiosk of the Emperor

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The kiosk of the Emperor
The kiosk of the Emperor which is located on an island is a tribute to Napoleon III who created the lakes of the Bois de Boulogne. If you like this style do not hesitate to go and see the Buttes Chaumont park where nature is even more idealized.

The Island Chalet

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The Island Chalet
At the beginning the chalet was a real Swiss chalet where in winter people came to skate. Now it is a restaurant, there is a shuttle that allows access to the islands and the chalet. The passage is 1,5 E (free for those who go to the restaurant).

The boats of the Bois de Boulogne

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The boats of the Bois de Boulogne
Canoeing is a great way to discover the lake and its islands. The hour of canoeing is 10 E.

Swans

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Swans

Driveway along the lakes

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Driveway along the lakes
This walkway allows you to go around the Lower Lake.

La Grande Cascade

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La Grande Cascade
For those who want to go further, they can go and see the Grande Cascade, it is totally artificial, the rocks come from Fontainebleau. We will not deprive ourselves of passing underneath to watch the water fall.

Auteuil racecourse

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Auteuil racecourse
There are almost two racecourses side by side in the Bois de Boulogne. The one in Auteuil specialises in jumping and the one in Longchamp is more oriented towards flat racing.

View on the islands

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View on the islands
You can find a lot of people in the Bois de Boulogne but if you choose early enough you can be very quiet on the banks of the lake.

View of Lake Superior

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View of Lake Superior
The upper lake was dug in 1853 and is between 65 cm and 1.40 metres deep. These lakes, waterfalls and streams are totally artificial and have a lot of charm. Today, this creation of an ideal nature is no longer in the air.

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