The vast Parc de Boulogne Edmond de Rothschild is situated between the Bois de Boulogne and the River Seine in the commune of Boulogne-Billancourt. Not very well known by tourists, this wooded area not far from Paris also provides to its visitors plenty of spaces to rest.
Parc de Boulogne Edmond de Rothschild
Entrance of the Edmond de Rothschild Park © French Moments
The domain was acquired by James de Rothschild, a young banker, in 1817 who decided on the construction of a Louis XIV-style chateau in 1856. Many famous people and celebrities of the time were invited to sumptuous receptions at the chateau: Chopin, Clemenceau… In 1886 his son Edmond inherited the domain. The vast park included:
- an English garden created in 1860
- a formal garden which disappear upon the construction of the A. Paré hospital
- a Japanese garden created between 1900 and 1930.
- the ‘routin’ area consisting of basins and rocks created in 1924.
From the entrance of the park all paths converge to the big pond © French Moments
The chateau and its domain was occupied by the German during WW2 and the Americans at the Liberation. In 1974 the construction of the A13 motorway from Saint-Cloud to the Périphérique amputated the domain. The 15 hectares that had remained intact were opened to the public in 1982 when the municipality of Boulogne-Billancourt bought the estate. Since then the chateau has been unoccupied and is in a decrepit state. In April 2016 it was announced that a new owner had bought the chateau and intend to renovate it.
The dilapidated chateau that once belonged to the Rothschilds, Parc de Boulogne © French Moments
There are many remarkable trees in the park to admire such as plane trees, limetrees, birch trees…
Magnificent trees in the Parc de Boulogne © French Moments
The Big Pond
At the centre of the domain stretches a big pond (la pièce d’eau) decorated with a Japanese-style red bridge and bordered by the woods and the vast lawns.
The big pond of the Parc de Boulogne © French Moments
The big pond of the Parc de Boulogne © French Moments
The waterfall drops onto the big pond of the Parc de Boulogne © French Moments
The Japanese Garden
The Japanese garden has changed very much since the beginning of the 20th century when it was created. Nevertheless it is still quiet, romantic and shady area of the park.
Japanese Garden of the Parc de Boulogne: the red bridge spanning part of the big pond © French Moments
Weird-looking trees growing in the Paris region! Parc de Boulogne © French Moments
In the Japanese Garden of the Parc de Boulogne © French Moments
Another red Japanese-style bridge in the Parc de Boulogne © French Moments
The stairs leading to a tropical forest? Parc de Boulogne © French Moments
An inviting alley in the Japanese Garden of the Parc de Boulogne © French Moments
Lush vegetation in the Japanese garden of the Japanese Garden of the Parc de Boulogne © French Moments
The Routin
The Routin area is a series of basins and little rock formations which makes you feel like being in places such as the Vosges mountains.
The Routin in the Parc de Boulogne © French Moments
The Routin in the Parc de Boulogne © French Moments
The Routin in the Parc de Boulogne © French Moments
The Routin in the Parc de Boulogne © French Moments
Wildlife at the Parc de Boulogne
These are some of the wildlife we encountered during our walk across the domain: ducks, juvenile coypus (‘ragondin‘ in French which is a semi-aquatic rodent), terrapins, pikes…
Junvenile coypus at the Edmond de Rothschild Park © French Moments
Terrapins at the Edmond de Rothschild Park © French Moments
Big fish! A pike at the Edmond de Rothschild Park © French Moments
The duck family, Edmond de Rothschild Park © French Moments
The duck family at the Edmond de Rothschild Park © French Moments
Practical information
- Entrance to the park is free
- More practical information about the Parc de Boulogne and how to get there.
- Download the Brochure and Map of the Parc de Boulogne (French only).
