PARC MONCEAU

One of Parisians' favourite public parks, Parc Monceau is a haven for numerous species of birds, ancient sycamore maple trees, and a pond that flows beneath a stunning archway. You can enjoy the park's breathtaking scenery, bird culture and the calm that comes with it. The sculptures, gravel road, and beautiful views of nature makes Parc Monceau the ideal place for a peaceful day or an evening stroll with friends and family. 

In the city of love, Paris, tucked away in the lap of nature is Parc Monceau. One of the favourite public parks of the Parisians, it is home to age-old sycamore maple trees, the pond running below the beautiful archway and various kinds of birds you will explore in our Europe packages from India. On one hand, the park authority has managed to preserve the century-old structure in the park while still installing modern amenities like Wi-Fi, two playgrounds, snack stands, and a permanent carousel for the visitors’ satisfaction.

The spectacular view of the park allows visitors of all ages to have a good time. Parc Monceau, along with its dazzling views with natural attraction, the statues and the gravelly path along the trees gives you a perfect setting for an evening walk or a quiet afternoon. Even though it is located in the 8th arrondissement of Paris city, Parc Monceau receives a lot of birds of varied diversity. Claude Monet once sat around in the same park and made a series of six paintings in the late 1870s. Since then, when one looks at the paintings will realise that the park has not changed much.

The paintings were set against the backdrop of the luxury townhouse as wealthy Parisians enjoy a relaxing picnic under the shade of a huge tree. On two paintings by Gustave Caillebotte of Parc Monceau, the artist stunningly captured a glamorous spring day under the bright sun. His paintings tell the story of Paris in the 1800s. When today's Parc Monceau is compared to these paintings, one can easily say the surrounding natural beauty is still the same, maybe a little bit more well-kept from before yet it is still the favourite park of many.

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Highlights

• Parc Monceau will confuse you with its combination of various architectural styles, including Haussmannien, Second Empire, Napoleon III, Louis Philippe, and Neo Classique. 
• The most beautiful season of the year, when flowers blossom and trees begin to sprout new leaves, was and still is the spring in Paris and in Parc Monceau, making the trip there worthwhile.
• A gate made of iron and adorned with gold that resembles the entryway to a palace serves as the park's entrance. 
• A water body in the park's foreground reflects the colonnade of Rome's Colosseum, which is set against the foliage of tall, ancient trees in the background.
• A circular rotunda that mimics a Greek Doric temple surrounds the Wall of the Farmers-General at the park's northern side. 
• The fact that Parc Monceau is flanked by tall, opulent homes and structures, with the Musée Cernuschi on its flanks, just adds to how much locals and visitors adore the park. 
• In addition to its amazing architectural features, the park is a favourite of bird lovers because it hosts hundreds of birds year-round.Suggested Read: Best Things To Do In Paris In 3 DaysCheckout & Book : Best Seine River Cruise

How To Reach

Parc Monceau is in the 8th arrondissement in the city of Paris, so it is easily reachable from the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre Museum, Champs Elysées via foot, bus or train. Here are transit lines that have routes passing near Parc Monceau for a varied form of transportation:

1. By Bus:

• From Eiffel Tower the transit line is 30 that takes 33 minutes.
• From Touer Eiffel – Quai Branly, the transit line is 30 and it takes 29 minutes.
• From Bobigny, transit lines are 322, 105, 20 which takes 110 minutes.
• From Vanves, transit lines are 89, 92, and 30 that take around 70 minutes.

2. By Metro:

• From Eiffel tower, the transit lines are 2 and 6 that take 32 minutes.
• From Touer Eiffel – Quai Branly, transit lines are 2 and 6, it takes 24 minutes.
• From Bobigny, the transit lines are 2 and 5, taking 40 minutes.
• From Vanves, the transit lines are 2 and 13 that take 44 minutes.

3. By Train: To reach near Parc Monceau by train you should take the transit line L route.

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Best Time To Visit

You can visit Parc Monceau at any time of the year. However, people prefer to visit it during spring (From March to late April) and summer (May to early August) as it is the best time to have a picnic and the flowers bloom during this time. The French-style garden with the touch of English styled structure allows the visitor to have a great time all around the year.

If you want to avoid heavy crowds early mornings until early noon is a good time. Also during the early morning and early evening, you could watch all different kinds of birds visiting the park. However, if you do not mind the crowd afternoons and early evenings are a good time to visit.

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Other Essential Information

Location: Parc Monceau is located in the 8th arrondissement of Paris. It is situated just at the junction where Rue de Prony, Boulevard de Courcelles, and Rue Georges Berger meets. The park is spread over 20 acres of land and is full of follies and structures that interest people of all ages. The address of the park is 35 Boulevard de Courcelles, 75008 Paris, France.

Timings: The parks open at 7 am in both summer and winter. The closing time in summer is at 10 pm and during winter is 8 pm.

Pricing: The entry at the park, irrespective of the independent tour and guided tour, is free for everyone.

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History of Parc Monceau

Parc Monceau, a public park in Paris, was created in 1778. A cousin of King Louis XIV, Philippe d’Orléans - Duke of Chartres - loved everything English and understandably so, as he was a close friend of Prince of Wales. Therefore, in 1769, he started purchasing land where he could create a park with architectural inspiration in the buildings of different ages and continents. He commissioned Louis Carrogis Carmontelle, a well-known writer and painter, to design the park. 

Agreeing to the terms and conditions of designing it using varied inspiration as asked by the Duke, Carmontelle included a miniature Egyptian Pyramid, antique statues, a Roman colonnade, a pond of water lilies, a farmhouse, a Dutch windmill, an Italian vineyard, a minaret, a temple of Mars.However, with time as the designing and fashion of gardens changed, parts of the park were remodelled to be more traditional English landscapes. In 1781, the then famous Scottish gardener and landscape expert Thomas Blaikie was commissioned for the remodelling job.

In 1787, a new city wall was erected along the northern edge of the garden. The wall was named as Walls of the Farmers-General. In 1797, André-Jacques Garnerin – the French balloonist and inventor of a frameless parachute – jumped from a hot air balloon, turning Parc Monceau to be the site of a first silk parachute jump. In the spring of 1876, Claude Monet painted a series of three paintings in the park, followed by three more in 1878. French romantic composer Hector Berlioz was specifically fond of the pond in the park. During the Third Republic, Parc Monceau was decorated with statues of many well-known writers and musicians. 

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The Follies of Parc Monceau

The Parc Monceau in Paris gives you a slight sense of English and German gardens when you walk through the park. The creator of the park Phillippe d’ Orléans, loved all kinds of English things very dearly. Therefore, when he instructed the gardener and designer of the park to resemble an English garden he installed various follies and statues. The Duke of Chartres instructed the follies to be placed throughout the park. It not only surprised the visitors but also kept the whole park serene and interesting to walk around. 

Along with loving English things, the follies that the Duke placed throughout the park are of the different continents and different ages. Some of the prominent follies are

A small Egyptian Pyramid – that brings a semblance of Middle Eastern architecture to the park.

A Roman colonnade – to bring the sense of Roman peristyle closer to the people of Paris.

• A water lily pond
• A Dutch windmill.
• Corinthian Pillars – to give the park a touch of Greek and Roman architecture.
• A temple of Mars.
• An Italian vineyard.
• A tartar tent.
• An enchanted grotto
• A medieval ruin
• A minaret.

All of these follies were introduced by the Duke not only for his own pleasure but for other people visiting him, to get a sense what architectural styles of different continents looked like. It was, as if, the Duke created a mini world in that park. Wealthy people used to visit the park, take a walk through the garden as they were left amazed by the follies and statues, as they would enjoy a relaxed time under the shade of the trees.

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