Parc des Buttes-Chaumont facts. Map

Parc des Buttes-Chaumont facts

Parc des Buttes-Chaumont is one of Paris' largest green spaces with a total area of ​​25 hectares. It has the particularity of a vertical drop of 30 meters. This creates in certain places remarkable points of view on several districts of the capital, like Montmartre. The paths converge towards the lower part of Buttes-Chaumont and the lake of one hectare and a half fed by three different streams. In its center are the island of Belvédère and its kiosk called the Temple of Sybille, dating from 1869. Visitors can access it by a suspended bridge. At the edge of the water, chickens and ducks are the happiness of children. Entertainment is offered: a Guignol theater, swings, rides and playgrounds, pony rides. It is also particularly pleasant to have a picnic on the lawns on sunny days. The park is free and open most of the day.

Parc des Buttes Chaumont hotel

Hotel Restaurant Au Boeuf Couronné offers pet-friendly accommodation with free WiFi in Paris, a 3-minute walk from Parc de La Villette and 15-minute walk from Butte Chaumont. Guests can enjoy the on-site restaurant, one of the best meat restaurants in town, and bar. The air-conditioned rooms include a flat-screen TV with satellite channels. The rooms have a private bathroom with a shower, free toiletries and a hairdryer. All rooms are serviced by a lift. An American breakfast is served daily at the hotel. There is a terrace, a 24-hour front desk and a luggage storage on site.

Parc des Buttes Chaumont hostel

The affordable St Christophers Inn Paris Canal hostel is located on the charming Bassin de la Villette, close to Parc des Buttes Chaumont. The hostel features a terrace and a communal lounge with a computer. It provides dormitories and private rooms. The dormitories have shared bathrooms with showers and toilet. Rooms include heating, a locker. Padlocks can be bought at the reception. Guests can benefit from free WiFi and a discount at Belushi's, the hostel's bar and restaurant. The area features 3 free outdoor pools open from mid-June to mid-September, water sports and cruises.

History of Buttes-Chaumont

The hills of northern Paris, incouding Buttes-Chaumont, were long exploited for their gypsum. This raw material was used for a long time to have plaster and lime. In order to make lime, gypsum was heated in furnaces. This activity was maintained until the second half of the 19th century.

By the end of the 1850s, quarries were exhausted. In the Second Empire, quarries closed, Napoleon III decided to turn the desolate hill into a sumptuous garden. The State acquired the land in 1863 and the first picks were given in 1864.

Three years were necessary to carry out the titanic earthworks and create the landscaping that adorn the park. This feat required the help of 1,000 workers, a hundred horses, 450 cars on 39 km of rails, 2 steam engines, and the use of dynamite to blow the rock. The park was inaugurated on April 1, 1867, at the same time as the Universal Exhibition of Champ-de-Mars.

Assisted by gardener Barillet-Deschamps, architect Davioud, engineer Belgrand, Jean-Charles Alphand metamorphosed the old quarries, digging a lake and a cave adorned with false stalactites, cascading waterfalls and streams.