Parc de Bercy
The Parc de Bercy is located in the 12th arrondissement of Paris, on the former site of the wine storerooms that in the 19th century was the largest centre of wine trade in the world. However, with the improvement in the wine storage technology and the beginning of bottling of wine at the place of production, the warehouses fell into decline and were eventually abandoned and demolished in the 1970s.
In 1995, the park was officially opened in their place. Today, it occupies an area of 14 hectares, stretching from the right bank of the Seine river to the Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy and the Cour Saint-Emilion metro station. It consists of three connected gardens : the Romantic Garden, which contains several fish ponds, the Flowerbeds, home to many different plant species, and the Meadows, in which tall trees cast shadow on an area of open lawns.
The park also houses a vineyard, three wine storerooms and The Musée des Arts Forains, a private museum of funfair objects. The remains of the railway tracks via which the wine was transported to the warehouses can still be found by the cobblestones alleyways of the park. Another attraction of the park is a mansion called Maison du Lac which is situated on an island and is surrounded by Corsican pine trees, Lebanese cedars, and maidenhairs. In the north-east part of the park, you can find the building of the American Center designed by Frank Gehry as well as the elevated tarraces with 21 sculptures by Rachid Khimoune, known as "Les Enfants du Monde" (The Children of the World), sculpted in 2001 to honour children's rights. From the park you can get directly to the National Library of France via the Simone de Beauvoir footbridge over the Seine.
Some of the trees in the park are over 200 years old.
Similar places by:
Architect |
Frank O. Gehry Bernard Huet |
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Category |
park |
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Material |
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water tree grass stone |
Neighbourhood | Bercy (12th Arrondissement - Reuilly) |
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Price | gratis |
Geographical coordinates | 48.8359651, 2.3814129 |
Address | 75012 Paris, Quai de Bercy |
Construction dates | 1993 - 1997 |
Area | 14.00 |
More information | official website |