The 865 hectares Bois de
Boulogne lies on the Western edge of Paris.
It was created under Emperor
Napoléon III, the nephew of the great Napoleon in the second
part of the 19th century.
Its designer, the Baron Haussman, admired the large
central London parks, such as the beautiful Hyde Park and Regent Park.
He decided to
create two parks in Paris on the same model.
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The Bois de Boulogne in Paris
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The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamps
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As a result, with the Bois de Boulogne on the West side of
Paris and the Bois de Vincennes on the
East, Paris enjoys two exceptional recreational areas.
The
Bois de Boulogne is the most fashionable of the two. It is bordered by the
affluent
cities of Neuilly and Boulogne.
The Bois de Boulogne is a favourite destination of Parisian
walkers, bicycle and horse riders.
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It also hosts the two Parisian horse racecourses (Auteuil
and Longchamp) and the pretty Bagatelle gardens.
The
Roland Garros tennis courts lie on the edge of the Bois de Boulogne.
At night,
the Bois de Boulogne welcomes a very different population and becomes the red district of
Paris.
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The Bois de Boulogne in Paris
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