Paris Digest
Paris city guide since 1997
The pedestrian Parc de Sceaux is the most pleasant park near Paris. Created in the 17th century and easily reachable by RER metro, it is very appreciated by Parisians. Parc de Sceaux is an ideal location for a visit to Paris. Paris gardens.
Parc de Sceaux with 180 hectares is sevent times larger than Luxembourg Gardens and Buttes Chaumont. It is also totally pedestrian to the contrary of the large Bois de Boulogne and Bois de Vincennes. Designed in the 17th century by the gardener of Sun King, it has a varied lanscape, a superb canal, cascades, fountains and lawns. The castle is a 19th century replica and the museum is second class. Parisians come here to relax, enjoy their family, jog and practice various sports. The park is free and open most of the day. Download printable Parc de Sceaux map.
Locate Parc de Sceaux on Paris map. Paris metro: Bourg-la-Reine or Parc de Sceaux station, line RER B.
The land was acquired in 1674 by Jean-Baptiste Colbert, minister of King Louis XIV, who appealed to the greatest artists of his time to develop the Parc de Sceaux and Chateau de Sceaux: André Le Nôtre, the gardener of Versailles Gardens and Tuileries Gardens, architect Claude Perrault and Charles Le Brun, the painter of the Hall of Mirrors.
At the death of Colbert, his son, the Marquis de Seignelay, extended the estate and dug the Grand Canal. The Revolution brought the destruction of a good part of the property including the Chateau. The Chateau was rebuilt in 1856 in the Louis XIII style by the Duke of Treviso. The estate was acquired in the 1920s by the state and the domain knew a certain renewal. Léon Azéma, architect and designer of the Trocadéro gardens, installed a new waterfall. The Chateau de Sceaux now houses the Ile de France Museum.
The park's old decor was destroyed during the Revolution and its surface was reduced by twenty percent in the late 1920s, but the vast perspectives designed by Le Nôtre have been preserved. It is the best fully pedestrian park of Grand Paris.
The 264 Japanese cherry trees of Parc de Sceaux offer an unparalleled show in Grand Paris. They are like a fireworks that would last several days in spring. Each year, the Hanami, the flower festival in Japan, is celebrated.
Everyone is invited to extend their picnic table, to attend a free show of taiko (drum) and awa odori (traditional dance).
April is therefore a very good time to visit the Parc de Sceaux, the most beautiful pedestrian green space of Grand Paris.
