Mount Royal (Mont Royal) is a small mountain in Montreal, immediately west of downtown. It is the site of Mount Royal Park, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and the city’s largest park.
Above, Mount Royal seen from the observatory of Au Sommet Place Ville-Marie. The Belvédère Kondiaronk, on the left, offers a great view on the city. The Mount Royal Cross can be seen on the right.
Parc de Bercy is a public park located along the right bank of the Seine in the 12th arrondissement of Paris.
The Coulée Verte René Dumont (formerly known as Promenade Plantée) is a 4.7 km elevated linear park built on top of a former railway in the 12th arrondissement of Paris. It links Bois de Vincennes with Bastille.
The start of the Coulée Verte is near the Périphérique. However, I started from Square Charles Péguy: I wanted to check out the community garden built near the Petite Ceinture railway, which can only be accessed from the Square. I then walked all the way to Bastille.
The Parc de Sceaux is a large park located south of Paris. It used to belong to Jean-Baptiste Colbert, who served as Minister of Finances of France under King Louis XIV. The park has a castle (Château de Sceaux), built in the 19th century, and an expansive garden designed by André Le Nôtre.
The Petite Ceinture (“little belt”) was a railway in Paris that connected the city’s main train stations, forming a loop around Paris. It opened in 1854 and passenger service ended in 1934. Parts of the railway were still in use for freight service until the 2000’s but it has stayed mostly closed to the public until recently, when parks that follow the tracks have opened in the 16th, 15th and 13th arrondissement of Paris. There are also community gardens in the 18th and 12th arrondissement and more sections are set for development in the coming years.
The Parc de Saint-Cloud is a large park near Paris. It is located on the site of the Château de Saint-Cloud, a residence of royal and imperial families since the 16th century and destroyed in the 19th century. It has both a French and English-style garden, as well as a rose garden.
The Parc de l’Observatoire is a park in Meudon near Paris. It owes its name to the astronomical observatory nearby. After leaving the park, I walked towards the Seine and the Parc de Saint-Cloud.
Parc de Bagatelle is located inside Bois de Boulogne, in Paris. It was created in 1775 at the behest of Queen Marie-Antoinette. Its highlight is a rose garden featuring 10,000 rose bushes from 1,200 different species.
