Parc Montsouris is one of the largest urban green spaces in Paris, serving as the green lung of the south of the city. It sits in the 14th arrondissement of Paris, between Rue d’Alésia and the Cité Universitaire de Paris, and stretches across 150,000 square meters.
Before this place became a park, it was a large granite quarry with many windmills standing on it. Human bones moved from various cemeteries around the city were buried in part of the grounds. The project to turn the quarry into a park was launched on the initiative of Napoleon III, who handed the execution of this major transformation to Baron Haussmann.
The Second Empire saw a wave of major park building: alongside the creation of Parc Montsouris, Parc des Buttes-Chaumont was also built. The emperor wanted to provide a green space in every part of the city for the benefit of its residents. This wave was part of the ambitious plan to beautify Paris, led by Baron Haussmann (1809-1891), which fundamentally transformed the look of the capital.
The history of Parc Montsouris
The beginning wasn’t easy. A first technical challenge involved building the park over the old quarries. Work began in 1867 and continued until 1878, though the park’s opening was already celebrated in 1869. It isn’t entirely clear whether this actually happened or whether it’s just a legend, but the story goes that on the park’s opening day, the large artificial lake suddenly drained. The shame was so great that the engineer in charge of digging it took his own life the following day. Another serious problem arose at the site in 1871, when during the Paris Commune, the park briefly became a battlefield.
To create Parc Montsouris, Napoleon III drew inspiration from famous parks in London. Green spaces and wide lawns played a very important role here. They were seen as meeting places where all social classes mixed together, a very modern vision that still holds true at the park today.
Parc Montsouris is considered to have a particularly fine outlook. It’s said that this is the spot where you breathe the best air in Paris. The park is home to around 1,400 magnificent trees, some of them over a hundred years old. The ginkgo tree (Ginkgo biloba) planted next to the lake is the tallest tree in the park.
In the fall, the park reflects a vivid, stunning yellow foliage. The lake itself is gorgeous. All kinds of birds nest here, along with swans and ducks in every color. The area around the lake is lined with grand, wide-canopied trees that shade the surroundings, along with sprawling lawns. Many bronze and stone statues decorate the park and add to its beauty. At the center of the lake sits a small island and cave that serve as a sanctuary for birds. In the fall months, the park is covered in a breathtaking display of colorful leaves.
At one edge of the park stands the central meteorological station, next to which lies the southern marker of the Paris meridian, which crosses through Parc Montsouris. Inside the park, near the lake, you’ll find the famous restaurant Le Pavillon Montsouris. In the past, it served distinguished guests like Lenin, Trotsky, and Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre. Many other famous figures used to visit the park, including Henry Miller, Salvador Dalí, Chaïm Soutine (1893-1943), and the painter Rousseau, nicknamed “the Customs Officer.”
Once a year, during European Heritage Days, you can get an unusual look inside Parc Montsouris’s giant water reservoir, which holds a third of all the drinking water consumed by Parisians. Between May and September, visitors to the park can enjoy the many free concerts held at the bandstand by the lake.
Across from the park, on the other side of the main road, sits the Cité Universitaire, a small and charming international campus where students from all over the world come to study. This huge complex includes restaurants, libraries, a swimming pool, and a theater. The area is lively and buzzing during the school year, and quiet during the breaks. The easiest way to reach the park is by RER train, getting off at the Cité Universitaire station.
Parc Montsouris: practical information
Parc Montsouris is located at 2 Rue Gazan, in the 14th arrondissement of Paris.
The park’s opening hours vary depending on the time of year.
- From May 1 to August 31, the park is open from 7:00 to 21:30
- From September 1 to September 30, the park is open from 7:00 to 20:30
- From October 1 to October 24, the park is open from 7:00 to 19:30
- From October 25 to February 28, the park is open from 7:00 to 17:45
Admission to the park is free.
Getting to Parc Montsouris by public transportation
Metro:
Line 4 (marked in purple): get off at Mouton-Duvernet and walk about 10 minutes toward the park.
Line 6 (marked in green): get off at Glacière and walk about 15 minutes toward the park.
RER train:
Line B (marked in blue): get off at the Cité Universitaire station, which is right next to the park.
Bus:
Line 21: get off at the Parc Montsouris stop, which is right next to the park.
Line 67: get off at Tombe Issoire – René Coty and walk about 5 minutes toward the park.
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