Page 264 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Paris

262  P ARIS AREA B Y AREA

A 90-Minute Walk around Parc Monceau

This leisurely walk passes through the exquisite late-18th-
century Parc Monceau, the centrepiece of a smart Second
Empire district. It then follows a route along surrounding
streets, where groups of opulent mansions stunningly
convey the magnificence in which some Parisians live, before
ending at Place St-Augustin. For details on Monceau sights,
see page 234.

Parc Monceau to 19th-century Neo-Classical
Avenue Velasquez mansions. At No. 7 is the
The walk starts at the splendid Cernuschi Ruysdaël gate
Monceau Metro museum 6, which
station 1 on the houses a collection BLVD DE
Boulevard de of Far Eastern art COURCELLES Villiers
Courcelles. Enter (see p235). Monceau
the park where 1 M O N C E A U
Nicolas Ledoux’s Parc Monceau’s tollhouse 2 2 3 4
18th-century BLVD DE COURCELLES 5 R U E D E
PARC
tollhouse 2 stands. On either 0 MON C EAU 8 7 6
side are sumptuously gilded Courcelles 9 MIROMESNIL RUE DE RUE DE GENERAL FOY
19th-century wrought-iron gates RUE DE r t
R U E D E M O N C E A U
that support ornate lampposts. COURCELLES q
Take the second path on w
the left past the monument to RUE MURILLO PLACE DE R U E D E L I S B O N N E RUE DE LISBONNE
Guy de Maupassant 3 (1897). RUE DE LISBONNE RIO DE JANEIRO
This is only one of a series of AVENUE HOCHE
y
six Belle Epoque monuments e A V E N U E RUE D E LA BIENFAISANCE
of prominent French writers R U E D E C O U R C E L L E S u
and musicians that are pictur- D E M E S S I N E AVE C CLAIRE
esquely scattered throughout
the park. Most of them feature
a solemn bust of a great man BLVD HAUSSMANN RUE DE MIROMESNIL o i RUE D E LA PEPINIERE
BOU L EV AR D MALESHERB ES
who is accompanied by BOULEVARD H AUSSMANN St-Augustin
a swooning muse. RUE DE LA BA UME
Straight ahead is the most
important remaining folly, a R U E L A B O E T I E SQUARE
Miromesnil
moss-covered Corinthian LOUIS
XVI
colonnade 4 running around
the edge of a tiny lake with the
requisite island in the centre.
Walk around the colonnade and
under a 16th- century arch 5 Colonnade in Parc Monceau 4
trans planted from the old Paris
Hôtel de Ville (see p104), which Avenue Velasquez to Avenue past the monument (1902) to
burned down in 1871. Van Dyck the musician Ambroise Thomas
Turn left on the Allée de la Re-enter the park and turn left 8. Immediately behind, there
Comtesse de Ségur and go into the second small winding is a lovely artificial mountain
into Avenue Velasquez, a path, which is bordered by an with cascade. Turn left on the
wide tree-lined street with 18th-century mossy pyramid 7, next avenue and walk to the
antique tombs, a stone arcade, monument to the composer
an obelisk and a small Chinese Charles Gounod 9 (1897) on
stone pagoda. The romantically the left. From here, follow the
melancholy tone of these follies first winding path to the right
suits the spirit of the late towards the Avenue Van Dyck
18th century. exit. Ahead to the right,
Turn right on the first path in the corner of the park, is the
past the pyramid and walk back Chopin monument 0 (1906),
to the central avenue. Straight and looking along the Allée
ahead, a Renaissance bridge de la Comtesse de Ségur, the
fords the little stream running monument to the 19th-century
Ambroise Thomas statue 8 from the lake. Turn left and walk French poet Alfred de Musset.

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