Dreams of Corsican pines may fill your head as you stand here. Welcome to Place de la Pinède. It sits in the heart of Paris. This place whispers stories of transformation and nature’s enduring presence.
But what makes Place de la Pinède so special? Let’s journey back to the creation of the Parc Floral de Paris. It was here that landscape architect Daniel Collin envisioned a new kind of green space. He wanted it to be the largest park created in Paris since Haussmann’s promenades.
The Place de la Pinède owes its existence to the forward thinking of city planners. They wanted to create green spaces in Paris. This was especially important after a new administrative division was created in 1964.
Parc Floral de Paris was inaugurated in 1969. It marked the beginning of a new era in garden creation. The park included distinct zones. There was an area for exhibitions. There was a place to relax and eat. There was also a garden for children.
The landscape was once flat. It was transformed with 60000 cubic meters of earth being moved. More than 7 kilometers of paths were created.
The true heart of the park is the Vallée des Fleurs. This valley is 3 hectares. It displays 100000 plants. They are renewed each season. The vast Miroir d’Eau borders this valley. François Stahly created a granite fountain. It feeds the terraced pools of the aquatic plant garden.
Now consider the pinède itself. It spans 3 hectares. It is filled with Corsican laricio pines and Scots pines. These pines were preserved from the original landscape. They offer a glimpse into the area’s natural history.
Around the pinède, you’ll discover a beech grove and a cedar grove. They flank the entrance of the Château. There are also trees representative of Ile-de-France forests. They include oaks hornbeams maples and ash trees. These trees are grouped towards the picnic area. The children’s play areas are spread over nearly 4 hectares.
The pinède is one of only a few original landscape elements. The new park preserved these elements. These pines are silent witnesses to the park’s evolution. They connect us to a past. It existed long before the park came to be.
Notice the panoramic restaurant designed by Hervé de Looze. It features a beautiful wooden frame. It was built from the beginning. Sculptures are scattered in the garden. They form an open-air museum. They are works by great artists.
The Théâtre Astral is exclusively dedicated to children’s shows. The Delta concert space borders the Miroir d’Eau. It hosts a jazz festival and a classical music festival.
The Maison de la Nature occupies several pavilions. It presents hundreds of butterflies from Ile-de-France in the Jardin des Papillons. Plant collections form the soul of this garden. They are distributed over its 31 hectares and in the pavilions. They were designed for the Floralies.
Certain collections are unique. They include Mediterranean plants water lilies camellias ferns bonsai irises cacti medicinal plants tulips azaleas and bamboos. They are also the subject of horticultural exhibitions.
Place de la Pinède is a testament to the enduring appeal of nature. It’s a connection to the park’s origins. It’s a place where the past and present meet. Take a moment to breathe in the pine scented air. Consider the history beneath your feet.