Boulevard de l’Ouest

“A ring of boulevards?” you might ask, standing here on Boulevard de l’Ouest. Indeed, Le Raincy’s Boulevard de l’Ouest, along with its counterparts Boulevard du Nord, Boulevard de l’Est, and Boulevard du Midi, forms a unique circuit. These boulevards approximately trace the historical boundaries of the city, a legacy of what once stood here. Long ago, the magnificent Château du Raincy dominated this landscape. Its expansive park, initially indistinguishable from the surrounding Bondy Forest, was enclosed around 1652 by Jacques Bordier. Imagine grand walls punctuated by five imposing gates: Gagny, Villemomble, Bondy, Chelles (at the Montfermeil roundabout), and the grandest of all, the Livry Gate. These boulevards, including the Boulevard de l’Ouest, were built upon the foundations of those very walls. Even the town’s coat of arms bears a red border, symbolizing Le Raincy’s enclosed past. Today, as we stand on Boulevard de l’Ouest, remnants of this history persist. The Lycée Albert Schweitzer stands on land once part of the château’s Orangery. Within the Lycée’s park, a tranquil body of water remains, a vestige of the château’s elaborate gardens, redesigned around 1787 by the renowned Scottish gardener, Thomas Blaikie. Boulevard de l’Ouest, therefore, tells a story of transformation, from protective walls to bustling city limits, whispering tales of grand estates and royal gardens.