Traversée 1 - part 1

... from Bois de Boulogne via theEiffel tower and Dôme des Invalides to St Placide...

The route starts at the Porte Dauphine metro stration. The entrance is in beautiful Art Nouveau style. We enter the Bois de Boulogne through the Porte de la Muette.

In weekends the Boulogne forest is abuzz with joggin and walkng Parisians, who come here to relax or excercise in one of the four green lungs of the city. In Gallic times the forest was part of the enormous Rouvray forest. Later it was known as the Bois de St Cloud. After the construction of a pilgrim church ND-de-Boulogne-la-Petite (1343) it is only known as Bois de Boulogne. The forest has suffered from a number of wars. Great damage was done during the 100 year war by fires and a lot was destroyed during the revolution, at which time robbers and muggers took control of the forest. The last damage was done by the invasion of allied troops in 1814 and 1815. Meanwhile the areas has been reforested and reconstructed by among others Louis XI in 1460, François I and Louis XIV. In 1848 the forest became state property and was transferred to the city of Paris by Napoleon III in 1852. The emperor was rather taken to English parks and gardens like Hyde Park and therefor ordered the construction of two lakes.

We walk along the Lac Inferieur (lower lake), in which there are two islands (reached by a ferry). We leave the forest at Porte de la Muette and cross the Place the Columbie, walk past the somber OECD building (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) into the Jardin the Ranelagh.

Here the first manned balloon was launched in 1873, which landed 25 minutes later at the Butte aux Cailles (13e; see walk2)

We walk on and cross to the rue de Vignes. We find ourselves in the former village of Passy, which was incorporated by Paris in 1860. We follow the rue de Vignes until the rue Raynouard, where we turn left. Here, the considerable difference in level with the banks of the river Seine becomes apparent.We descend through the rue Berton. In the distance we see the dome of the Hotel des Invalides. We follow this romantic street, which reminds of the pastoral past. On no. 24 Honore de Balzac used to live from 1841 until 1847 (now a museum).The park behind the wall belongs to the Turkish embassy (proof is the police on guard). We continue through the Av. Marcel-Proust and get to the rue Charles-Dickens. Around the square Charles-Dickens we find a number of 18th century houses, which are outflanked by a couple of apartment blocks. At no. 5 we see the Wine museum

We cross the Bir-Hakeim bridge. It is a two-level bridge: the upper level for the metro, the lower level for cars and pedestrians. Half way through the river is the allee de Cygnes, once constructed as quay for a river toll in the Seine. It offers a pleasant walk in the middle of the river. On the southern tip is a replica of the New York Statue of Liberty. The original is a gift by France to 100 year old United States of America in 1876. From the bridge we have a fine view of the Eifel tower and the Palais de Chaillot.

We turn left on the Quai Branly. An elevated avenue, with flower gardens that takes us to the Eiffel tower. At the Eiffel tower we descend, walk under the tower, through the Champs the Mars park in direction of the Ecole Militaire.

The Champs de Mars got its present lay-out in 1928. It was the originally amarching ground, big enough to room 10.000 troops in battle array. The military academy dates from 1751 (Jacque-Ange Gabriel for Louis XV) and had Napoleon Bonaparte as one of its most famous students.

We pass the Ecole Militaire on the left, cross into the Avenue de Tourville and pass the rear of the Hôtel des Invalides and the Jardin de l'intendant.

The Hôtel was built in 1671-76 on Louis XIV orders for soldiers who were injured during one of the wars. Under the dome are two churches. One for the soldiers and one meant as a mausoleum for the King, but now serves as a mausoleum for Napoleon.

We turn left into the Av. de Breteuil and then left the rue d'Estrees. On the corner with rue Monsieur we find a Japanese Pagode. Once built as a present by one of the directors of Bonne-Marchee department stores to his wife. Until recently is was an Art Film House, but is now empty. We follow the street further and turn left and right again into the rue Rousselet. In this street we have a fine view of the Tour Montparnasse building.

Although the tower building is not on our route, we can't resist the challenge to walk over there and go up. This was once the highest building in Europe. The view is great, especially over the southern part of the city.

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