Covering an area of 995 hectares, the Bois de Vincennes is perfect for cycling. Set off from the Porte Dorée! The Bois de Vincennes – a ‘green lung’ in the eastern section of Paris – is a great place for a leisurely cycle ride. Starting from the Porte Dorée (metro line 8, tram 3a), one of the 17 gateways built into the 19th-century Thiers wall, you will come to a 995-hectare expanse of woodland. The Bois was a royal hunting ground until the Revolution and subsequently used for other purposes, such as an artillery academy, before being developed, in the late 19th century, into the largest public park in Paris. It was a venue for both the 1900 Summer Olympics and the 1931 Colonial Exhibition, of which a vestige remains at the starting point of this route: a bronze statue of Athena, personifying France bringing peace and prosperity to her colonies. Woodland, lakes, a tropical garden, a working farm, a zoo and theatres … the Bois de Vincennes has much to offer!
