Considered to be the city’s most romantic and unusual place, Parc des Buttes Chaumont is the 3rd-largest park in Paris. Its numerous attractions are cliffs, a 20-metre-high waterfall, a lake, several Chinese and English gardens, a temple located at a 30-metre rocky peak, and a 63-metre-long and 22-metre-high suspension bridge.
The park also can boast some interesting architecture, rich flora and fauna as well as a variety of other natural attractions.
The most recognisable element of the park is the belvedere (a temple) of Sybil, which is located atop a 30-metre rocky peak on an island partially surrounded by a lake. The temple added to the park in 1869 is a Corinthian-style monument that was inspired by and modelled after the ancient Roman temple of Veste in Tivoli (Italy). It alludes to mythology and is considered a classical example of Romanticism in landscape architecture. The only access to the temple is by a suspension bridge, also known as the ‘suicide bridge’, which is 63 metres long and 22 metres high and which crosses the lake. Other attractions include several cliffs and bridges, a 32-metre waterfall that falls into a large cave of 20 metres in height, a lake and several Chinese and English gardens. In the park one may also see numerous varieties of indigenous and exotic trees, many of which are of Asian origin, as well as a plethora of birds.
Originally, the park was established by Napoleon III in 1867 as a garden showcase, and this intention continues to guide the park’s direction. There are over 47 species of plants, trees and shrubs in the park. Besides numerous varieties of indigenous and exotic trees, such as cedars of Lebanon, Himalayan cedars, Byzantine hazelnuts, Siberian elms, European hollies, sophoras, alders and more, the park also has a great many birds including tits, wagtails, warbles, hedge-sparrows, black swans, geese, black-headed gulls and water hens.
The park, which was originally an open-pit mine, was developed as part of a plan of remodelling Paris, and soon after its construction, during the Universal Exhibition in 1867, it was opened, becoming instantly very successful.
The site of the park used to be a gypsum and limestone quarry (open-pit mine), mined for the construction of buildings in Paris and in the United States. The park was developed as part of plans for the remodelling of Paris, directed by Baron Haussmann. The actual development of the park was carried out by engineer Jean-Charles Alphand, who was supported by horticulturist Jean-Pierre Barillet-Deschamps, and architect Gabriel Davioud. The park was commissioned by the French Emperor, Napoleon III in 1860. After four years of construction, it was opened as part of the festivities of the Universal Exhibition in 1867. It was instantly recognised as a complete success and Alphand was given the title of ‘Artist Engineer’.
In September, the park hosts Paris’s annual Silhouette Short Film Festival. Because normally the park is closed at dusk, the film festival gives visitors the rare opportunity to visit the park after dark. The Silhouette Festival features seven days of French and international short films, which are followed by an awards ceremony.