Parc des Buttes Chaumont

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The Parc des Buttes Chaumont

The Temple of Sybil

The Parc des Buttes Chaumont is a public park in Paris, France.Buttes means hills and chaumont is a contraction from chauve mont - the bald mountain, referring to a tall rock formation situated in the middle of the park.

It is in the 19th arrondissement in the north-eastern part of Paris, on the site of a former gypsum quarry used for the construction of buildings in Paris and the United States.

It was created by Baron Haussmann in 1867 and later landscaped by Adolphe Alphand and Badrillet.

Features of the Parc des Buttes Chaumont, one of the largest of Paris' urban parks, are numerous. The park includes several cliffs, bridges, a grotto which encloses a waterfall, a lake, and English and Chinese gardens. The most prominent feature is the Temple of Sybil which sits atop the rocky "island" at the center of the park. This is a Corinthian style monument that was created in 1869. A wooden suspension bridge leading to the Temple is also found in the park but as of December 2007 is closed for renovation. Access to the Temple is through a footpath on the south side of the park.

The park boasts many varieties of indigenous and exotic trees. In particular several Cedars of Lebanon planted in 1880, Byzantine hazelnut, Siberian elm, among others.

The park also has a restaurant and several attractions for children.

The park is a favorite of Parisians who flock to the grassy slopes in spring and summer to relax and picnic.

[edit] Bibliography

Downie, David (2005). "Montsouris and Buttes-Chaumont: the art of the faux", Paris, Paris: Journey into the City of Light. Fort Bragg: Transatlantic Press, pp. 34–41. ISBN 0976925109.