Parc Montsouris
Parc Montsouris
4.5
7:00 AM - 9:30 PM
Monday
7:00 AM - 9:30 PM
Tuesday
7:00 AM - 9:30 PM
Wednesday
7:00 AM - 9:30 PM
Thursday
7:00 AM - 9:30 PM
Friday
7:00 AM - 9:30 PM
Saturday
7:00 AM - 5:45 PM
Sunday
7:00 AM - 5:45 PM
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The area
Address
Neighbourhood: Parc-de-Montsouris
How to get there
- Cité Universitaire • 6 min walk
- Cité Universitaire • 6 min walk
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4.5
455 reviews
Excellent
272
Very good
169
Average
12
Poor
0
Terrible
2
Thomas V
Oakland, CA17,513 contributions
Jul 2021
Napoleon III wanted to create English parks in residential districts and this is one inspired by him. Lovely green space in a built-up area full of lovely lakes and mature landscaping. Lots of places to sit and enjoy the nature. Good place for long walks. At the edge of the city near Cite Universaire.
Written 24 September 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MZTParis
Paris296 contributions
Apr 2015 • Solo
Montsouris Park is in Paris’s left bank – the 14th arrondissement – and not as well known as the other left bank park, the Luxembourg.
However, Montsouris is a treasure and you could spend an entire day there having a wonderfully relaxing time.
Montsouris is easy to get to. You can (1) walk from Porte d’Italie (Métro line 7 direction Villejuif or Ivry) which will take you about 20 minutes, or (2) you can take the tram (tramway as the French call it) also from Porte d’Italie. Or (3) you can approach the park from the other end of Paris – the west – also either on foot or by tram. (4) And you have a fourth choice: take the RER B4 from any central Paris station south heading out of Paris and you descend at the stop Cité Universitaire. (RER is the fast Métro system which serves the Ile de France – Paris and its suburbs.)
Montsouris Park is around a lake home to ducks, geese and swans: know that it is forbidden to feed these. Signs will tell you that if you love birds, you will do them a favour by not feeding them.
There is a cafeteria in the park where you can either sit at one of its tables, or take your food or beverage and go and sit on a bench alongside the lake or on the lawns. Yes, one is allowed to sit on the lawns, but watch out for a warning sign which will inform you that the lawn is ‘resting’ which means you are not allowed to sit or walk on that particular lawn.
The park is a jogger’s delight, so you can indulge if you wish and there are also playing areas for children. Because children are thus welcomed it can get quite noise around these playing areas on Saturdays and Sundays and on Wednesday afternoons as most schools are closed on Wednesdays.
If you feel like doing a big splurge, there is a wonderful restaurant in the park. It is the Pavillon Monsouris Restaurant. On sunny days you can sit outside under parasols. The food is delicious and the waiters are first-class. Do know though that one pays for such luxury: the fixed menu starts at €49. And the wine is very expensive. The restaurant is also excellent for a business lunch: the address is Rue Gazan: the taxi driver will know it.
Entry to the park is free.
Yes, there are public toilets.
Do have a walk around the park and do walk down the short street named Square Montsouris which is west of the park. Really beautiful houses line the street.
However, Montsouris is a treasure and you could spend an entire day there having a wonderfully relaxing time.
Montsouris is easy to get to. You can (1) walk from Porte d’Italie (Métro line 7 direction Villejuif or Ivry) which will take you about 20 minutes, or (2) you can take the tram (tramway as the French call it) also from Porte d’Italie. Or (3) you can approach the park from the other end of Paris – the west – also either on foot or by tram. (4) And you have a fourth choice: take the RER B4 from any central Paris station south heading out of Paris and you descend at the stop Cité Universitaire. (RER is the fast Métro system which serves the Ile de France – Paris and its suburbs.)
Montsouris Park is around a lake home to ducks, geese and swans: know that it is forbidden to feed these. Signs will tell you that if you love birds, you will do them a favour by not feeding them.
There is a cafeteria in the park where you can either sit at one of its tables, or take your food or beverage and go and sit on a bench alongside the lake or on the lawns. Yes, one is allowed to sit on the lawns, but watch out for a warning sign which will inform you that the lawn is ‘resting’ which means you are not allowed to sit or walk on that particular lawn.
The park is a jogger’s delight, so you can indulge if you wish and there are also playing areas for children. Because children are thus welcomed it can get quite noise around these playing areas on Saturdays and Sundays and on Wednesday afternoons as most schools are closed on Wednesdays.
If you feel like doing a big splurge, there is a wonderful restaurant in the park. It is the Pavillon Monsouris Restaurant. On sunny days you can sit outside under parasols. The food is delicious and the waiters are first-class. Do know though that one pays for such luxury: the fixed menu starts at €49. And the wine is very expensive. The restaurant is also excellent for a business lunch: the address is Rue Gazan: the taxi driver will know it.
Entry to the park is free.
Yes, there are public toilets.
Do have a walk around the park and do walk down the short street named Square Montsouris which is west of the park. Really beautiful houses line the street.
Written 15 April 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
J Brian H
Geneva, IL201 contributions
My youngest loved playing in the kids section of the park. It is filled with a huge sandy area for digging, slides, climbing forts and also a miniature mountain range with a highway. We loved it!
Written 22 June 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Efrin_Knight
Miami, FL205 contributions
Jun 2012 • Solo
The Parc Montsouris is part of my dearest souvenirs because I discovered it when I was nineteen, many, many moons ago, while I was living at the Cité Internationale de l’Université de Paris right across, on the other side of Boulevard Jourdan.
Twenty years later, I lived just one block from it, on the North side, and I used to take my elder son Melvin there almost every day.
Originally, this was a project of the Second Empire of Louis Napoléon Bonaparte, first elected President in 1848, who became Emperor after his coup d’état of December 1851, until he was defeated by Bismark in Sedan in 1870 and had to abdicate. It was designed to offer four big parks at each of the four cardinal points of Paris: The Bois de Vincennes on the East, the Bois de Boulogne on the West, the Buttes-Chaumont on the North and Montsouris on the South.
It has 15 hectares (a block of 100 meters by 100 meters) and you will see an artificial lake at one of the entrances with ducks and pigeons, close to a children’s amusement park. There is also a good restaurant on the northern part, built in the XIXth century style.
On the highest point of this park, you will also see the “Palais du Bardo”, a construction inspired from the summer residence of the “Bey” of Tunis, built originally for the “Exposition Universelle” of 1867. This palace was later remounted there at the end of the Second Empire. By the end of the century, it became a weather observatory.
You may go to Parc Montsouris by taking the “Ligne de Sceaux” (RER B, the same train line that will take you to CDG airport) to the station called “Cité Universitaire”, their southernmost station in Paris, on Boulevard Jourdan, where I used to get off every day when I returned from the Sorbonne in the 1960s. It has not changed since those wonderful days. You can also take bus number 21 from Gare Saint Lazare, Opera, Châtelet, Saint Michel, the Luxembourg Park, etc., until a couple of stops before the last one, right at one of the entrances of the park on the North side.
Twenty years later, I lived just one block from it, on the North side, and I used to take my elder son Melvin there almost every day.
Originally, this was a project of the Second Empire of Louis Napoléon Bonaparte, first elected President in 1848, who became Emperor after his coup d’état of December 1851, until he was defeated by Bismark in Sedan in 1870 and had to abdicate. It was designed to offer four big parks at each of the four cardinal points of Paris: The Bois de Vincennes on the East, the Bois de Boulogne on the West, the Buttes-Chaumont on the North and Montsouris on the South.
It has 15 hectares (a block of 100 meters by 100 meters) and you will see an artificial lake at one of the entrances with ducks and pigeons, close to a children’s amusement park. There is also a good restaurant on the northern part, built in the XIXth century style.
On the highest point of this park, you will also see the “Palais du Bardo”, a construction inspired from the summer residence of the “Bey” of Tunis, built originally for the “Exposition Universelle” of 1867. This palace was later remounted there at the end of the Second Empire. By the end of the century, it became a weather observatory.
You may go to Parc Montsouris by taking the “Ligne de Sceaux” (RER B, the same train line that will take you to CDG airport) to the station called “Cité Universitaire”, their southernmost station in Paris, on Boulevard Jourdan, where I used to get off every day when I returned from the Sorbonne in the 1960s. It has not changed since those wonderful days. You can also take bus number 21 from Gare Saint Lazare, Opera, Châtelet, Saint Michel, the Luxembourg Park, etc., until a couple of stops before the last one, right at one of the entrances of the park on the North side.
Written 2 July 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
OhioanMike
Fairborn, OH192 contributions
Apr 2019 • Couples
I recently stayed in the 14th, and would often walk through this park on the way to the RER station at Cité Universitaire. At all times of day, you can see local folks out for their walk or jog, and often can see families relaxing on the grass, children playing, folks having a picnic... the kinds of snippets of daily life that bring some calm to a visit in a busy city like Paris.
Written 27 April 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Litlsecret
Grosse Pointe, MI272 contributions
Nov 2018 • Solo
Montsouris is a lovely oasis that I was not expecting. It reminds me of Vondelpark in Amsterdam. It is quiet, charming, and a great place for families. The black swan was not the most friendly, but we were able to work out our problems.
Written 6 January 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
radroumi
117 contributions
Mar 2015 • Solo
I came across the Parc Montsouris as I was making my way to the Porte d'Orléans on foot and I had time to kill, so I ventured inside. It was a nice day and there were quite a few joggers around. It is not a big park, but the elevation differences in it make it feel quite big. There are many benches to sit and relax on and quite a few activities for the kids, including a traditional "marionettes" show. There is a very good restaurant there in the warmer months. But what surprised me the most was the presence of beautiful green parrots that you have no trouble seeing and hearing. They set themselves up here after escaping from a shipment at Paris airport a couple decades ago. They mix very well with the local flora and fauna and are a wonder to see, especially if you have children. There are a few public bathrooms available in the park as well. Binoculars could be a good idea. Well worth the stopover if you are in the area
Written 27 March 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
HiddenCaviar
Lisbon, Portugal984 contributions
Dec 2013 • Family
A wonderful place to get away from all the noise of the city, this is a very well manicured park that has a mix of lakes, paths and at the right time of the year some beautiful flower beds.
Written 9 January 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Patricia M
Mexico City, Mexico20 contributions
Jul 2013 • Friends
Parc Montsouris is one of many public parks in Paris, but it certainly ranks as my favourite. Most other Paris parks are "jardins" or gardens, all trimmed and beautiful to see but not accessible to use as a resting area or picnic. Montsouris is different, it has a natural, free feeling to it, the rolling grassy hills offer many perfect spots for a picnic or to simply lay down and read or people watch. The lake is lovely with both white and black swans (there is a lady who knows them very well, they take naps with her on her little picnic mat during the sunny summer days) you can also see many turtles, carp and even a few parrots that live in the trees.
There is also a playground with games, a café, a restaurant and a small kiosk which hosts free concerts on certain days in the summer.
If you wish to take a breather from Paris, go ahead and go to Montsouris. The easiest way to get there is to go to Cité Universitaire station.
There is also a playground with games, a café, a restaurant and a small kiosk which hosts free concerts on certain days in the summer.
If you wish to take a breather from Paris, go ahead and go to Montsouris. The easiest way to get there is to go to Cité Universitaire station.
Written 7 August 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
toniCairo
Dallas, TX18 contributions
Aug 2011 • Friends
Big, beautiful... and the tourists haven't found it yet. Very romantic. Get off at RER Cite Universitaire. The campus for Cite Universitaire is across the street and also very interesting. Some Restaurants right on the park, and places for children to play...Plan to spend some time walking around.
Written 30 July 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bonjour,je voudrai savoir pourquoi il n'y a plus que des cannettes les colvert mâle ont disparus
Written 24 July 2024
Hi! Can I park my car there for the day?
Written 20 September 2018
jalal t
Paris, France
Bonjour, est ce que les petits enfants ont droit à jouer avec le ballon dans ce jardin ?
Written 31 March 2018
Is is possible to check out a part of the abandoned Chemin de fer de Petite Ceinture in this parc?
Written 11 February 2017
Some people walk but it ll be authorised latter may be during the year. You have a litlle walk on the Bievre near place de Rungis
Written 30 March 2017
le restaurant est ouvert
la crèperie friterie est ouverte à midi et dans l'après midi sauf les jours de mauvais temps quand le parc est fermé ( glace , neige, vent très fort)
Written 6 January 2017
théâtre de marionettes, jeux d'enfants
Written 5 April 2018
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