Parc Montsouris – Paris 14th district
The Parc Montsouris was designed by the engineer Alphand, the architect Gabriel Davioud and the horticulturist Jean-Pierre Barillet-Deschamps, key figures in Haussmann’s urban renewal project.
This 16-hectare English-style park was developed between 1865 and 1878 on the site of a stone quarry and private properties.
It is one of the four parks strategically located at the four cardinal points of Paris, along with the Bois de Vincennes, the Bois de Boulogne and the Buttes Chaumont.
The Parc Montsouris is the second-largest park located within Paris, after Buttes Chaumont.
It is crossed by the Sceaux metro line and by the disused Petite Ceinture circular railway line.
An artificial stream meanders through the park, feeding a one-hectare lake located in its eastern part.
The lush vegetation, composed of a wide variety of trees and shrubs, creates a haven of greenery.
Parc Montsouris also boasts charming architectural features, such as gatehouses and pavilions, scattered along its winding paths and walkways.
The Bardo
The Parc Montsouris once housed a miniature replica of the residence of the Deys of Tunis, known as the Bardo.
Built for the Universal Exhibition of 1867, this replica in wood and stucco faithfully reproduced the architectural essence of the original building.
Instead of being demolished after the exhibition, the Bardo was dismantled and transported piece by piece to the highest point of the Parc Montsouris, where it served as a shelter for the Paris Meteorological Observatory.
With the modernisation of the observatory’s facilities, the Bardo became redundant and gradually fell into disrepair.
It was destroyed by fire in 1991, and the remains being beyond saving, were dismantled.
Paris Meridian – Mire du Sud
The Parc Montsouris boasts another exceptional monument: the Paris Meridian, also known as the Mire du Sud ( Southern Meridian).
The Paris Meridian, the prime meridian, was calculated by French astronomers in 1667. Despite the international adoption of the Greenwich Meridian in 1884, France, along with Ireland, continued to use the Paris Meridian until 1911.
This 4-metre-high Mire, topped with a perforated cylinder, marked the Paris Meridian, an imaginary line running from the North Pole to the South Pole along which, at solar noon, all points on this meridian have the sun at their zenith.
It was originally erected in 1806 in the gardens of the Paris Observatory, then moved to the Parc Montsouris and listed as a historical monument in 1928.
That said, it is now offset by approximately 70 metres to the east of the meridian due to park redevelopment work. You will find it at the southern edge of the park, opposite the University City.
Opening hours – 8am or 9am – 9.30pm
Directions: 14th district – 2 rue Gazan
Entrances on: Boulevard Jourdan, avenue Reille, rue Gazan, rue de la Cité-Universitaire, rue Nansouty, rue Emile-Deutsch-de-la-Meurthe
Metro: Glacière (Avenue Reille) on Line 6
RER B station: Cité Universitaire
Coordinates: Lat 48.822347 – Long 2.340591
