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Sixteen Paris parks to stay open 24-hours a day during summer

Some sixteen of the city's parks will remain open 24-hours a day this summer, meaning Parisians can enjoy their famous picnics any time of the day or night.

Published: 26 June 2017 10:43 CEST
Sixteen Paris parks to stay open 24-hours a day during summer
Buttes Chaumont in Paris' 19th arrondissement. Photo: Twitter
Paris might be beautiful but the summer heat can be overwhelming. 
 
But there is some comfort for Parisians who, after the recent heatwave, might be dreading the summer months ahead.
 
Authorities in the French capital have announced that 16 of the city's parks will be open 24-hours a day from July 1st to September 3rd as part of a “cooling initiative”. 

Paris City Hall has said that these night-time openings are part of their “aim to adapt facilities to the needs of city-dwellers and to their schedules.”

At the 16 parks, the City Hall has said: “Security teams will make regular patrols to make sure that the openings are rolled out well and prevent excessive night-time noise.” 
 
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People bending the rules at Parc Citroën all in the name of surviving the heat. Photo: julien haler/Flickr

Here's the list of Paris parks where you'll be able to escape the heat at any hour of the day:
 
Louis XIII (4th arrondissement)
Grands Explorateurs (6th)
Boucicaut (7th)
Villemin (10th)
Gardette (11th)
Emile-Cohl (12th)
Georges-Meliès (12th)
Albert-Tournaire (12th)
Kellermann (13th)
Montsouris (14th)
Citroën (15th)
Sainte-Périne (16th – from mid-July)
Martin-Luther-King (17th – the north part of the park on Friday and Saturday)
Buttes Chaumont (19th)
Séverine (20th)
Aurélie-Salel (20th)
 
 
These 16 parks join the list of 137 smaller parks and gardens already open to the public at night. The 24-hour green spaces are dotted around the city, so there's plenty of choice when you're looking for a spot for a picnic.
 
 
 
This isn't the first time the capital has offered Parisians the chance to enjoy the city's parks all day (and night) long. In 2016, The Local reported that the authorities would be opening nine parks 24-hours a day.
 
While most locals welcomed the news, not everyone was happy. Almost 700 residents living close to Parc Montsouris in the 14th arrondissement signed a petition against the project, complaining about the rubbish and noise. 
 
Clearly this hasn't stopped the authorities keeping it on the list of the parks where Parisians can stay out all night but the City Hall has said that “cleaning measures will be reinforced”, including the introduction of big bins in an effort “to encourage Parisians to respect the environment.”
 

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PARIS

Fluffy nuisance: Outcry as Paris sends Invalides rabbits into exile

Efforts to relocate wild rabbits that are a common sight on the lawns of the historic Invalides memorial complex have provoked criticism from animal rights groups.

Published: 14 February 2024 13:01 CET
Fluffy nuisance: Outcry as Paris sends Invalides rabbits into exile

Tourists and Parisians have long been accustomed to the sight of wild rabbits frolicking around the lawns of Les Invalides, one of the French capital’s great landmarks.

But efforts are underway to relocate the fluffy animals, accused of damaging the gardens and drains around the giant edifice that houses Napoleon’s tomb, authorities said.

Police said that several dozen bunnies had been captured since late January and relocated to the private estate of Breau in the Seine-et-Marne region outside Paris, a move that has prompted an outcry from animal rights activists.

“Two operations have taken place since 25 January,” the police prefecture told AFP.

“Twenty-four healthy rabbits were captured on each occasion and released after vaccination” in Seine-et-Marne, the prefecture said.

Six more operations are scheduled to take place in the coming weeks.

Around 300 wild rabbits live around Les Invalides, according to estimates.

“The overpopulation on the site is leading to deteriorating living conditions and health risks,” the prefecture said.

Authorities estimate the cost of restoring the site, which has been damaged by the proliferation of underground galleries and the deterioration of gardens, pipes and flora, at €366,000.

Animal rights groups denounced the operation.

The Paris Animaux Zoopolis group said the rabbits were being subjected to “intense stress” or could be killed “under the guise of relocation”.

“A number of rabbits will die during capture and potentially during transport,” said the group, accusing authorities of being “opaque” about their methods.

The animal rights group also noted that Breau was home to the headquarters of the Seine-et-Marne hunting federation.

The police prefecture insisted that the animals would not be hunted.

In 2021, authorities classified the rabbits living in Paris as a nuisance but the order was reversed following an outcry from animal groups who have been pushing for a peaceful cohabitation with the animals.

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