Your Guide to Parc des Buttes Chaumont

The 19th arrondissement is certainly a popular neighborhood in Paris, but why not? It has beautiful green spaces, heaps of culture, and great hangout spots. All in all, a perfect place to spend time while visiting Paris. The proverbial cherry on the green space cake? A charming hilly park, Parc des Buttes-Chaumont, in Northeastern Paris, with magnificent views of the city.

This public park is an oasis of lush greenery with a waterfall, a grotto, and a Roman-style monument. Often overlooked due to more popular attractions like the Jardin des Tuileries or Jardin du Luxembourg, the Parc des Buttes Chaumont is well worth a visit for a picnic in the summer or a picturesque stroll on the weekends.

Good to know before you go (2026): The park has begun a major renovation that will last several years to stabilize the old quarry beneath it. For now, the Temple de la Sibylle, its island, and the Gustave Eiffel suspension bridge are closed to visitors and are expected to remain so while the studies and construction are carried out. The happy news is that about 95 percent of the park is still open, so the rolling hills, the wide lawns, the lake, and the cafes are all yours to enjoy. I will keep this guide updated as access changes.

A brief history of Le Parc des Buttes Chaumont

The Parc des Buttes Chaumont was constructed during the reign of Napoleon III (the site was chosen by Georges-Eugène Haussmann, Baron Haussmann, who was the Prefet of Paris at the time) and was opened to the public in 1867. It is a large park, but only the fifth-largest park in Paris. It was named after a bare hill that once stood in its place (chauve-mont). 

While the park is beautiful and scenic today, it has gruesome beginnings. In the olden days, the plot where the park stands today was a dumping ground, a disposal area for sewage, horse carcasses, and sometimes bodies of people.

Between the Canal St Martin and Buttes Chaumont was the Gibbet of Montfaucon, the main gallows used to hang criminals and display their bodies to the public in the 1800s (after the French Revolution). There is a famous poem called “Ballade des pendus” (ballad of the hanged), also known as “Épitaphe Villon” or “Frères humains” by François Villon, that speaks to this.

Before then, until the 16th century, the area was well known for its gypsum quarry and limestone quarry. 

In 1860, Napoleon III decided to transform the area into a spectacular garden and thus began landscaping under the direction of the engineer and designer Jean-Charles Adolphe Alphand, who had also created Bois de Boulogne and Bois de Vincennes.

Working with French horticulturist and landscape architect Jean-Pierre Barillet-Deschamps, Alphand brought English-style garden elements and typical 19th-century architecture to the garden. The park was opened just in time for the Universal Exhibition of Paris (Exposition Universelle de Paris).

Parc des Buttes Chaumont boasts magnificent century-old trees, ranging from the elegant Oriental plane to the exotic hazel trees from Byzance, the resilient Siberian elm, ginkgo biloba, and the majestic Lebanese cedar. In the spring after April 1st, you can also see beautiful cherry blossom trees.

The park is also home to the Petite Ceinture, the long-forgotten Napoleonic light railway line constructed in 1862. The tracks loop around the inside of Paris and were used to transport passengers and goods. The line was shut down and replaced by the Paris metro in 1934, but the tracks stand today.

This area of Buttes Chaumont is closed to the public, but for the adventurous souls out there, there is a hole in the fence that leads to the tracks and all the secrets within its tunnels.

Why do people like going to Parc des Buttes-Chaumont?

Parc Buttes Chaumont is a magnificent garden and gets more charming the more you explore. What makes the garden so fascinating is its 19th-century architectural feat and the sheer beauty of its elements. And to top it off, Buttes Chaumont is a park for the people.

The garden has an abundance of green grass accessible to the public. It is a great place for picnics and outdoor gatherings in the warmer months or on sunny days year-round. With dozens of water fountains, a couple of eateries, and endless opportunities for exploring, jogging, walking, and playing, the park is worth a visit despite its somewhat off-the-beaten-path location.

The Lake and the Bridges

There are water features! The center of the park has an artificial lake that is home to many birds and other animals year-round. There are boat rentals as well.

The lake wraps around a hilly central island and attracts waterfowl, fish, and dozens of other wildlife species that are studied by students and researchers.

The park is home to a diverse array of birdlife, including enchanting tits, agile wagtails, melodious warblers, charming hedge sparrows, graceful waterfowl, elegant black swans, graceful geese, delightful mallards, lively black-headed gulls, and cheerful water hens. Furthermore, it boasts a thriving fish population, with gudgeon, roach, tench, and pike adding to its vibrant ecosystem.

In the spring, you can also spot some cherry blossoms and heaps of spring blooms. The park has a bunch of bridges, the best of which is a suspension bridge designed by Gustave Eiffel himself. Do note that this footbridge is in the central area closed for the current renovation, so for now you can admire it from a distance rather than walk across it.

Temple de la Sybille

Temple de la Sybille (designed by Gabriel Davioud), based on the Temple of Vesta in Tivoli, Italy, is a Roman-style monument built on a man-made cliff. It has its own little island in the lake and is accessible via two bridges. It sits on its own little island in the lake, normally reached by two footbridges. Because the island and Temple are closed for renovation work (see the note near the top of this guide), you cannot walk out to them at the moment, but they still make a beautiful sight from the paths around the lake.

The rocky peak it stands on was created by dumping topsoil to fill the holes left by the quarry, along with dynamite and other explosives to give it its ragged shape. The temple offers gorgeous views of Montmartre and the cupolas of Sacré-Cœur.

If you are a fan of the Netflix series Lupin, then you will be interested to know that the Temple de la Sibylle was featured in a few episodes of season 2.

Waterfall and the Secret Grotto

The hill also has a 65-foot-tall cavern that the builders turned into a grotto. It rises out of the former quarry and remains somewhat hidden from the rest of the park. Along with artificial stalactites, shadows, and light, it has an artificial waterfall, adding to the place's magical charm. 

One thing to keep in mind for 2026: the grotto and waterfall sit right below the Temple cliff, which is the part of the park under renovation, so access to this corner may be limited while the works are underway. It is worth checking the park's official page for the latest before you make a special trip just to see it.

What’s in and around Buttes-Chaumont?

The Buttes Chaumont garden is a massive place in itself, but the surrounding neighborhood is also worth seeing. The 19th Arrondissement is filled with beautiful open-air hangout spots, cultural spaces, and green parks. There is something to do around every corner.

• For children, there are donkey rides, pony rides on weekends and Wednesdays (3–6 pm), a puppet theater, a carousel (more on that below), and two playgrounds.

• Rosa Bonheur: A cute open-air bistro in Buttes Chaumont, Rosa Bonheur hosts thematic evenings with cinema, songs, sports, and music. It has an outdoor terrace as well. (Currently open Thursday through Sunday, from midday until midnight.)

• Le Pavillon du Lac: A contemporary eatery with a ‘countryside’ vibe and fancy food located on the east of the lake. (Open Tuesday through Sunday, from 10 am until midnight.)

• Pavillon Puebla: Located in a 19th-century house, this cute eatery has two terraces, dance floors, and Italian-inspired cuisine. (Open Tuesday through Sunday.) (There is also a Foto Automat vintage photo booth here.)

• Parc des Buttes Chaumont Carrousel: Unlike other charming carousels of the capital, the Buttes-Chaumont Park merry-go-round is a hexagonal ride with a grey marquee and an incoherent selection of animals and rides. Consisting of a pink Harley-Davidson, a pirate ship, a flying saucer, and a fire engine, along with a goldfish and a yellow duck, this second-most modern and cheerful ride is hidden in the dense thicket of the park. (See all the carousels in Paris here)

• La Petite Ceinture: Paris’ abandoned railway tracks can be reached through a hole in the fence near the garden. The tunnels here are fantastic to explore the Paris Underground system.

• La Mouzaïa: Explore the countryside in the middle of the city with this neighborhood filled with villas and paved paths. The district takes over the olfactory senses in the spring with the blossoming of roses, lilacs, and honeysuckles around every corner.

• Le Plateau – Exhibition center: A contemporary space focusing on modern art, dance, and music for the general public. It holds temporary exhibitions and ensures new talent is always highlighted.

• La Villette: Parc de la Villette, with its green spaces and Canal Ourcq, is within walking distance of Buttes Chaumont. It has exhibition halls, plenty of open-air spaces, and a playing area for kids.

• Bassin de la Villette: This rectangular man-made pond is a beautiful place for concerts, movies, festivals, and boat rides in summer.

• Canal Ourcq: Ourcq is a wonderful neighborhood for a walk along the canal, breweries on the Quai, and colorful graffiti on walls all around. You can also rent a boat and have a picnic on the water.

• Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie: Europe's largest science museum, the Cité features a planetarium and scientifically engaging exhibits.

• Musée de la Musique: Right in the Parc de la Villette, the Music Museum houses over 1,000 vintage Western musical instruments.

• Philharmonie de Paris: Housed in a spectacular structure is the largest symphony hall. The beautiful, shiny exterior has around 340,000 images of birds etched on the surface.

• Conservatoire de Paris: The most prestigious school of music, dance, and drama is also located in La Villette next to the Philharmonie and the Musée de la Musique.

• Saint Serge de Radonege Church: Around the corner from the park is one of Paris's best-kept secrets: the Russian Orthodox Church. Surrounded by beautiful foliage and old trees, the picturesque house has richly painted designs on its wood.

• Musée des moulages de l'hôpital Saint-Louis: Located in a historic building 20 mins from the garden, the museum houses medical waxworks that significantly contributed to the development of dermatology in the 19th century. These 5,000+ casts show a dynamic image of the French School of Dermatology.

Quick Guide and FAQs about Parc Buttes Chaumont

The charming Buttes Chaumont

Parc des Buttes-Chaumont is the kind of place that reminds you Paris is not only grand boulevards and famous museums. It is rolling hills and hidden grottoes, and locals stretched out on the grass, and even with part of it under wraps for a while, it is still one of the most rewarding green escapes in the city.

How about you? Have you been to Parc Buttes-Chaumont? Do share!

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