Parc de Bercy

Parc de Bercy began as the estate of a feudal lord in the 12^th century. Later, during the reign of Louis XIV (1643-1715), the first wine warehouse in Bercy opened. During the 19th century, Bercy was the largest center of wine and spirits trade in the world. The wine trade was flourishing, and Bercy came to be a huge wine depot for two reasons: because of its location outside the city limits of Paris, Bercy was not required to pay city taxes; and because it was situated on the right bank of the Seine, it was connected to the wine region of Burgundy via the river. The Bercy area also had a train station, which served as a direct line to the wine country. With improved technology for the storage of wine as well as the trend toward bottling wine at the place of production and the changing of the railroad lines, the wine warehouses of Bercy were in decline. By 1950, the warehouses were suffering and by the 1970s they were completely abandoned; they stood derelict for decades.

 

 

Plans for the redevelopment of this area began in 1990 with an architectural firm whose plans called for restoring some of the wine warehouses and leaving the old cobblestoned lanes open with a network of awnings to protect visitors from the weather. In 2001, Bercy Village was open for business. Some of the smaller old wine warehouses from the late 19th Century were saved from decay and converted into shops, restaurants, bars and cafes. The Ecole de Boulangerie et de Patisserie de Paris (School of Bakery and Pastry) occupies some of the larger old warehouses. The Musee des Arts Forains (Museum of Carnival Arts) at 53, avenue des Terroirs, 75012 Paris, is also located in the area of Bercy Village. The museum is a fantastical place, which is not to be missed. The metro station is Cour Saint- Emilion.

 

 

In Bercy Village, 19th century wine warehouses have been converted into stylish shops and restaurants. The tracks down the center were once used to move wine barrels in and out of the warehouses.

 

Bercy Village with awnings overhead

 

 

Robert and Becky at a restaurant, Partie de Campagne, in Bercy Village

We had lunch here, a cassoulet (a slow-cooked casserole containing pork sausage, goose, duck and white haricot beans), which was terrific on a chilly day. We were comfortable outside because they have heat lamps mounted on the overhead canopy.

Bercy Park is in the twelfth arrondissement, right along the Seine. The park was built as part of a revitalization plan for the eastern side of Paris, one of the less wealthy areas of the city. With a combined area of some 35 acres, it is one of the most important parks in the city. It is divided into three sections. The part nearest Bercy Village is called Le Jardin Romantique (Romantic Garden) and follows a romantic theme with serene water features. It is reached by arched footbridges crossing over rue Joseph Kessel.

A belvedere, from the Italian, “beautiful sight,” is a lookout point.

 

You can get to the top of the belvedere by means of the steps.

 

 

The top of the belvedere

 

You can get down from (or up to) the top of the belvedere by means of a spiraling path, which you can’t see from the front of the belvedere. This path is going down from the top.

 

The clipped hedges along the path grow higher as you get closer to the bottom.

 

The hedges become so tall that you can’t see above them, and it feels almost claustrophobic.

 

 

The path opens up at the bottom of the belvedere.

 

Philosopher’s Garden and amphitheater with basin

 

A Japanese-style floating raft in a basin

 

 

Here stands the Maison du Lac (Lake House), a lake-encircled island which holds exhibitions on gardens and nature in Paris as well as slide shows in winter on garden arts. The Lake House is one of the original buildings that was most likely used as a place where warehouse guards were stationed. The amphitheater is to the right of the house.

 

Ducks in front of the Lake House

These lucky ducks have their own houses.

 

 

Robert on the bridge to the Lake House

 

In a rectangular pond is a sculpture called "La Demeure #10" (Dwelling #10) created by Etienne Martin in 1968. Beginning in 1954, Martin created a series of 20 sculptures which use the title "demeure" as a unifying agent. Demeure can be translated as "house" or "habitation," and it seems as though the artist meant to imply the series was to be representative of different "dwellings" which had made some sort of impact on him during his life. This sculptural representation, reminiscent of a Mayan head, is placed in the middle of a basin carpeted with water lilies and located opposite the Maison du Lac.
 

 

 

Demeure X in a pool with water-lily plants

 

 

Demeure X, with Bercy Village buildings in the background
 

 

Demeure X

 

There is a pond which is bordered on both sides by wisteria-covered, square-columned arcades. It is located in a transition area between the Romantic Garden and the Parterres, the formal gardens.

 

Wisteria-covered arcades on either side of a pool with ducks

 

 

Ducks in a pool between the arcades

 

 

A natural canopy over the arcade

The central part of the Parc de Bercy is called Les Parterres (formal gardens) and is divided into nine themed gardens. Some of these include a kitchen garden with herbs and a vineyard with 400 vine plants, in deference to the site's history. The Chai de Bercy is an authentic wine storeroom (near the kitchen garden) that has escaped demolition and has been beautifully restored. At the center of the park stands the Maison du Jardinage, (Garden House) which offers a small exhibition area as well as a lot of information on gardening.  It's also a popular place for school children to visit. The kids are offered lessons on the basics of gardens, including how to grow vegetables and other common plants. Low boxwood hedges separate the different spaces inside the working garden. Also found in this area is the House of the Wind, where high columns in a circle protect the measuring instruments; and the orchard, bordered by the Orangerie.

 

Chai de Bercy

 

Garden House

 

Trellises with flowering vines

 

Kitchen Garden

 

Kitchen garden

Notice the residential buildings surrounding this side of the park. The architect planned the buildings to maximize the housing’s relationship to the park.

 

 

Kitchen Garden

 

 

 

The House of  the Wind consists of several square columns forming a circle. Within the circle is a weather vane which measures wind direction and velocity.

 

 Orangerie, similar to a greenhouse or conservatory, where citrus trees were wintered in order to survive a harsh winter.

Children’s carrousel

The Cinematheque Francaise is in the north-east corner of the park, adjacent to the Great Prairie. It was designed by Frank Gehry and is now a film museum and researdh center that opened in 2005. In Gehry's words, he likened his structure, with its curves and tilting volumes, to "a dancer lifting her tutu." It holds one of the largest archives of films, movie documents and film-related objects in the world. The Cinémathèque offers daily screenings of films from around the world. It screens cult movies, holds major retrospectives and tributes to filmmakers and actors, and presents exhibitions to showcase the wealth of its holdings.

 

 

Pipe sculpture in front of the Cinematheque

 

 

 

The building seems all atilt. I can only describe it as whimsical but charming in its own way.

 

 

Poster for a classic French movie being shown in the theater, Les Enfants du Paradis
 

 

 

The Cinémathèque

 

 

On the western end of Parc de Bercy is the Palais Omnisports de Paris, built in 1983. Its shape is that of a terraced pyramid, and the sides of the building are covered with grass (How do they mow the grass?) On the side facing the park, there is a 130-foot-square fountain, which is situated diamond-like in relation to the stadium. At the peak of the diamond is a sculpture called "Canyoneaustrate.“ It is composed of canyons, water and layers of stone. Water from the pond cascades over canyon-like stones, suggesting water flowing over gorges, to a depth of 16 feet. It was created by Gérard Singer in 1988. On the day we visited, there was no water cascading over canyon-like stones, but it was still a very interesting-looking sculpture. This stadium hosts sporting events including track and field, tennis, basketball and equestrian events. In addition to sports events, celebrities such as Celine Dion, Sting, Bruce Sprinsgsteen and Phil Collins have also held concerts in this venu. Metro Bercy is the closest station to this end of the park.

 

The stadium with grass-covered sides

 

The side of the stadium toward the front

 

The main entrance of the stadium

 

 Canyoneaustrate and basin

 

 

Canyon-like structures

 

The gorges, from top to bottom

 

The basin at the top of the “canyon”

 

 

 

Skateboard park near the stadium

 

 

'La Grande Prairie' (the great prairie) is located next to the Palais Omnisports. The wide lawns of the Great Prairie are criss-crossed with walking trails and dotted with small pavilions (covered seating areas.) On the side of the park nearest the Seine River is the sweeping hill of the Grande Terrace. It includes a wide, stair-stepped fountain cut into a grassy hill with steps on two sides of the running water. Down the middle of this stairway are nine channels of water, making a very interesting cascading fountain.

 

 

Water cascades from the top of the stairs to the bottom

 

 

Cascading water

 

Up this stairway is the elevated Grande Terrace. It is raised so that it is aligned with the river Seine. Placed here are playful statues of children representing different ethnicities. The 21 sculptures of Rachid Khimoune‘s “Les Enfants du Monde” (Children of the World) installation, was created in 2001 to honor children's rights. The sculptor created the statues out of simulated textures and material found in the streets such as pieces of broken asphalt, pavement, cobblestones and even manhole covers, symbolizing the 21^st century and the surroundings in which our children are growing up.

 

 



 

 

The first three bronzes: Jean-Baptiste (Monaco boy) Naomi (African girl) Mahatma (Indian boy)

The next four children:

Eve (German girl) Jean (Swiss boy) Mu Nan (Chinese girl) Akavak (Canadian boy)

 

 

The last four children on this side of the bridge:

Kahina (Kabylian girl) Dick (English boy ) Ayako (Japanese girl) Titi (Parisian boy)

 

 

The first child: Mohammed (Moroccan boy)

 

 

Jim (New York boy)

 

 

The next three children: Jeanne (Russian doll) Enzo (Italian boy) Felipe (Mexican boy)

 

 

Felipe (Mexican boy) Ali (Tunisian boy) Rania (Arabic girl) Antonio (Brazilian boy). Check out Rania closely--these figures can also be useful in a game of hide-and-seek.

 

 

 

The last three children on this side:

Antonio (Brazilian boy) Isis (Egyptian girl) Marie Carmen (Spanish girl)

 

The sculptures are aligned on the lawns on either side of the entrance to the Passerelle Simone De Beauvoir, an undulating footbridge over the Seine that links the park to the Bibliothèque Nationale de France on the south bank of the Seine.

 

 

 

 

There are four L-shaped towers of the National Library of France, built to resemble open books. You can see only 2 of them across the bridge in the background.

 

The graceful footbridge across the Seine River, named in honor of
Simone de Beauvoir, the famous French author and feminist.