The creator of this park has lost his mind in the most gloriously dangerous way…read more The kids play area has a slide that you're supposed to straddle. But in case that's not dangerous enough it's zig-zagged shaped and it rocks side to side. The jungle gym has slippery rounded parts perfect for loosing your footing. There's an O shaped contraption that spins fast enough that kids can fly off of it and the apex of genius, the epitome in child hurtling design ...... the Pukemaster 3000. A device so elegantly treacherous that within 30 seconds a slender, somewhat weak wife can get her overweight husband spinning so fast that he's afraid he may vomit. It ......is .......wonderful!! Yeah, this park's got miles of beautiful trails and a couple small lakes and an equestrian club and a roller coaster and a zip line but those are only to be enjoyed while you scrape the puke off your shoes wishing you had something for that pounding headache. And to the fiendish little child frightening sadist that created the kids area. I salute you.

From the owner: A ceux qui ont véritablement décidé de se détendre ! Base de loisirs et de plein air, le Port aux…read moreCerises offre un cadre spacieux et agréable. Il est destiné à tous ceux (enfants et adultes) qui veulent se retrouver près de la nature, se détendre ou s'amuser, les beaux jours arrivant. Vous pouvez y pratiquer le mini-golf, le canoë, le tennis ou faire du poney, de la barque, du pédalo ou encore profiter de la piscine à vagues et vous prélasser au soleil. Bref, désormais... Il ne vous reste plus qu'à choisir !

As he was growing up, the Parisian artist, Gustave Caillebotte spent many summers with his family…read moreat a fine property in Yerres, a small town 12 miles or thereabouts to the south of Paris. From the standpoint of municipal spending and restoration, the recently-reopened Parc Caillebotte is a success story. The former Caillebotte family's summer residence now houses two permanent exhibitions, the Orangery down by the river provides the venue for visiting exhibitions, there are extensive grounds and quirky buildings to explore, as well as fine dining opportunities. Located on the Yerres River, impressionist art buffs may recognise the Parc as the setting for various of Gustave Caillebotte's paintings, such as Les Oragers. For those of us who are permanently in search of a gastro-fix, visit the curious Swiss chalet-style building, where you will find the Chalet du Parc restaurant, the latest of chef Philippe Detourbe's culinary ventures. The food is an excellent modern French-European fusion and the staff are attentive beyond belief, but the prices are therefore at the upper end of things. To temper the effect on your bank balance, go for one of the prix fixe menus and avoid the kir vin blanc aperitif at EUR9.00 a pop, we found these extortionate. And there we were, thinking that by not having the grander kir royal option we were exercising moderation... On our visit it was a grey, February day, yet I look forward to returning in the finer months because the Parc is filled with interest and possibility, from taking in some local culture via the exhibitions, to simply picnicking on the broad lawn; from renting a boat on the adjacent river to visiting the extensive vegetable patch, there's something for all ages here and you don't even have to like Gustave Caillebotte's work to enjoy it here, although it does help, especially as there isn't much about his work not to like and besides which, spotting his locations is fun all on its own. Entrance free to the grounds. EUR1.00 for admission to the 'Potager' or vegetable garden. Opening hours: From 1st August to 30 September: 9am to 8pm From 1st October to 31st October: 9am to 6pm From 1st November to 31st March: from 9am to 5.30pm From 1st April to 30 May: from 9am to 8.30pm From 1st June to 31 July: from 9am to 9pm

From the owner: Une fermette dans les Gondoles "Je me sers d'animaux pour instruire l'Homme". Ces quelques mots de…read moreJean de la Fontaine, inscrits à l'entrée de la ferme enfantine du parc des Gondoles, annoncent la couleur. Ici, vous êtes dans le royaume des animaux pour le plus grand bonheur des enfants. Tous les animaux de la ferme sont réunis dans un enclos de bois permettant ainsi aux enfants de s'approcher de près. Un parcours ludique et éducatif pour apprendre aux enfants que connaître les animaux, c'est se comprendre mieux.

This park is just delightful…read more It's a wonderful example of how you can take something mundane, apply a bit of imagination and turn it into a thing of elegance and beauty. The lot is on the side of a hill so the park starts off as two parallel stairways. They curve around a wooded area and drop you off on either side of the grotte. I've never seen stairs quite like this. When the pavement was poured they cut grooves into the steps that look like the grain in lumber. So the concrete looks like you're walking on wooden planks. And then you get to the cave. Someone took dozens of large, scraggly boulders and cemented them together to create a 30 foot structure with several entrances and a paved floor and a waterfall gently tumbling off the front into a beautiful, little, well manicured pool. Walk inside the grotte and you discover that you have a lovely view of the skyline of the nearby towns seen through the waterfall. And my kiddos climbed up to the top and discovered a little depression just big enough that they could squeeze their little butts inside and take a photo. Wander further down and there's a stone crocodile emerging out of the grass and another pair of staircases leading to a lovely lawn and a beautiful retaining wall ornamented with seven suns and several gargoyles. And still more stairs lead you to a little fountain and a reflecting pool and the little creek that runs through town. It's absolutely beautiful. One of those unexpected discoveries that make France such a delightful place.

Parc de Sceaux absolutely blew me away. I can't believe such a beautiful, open park can be accessed…read morein Paris where it felt like you could really just enjoy nature at its finest. I recently attended a big event hosted in the park and was very impressed with the environment. Well maintained lawn area with fountains and shady paths during hot days... so much of the park was made for a nice walk or a few hours of lounging. I highly recommend bringing snacks and doing a picnic here. This is truly one of the best parks I've ever frequented. The park is easily accessed via train but you'll need to make sure your specific one stops at the station. It's a 15 minute walk from the station and well worth the effort.

Parks are one of the things the French do best and this one's a beaut. A half mile square of…read morecascades and statues and manicured trees. It's just lovely. There's a little cafe in the middle of the park. When the weather's nice you can enjoy your cappuccino or Orangina as you watch the runners and the kids pass by. And you can do all that in a park surrounded by one of the most gorgeous neighborhoods you'll ever see. Amazing. There's nothing quite like this in the States.

This park is a recent addition to the neighborhood. Apparently they've torn down a few derelict…read morebuildings and decided that the fine people of Fresnes needed a little more space for strolling and hand holding and leafy contemplation. There's not much to it but it's a perfectly delightful place to stretch your legs and peer into the year round creek. And if you've got someone that you like to kiss, the trees on the east side of the park are covered in mistletoe. Smoochie, smoochie!

From the owner: Piste aux rollers Dans un espace de 6000 m² à 15 minutes du centre de Paris, le Rollerparc Avenue…read moreest l'un des plus grands parc couvert d'Europe. Les pistes sont ouvertes aux rollers débutants et confirmés (enfants à partir de 4 ans et adultes). On y trouve une piste d'initiation, une piste de hockey, une piste de bosses, une aire de street junior, une aire de street géante, un complexe de bols, canyons, mini moyennes et grande rampes. La location de rollers peut se faire sur place et des cours sont proposés par des professeurs.Accès en voiture par l'A86, sortie n°24 Vitry sur Seine.

Beautifully curated gardens just outside the museums. Great place to enjoy a coffee, read a book,…read moreor walk with a friend. There was an outdoor yoga class going on when we visited. Lovely place!

A wonderful, welcome respite from the city energy of this easy-going pedestrian town. A lovely…read moredistrict to visit. Tourist energy not your vibe? looking for easy access to metro and good food? Found it. And it's accessible. There's acres of trees, a wide range of plants and many lovely rustic trails with beautiful views. And a very tiny, very loud frog.