The Bois de Boulogne is located in the 16th arrondissement in the west of Paris. Its area is 900 hectares. It is 2.5 times bigger than Central Park in New York and 3.3 bigger than Hyde Park with Kensington Gardens in London.

The Bois de Boulogne got its name in 1308 when King Philip IV the Fair recovered from a severe illness in Boulogne-sur-Mer. Returning from a pilgrimage trip, in gratitude, the monarch ordered to construct the Notre Dame de Boulogne la Petite in the woods.

The famous forest appeared in Paris in the distant 7th century in place of the Rouvray oak grove. During the Hundred Years’ War (1337-1453), the Bois de Boulogne was a dangerous place because robbers settled there. To deal with marauding bands, the soldiers of the Duke of Burgundy set fire to the forest, and a large area burned to the ground. Half a century later, to make up for the damage, young trees were planted in the woods by order of Louis XI.

And under Henry of Navarre, who was supportive of the silk industry development, mulberry trees were extensively planted. So, a grove of 15,000 mulberries appeared in the Bois de Boulogne. During the revolution, the Parisians began to actively cut down trees there and use them as firewood. The army of the Russian Emperor Alexander I also contributed to the ravage of the forest in 1814. For many years, the forest was regaining its former lushness. To support it, it was planted with pines, birches, acacias, sycamores, elms, and hazel trees.

The Bois de Boulogne acquired vogue of a particular kind in the 18th century. Duels were often held here, and, surprisingly, women often participated in them. Besides, the Bois de Boulogne was famous for its hippodrome. The first races took place here in the 17th century. Since then, all the local bohemians have gathered for the races.