intheareaof Musée de l’Air et de l’Espace Parc Départemental de la Courneuve – Georges Valbon Extending over 400 hectares, this park offers a rich variety of natural environments to local wildlife: more than 140 bird species have made it their home! The park has an apiary, a rose garden and a herb garden, playgrounds, ping-pong tables, a merry-go- Musée round, a fitness trail and even an equestrian centre. Enjoy walking, jogging, cycling, roll- erblading, boating … de l’Air et http://parcsinfo.seine-saint-denis.fr55 av. Waldeck Rochet. 93120 La Courneuve. de l’Espace This is the oldest aviation museum in the world, and one of the biggest! Visitors can see more than 150 original French and for- eign aircraft. The visit begins with a pres- entation of the beginnings of aviation, from the first flying machines (end 19th century) to early-20th century: a Voisin- Farman airplane from 1907, a Blériot XI of Mémorial de la Shoah – Drancy the type used to cross the English Channel This memorial is situated opposite the Cité on 25 July 1909 … Then, authentic aircraft de la Muette, infamous for its role in the used during the first World War (Caudron, deportation of French Jews between 1942 Voisin, Spad, Bréguet, Fokker, and even the and 1944. The museum, a place of history gondola of a Zeppelin). Presented next, and education, is housed in a discreet yet airplanes of the interwar period, aerobatic light-filled building, and is home to a per- and record-breaking airplanes but espe- manent exhibition retracing the history and cially the first civilian airplanes. Hall 1939-workings of the Drancy Internment Camp. 1945 presents several German, American, 110-112 av. Jean Jaurès. 93700 Drancy. British,Russian and French airplanes. The 01 42 77 44 72. Sun to Thurs: 10am-6pm. visit continues with post-war (transport and Closed Fri, Sat, 1 Jan, 1 May, 14 July, Aug, 25 Dec, fighter) aircraft, and then a ‘rotary wings’ end Dec and certain Jewish holidays. Free. room devoted to civiland military helicop- http://drancy.memorialdelashoah.org ters. This exciting museum is the only one to have two supersonic Concordes, which Parc Forestier de la Poudrerie the public can visit, as well as a Boeing 747. This park takes its name from the gunpowder Space objects, including life-size models factory founded by Napoleon III, which pro- of the rockets Ariane 1 and 5, missiles and duced ammunition from 1873 to … 1973! The space capsules are also on show. 137-hectare wooded area is now a popular Aéroport de Paris – Le Bourget. 93352 place for recreation and leisure. Classed as Le Bourget. RER B Le Bourget, then bus 152. a ‘natural zone of ecological interest, fauna 01 49 92 70 00. Daily: 10am-5pm and flora’,it is home to swallows, kestrels, (6pm from 1 Apr to 30 Sept), except Mon, kingfishers, hawks, newts, salamanders … 1 Jan and 25 Dec.Free (except attractions). Allée Eugène Burlot. 93410 Vaujours. www.museeairespace.fr http://parcsinfo.seine-saint-denis.fr IN AND AROUND MONTMARTRE 55