6Parc Floral de Paris – Palais de la Porte Dorée. 293 av. Daumesnil Jardin botanique de Paris (12th). M Porte Dorée.o 01 53 59 58 60. A short walk from the chateau, the gently- Daily: 10am-5.30pm (Sat and Sun: until 7pm), rolling green spaces of the Parc Floral are a except Mon, 1 Jan, 1 May and 25 Dec. Full rate: haven for strollers and botany lovers! Chil- €5/€7 (outside/during temporary exhibitions). dren are sure to enjoy the play areas. The ‘Palais’ ticket (Aquarium + Musée de l’Histoire park is also the setting for numerous events de l’Immigration)/full rate: €8/€9-€10 (outside/ every summer: the Paris Jazz Festival, Les during temporary exhibitions). Pestacles, Festival Classique au Vert, etc. www.aquarium-tropical.fr Esplanade du château de Vincennes (12th). M Château de Vincennes.o 39 75 (€0.05/min). 10Musée National de l’Histoire Opens every day at 9.30am. Closing time varies de l’Immigration according to season. May to Oct/full rate: €2.50. Like the tropical aquarium, this national Nov to Apr: free. https://meslieux.paris.fr museum of the history of immigration is housed in the Palais de la Porte Dorée. The 7Arboretum de Paris – permanent exhibition ‘Repères’ looks at the Jardin botanique de Paris history of immigration in France since the The Paris arboretum has some 1,200 trees, 19th century from an economic, social and occupying different preserved natural envi- cultural perspective. Visitors can also bear ronments – including a wetland area, a reed witness to their personal story by donating bed and chalky meadowland. Discover and documents, photos or objects to the ‘Gallery get to know 650 species of labelled hard- of Gifts’. Temporary exhibitions, shows, confer- wood and coniferous trees including some ences and film series are also programmed. remarkable ones: the Korean fir, the metase- Palais de la Porte Dorée. 293 av. Daumesnil quoia, the Chinese tulip tree, weeping pear, as (12th). M Porte Dorée.o 01 53 59 58 60. well as the ‘handkerchief tree’! Daily: 10am-5.30pm (Sat and Sun: until 7pm), 50 route de la Pyramide, bois de Vincennes except Mon, 1 Jan, 1 May and 25 Dec. (12th). RER A Joinville-le-Pont. Daily. Full rate: €4.50/€6 (outside/during temporary Opening times vary according to season. exhibitions). ‘Palais’ ticket (Musée de l’Histoire Free. https://meslieux.paris.fr de l’Immigration + Aquarium)/full rate: €8/ €9-€10 (outside/during temporary exhibitions). 8Jardin d’Agronomie Tropicale www.histoire-immigration.fr This amazing exotic garden dates back to 1899: it was created by agronomists who car- ried out experiments on the reproduction of plants from the colonies (coffee, cocoa, vanilla, bananas … )! In 1907, it was converted into five villages for the Colonial Exhibition, vestiges of which remain (pavilions, doorways … ). Today it is a pleasant and unusual place to stroll. 45 bis av. de la Belle-Gabrielle, bois de ontheoutskirts Vincennes (12th). M Château de Vincennes.o Daily. Opening times vary according to season. Free. https://meslieux.paris.fr The Marne river bends 9Aquarium Tropical de la Porte Dorée There is nothing like a trip along the river for The Palais de la Porte Dorée is a listed his- discovering the exceptional natural beauty torical building in the art deco style, built of the Marne riverbanks. The guinguettes for the international colonial exhibition of (open-air cafes with dancing) are synony- 1931. Since then, it has housed the tropical mous with local popular culture and mer- aquarium, which is home to thousands of riment, and Sundays at the water’s edge animals, from hundreds of species, from all during the belle époque. Nature lovers enjoy the continents: ‘primitive’ or electric fish, practising water sports here. crocodiles, unicornfish or piranhas! You can All tours and activities on: even see extremely rare albino alligators. www.tourisme-valdemarne.com 66 SOUTH-EAST PARIS