de Vincennes (of which it forms a considerable part) and Parc de la Villette (35 hectares), but larger than the Tuileries gardens. Like other city parks of the 1960s and 1970s, the Parc Floral was seen as a form of amusement park, as well as a botanical garden. It features the Delta, a large outdoor concert stage; a restaurant and a cafe; large and small exhibit halls; an art gallery; a large playground, and a miniature railway. It also has a number of modern works of sculpture by Alexander Calder, Alicia Penalba and other artists, placed in different gardens around the park. The park can be entered either from the Château de Vincennes, or from the Route de la Pyramide. Visitors entering from the Chateau de Vincennes pass through a forest of cedars and oaks to arrive at the central element of the composition, the Vallée des Fleurs, or Valley of Flowers. The varieties of flowers in the Valley of flowers are changed each year, according to a chosen theme. The Valley borders a lake, the Miroir d'eau, or water mirror, which is placed near the center of the park, with a modern fountain and series of cascades on one side. There are smaller ponds devoted to lily pads, lotus, and other aquatic plants. The large outdoor concert stage, the Delta, faces and dominates the lake. Smaller flower gardens are scattered throughout the park; there is a garden to show varieties of the azalea; a large garden showcasing the rhododendron; a garden of ferns; gardens for irises and dahlias; a garden and pavilion for medicinal plants and culinary herbs; a garden for varieties of cactus; a garden of plants from the Mediterranean regions; and a large pavilion for displaying Japanese bonsai plants. There is also one garden, the jardin des Quatres-Saisons (Garden of the seasons) where flowers are in bloom year-round. References Notes and citations Bibliography External links Official website of the BIE Gardens in Paris Botanical gardens in France 12th arrondissement of Paris Parks and open spaces in Paris