Parc de la Villette / Cité des Sciences et Industries - Paris

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If you follow the canal St Martin all the way north of Paris you will wind up in one of the most magnificent and original parks that paris has to offer, the Parc de la Villette. Formely a rather poor district, the Villette now holds equipments to the forefront of modernity and culture. There are the Cité de la Musique holding the music conservatory, a concert hall, studios and a museum. The Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie is one of the biggest European scientific museums, a real palace hall made of glass, concrete and steel, situated in this landscape called Parc de la Villette and favourable to a walk.
The Parc de la Villete extends over 55 hectares and is the largest green area in Paris, it combines areas for nature and architecture, play and leisure, exhibitions shows and debating: (Cité des Sciences, Grande Halle, Cite de la Musique, Maison de la Villette, a real submarine, Zenith concert hall, spaces for large tents and cabarets, dance floor...). The canal de l'Ourcq runs through the Park, which has many water features: fountains, ornamental ponds, waterfalls...
Two walkways have been designed for visitors in a hurry: the first crosses the Park from the porte de Pantin to the porte de la Villette; the second, is elevated and runs along the south bank of the canal. A paved blue path meanders across the Park between the 10 theme gardens that include 3 play areas for children. In the centre of the park the large grassed areas known as the circle and the triangle provide a place for people to relax and enjoy themselves.

The Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie
Loacated in the Vilette Park, the Cité offers a complete panorama of sciences and technology: communication, environment, health, astronomy, computers, etc through exhibityions, shows, models, conferences and interactive games. Planetarium, aquarium, 3D cinema, media library. In the park a real submarine (the Argonaute) can be visited. Also the cité des Enfants for kids aged 3 to 12, the Geode and its 1000sq m hemispherical screen, the cinaxe (simulation theatre) and the Techno cité (for 12-15 years old).

In the south of the Park there is the Grande Halle, which had been a beef market since 1867 and was transformed during into a cultural space.
Close to the Lions Fountain is located the "Cite de la Musique", which was completed in 1994 and is the work of Christian de Portzamprac. Finally, on the edge of the canal is the Zenith concert hall.

http://www.villette.com
http://www.cite-sciences.fr
http://www.cite-musique.fr
http://www.le-zenith.com
http://www.lageode.fr

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