Taxi Paris → Domaine de Saint-Cloud

The Domaine national de Saint-Cloud is one of the hidden treasures of western Paris, a majestic 460-hectare park extending across the communes of Saint-Cloud, Sèvres, Ville-d'Avray and Marnes-la-Coquette in the Hauts-de-Seine department. The estate's history dates back to the 16th century when the Gondi family owned a château here. In 1658, Louis XIV bought the estate for his brother Philippe d'Orléans, known as Monsieur, who had the château and gardens transformed by Le Nôtre and Hardouin-Mansart. The gardens preserve from this era the Grande Cascade, a hydraulic masterpiece 90 metres high, and the Grande Gerbe, a fountain jet rising to 42 metres. The château was burned during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870 and its ruins demolished in 1891. Only the park remains, but what a park! Listed as a historic monument in 1923, it offers one of the finest panoramas in the Île-de-France from the Lanterne, a viewpoint at 160 metres elevation commanding a view of all Paris from the Eiffel Tower to the Sacré-Cœur. The Grandes Eaux, a fountain and cascade display inherited from the Grand Siècle, operates on certain Sundays from June to September. The estate also hosts the Rock en Seine festival each September and cultural events throughout the year. Getting to the Domaine de Saint-Cloud by taxi from Paris is ideal for being dropped at the entrance of your choice, as the estate has several access gates.