The Bois de Boulogne is probably the most famous green area on the Western outskirts of Paris, with a rich history. Today it is one of the "lungs" of the French capital, providing the metropolis with oxygen (the second "light" - the Bois de Vincennes in the East of the capital).

The ancient oak forest of Rouvray, around once to Lutetium, first mentioned in the Chronicles 717 of the year: it is recorded that Childeric II of the dynasty of the Merovingian gave these lands to the Abbey of Saint-Denis. In four and a half century Philip Augustus Curve bought from the monks of land for hunting. In 1308 the other Philip – Beautiful – gave the daughter to king Edward. The wedding took place in the Cathedral of the seaside town of Boulogne-sur-Mer. When he returned, the king ordered to build in the woods the little Cathedral of our lady of Boulogne. So the forest got its name.

In the middle ages he was dubious glory: during the hundred years war settled here many robbers. While fighting them, the Duke of Burgundy, in 1416-1417, part of the forest burned. Louis XI re-planted. When Francis I there was completed the construction of the Royal château de Madrid, hunting grounds were surrounded by walls. Henry IV tried to establish there the silk manufacture, planting 15000 mulberry trees. His former wife, Marguerite de Valois after the divorce she lived in located here Chateau-de-La-Myatt. It was here on November 21, 1783 the first in the world rose in the air on the balloon scientist Pilatre de Rozier and the Marquis d'arland. In 25 minutes they flew over the Seine and landed safely.

Since the beginning of the eighteenth century the forest became a favourite place of walks of nobility, but Louis XIV opened it for all sectors of society. In 1775, the king's brother Philippe d'orleans in Paris with her daughter Marie-Antoinette had built in just two months the Palace bagatelle (French une bagatelle – "nothing"). Prince won a bet with 900 workers, who worked day and night.

Napoleon III completely reconstructed forest: 80 kilometres of paved avenues, planted 400 thousand trees, made lakes and canals. The forest was landscaped under the direction of the prefect of Paris, Baron Haussmann. Now more than half of all the trees here still oaks. There are bike paths with a length of 14 kilometers, ten restaurants. In the Northern part of the forest is a children's Park with a menagerie.

At the same time, the Bois de Boulogne has long had a reputation as hot spots and saves it now – in the evening and at night there are prostitutes.