Parc aux Angéliques, Riverside park in Bordeaux, France
The Parc aux Angéliques is a riverside park on the right bank of the Garonne in Bordeaux, running along the river for over 3 kilometers. It is divided into three sections: open meadows at Quai de Queyries, a paved lane with old industrial rail tracks at Quai de Brazza, and a wisteria-covered pergola with green spaces at Quai Deschamps.
The land now occupied by the park had several past lives, serving first as a wine-growing area, then as a military and industrial zone. When the city decided to transform it, the design kept traces of that industrial past, such as the rail tracks still visible along Quai de Brazza.
The park takes its name from the estuarine angelica, a white-flowered plant with tall stems that was discovered in 1860 and can still be spotted growing along the riverbank. Plaques and a bust of Toussaint-Louverture, placed along the paths, connect visitors to local and broader shared histories.
The park is open at all hours and free to enter, making it easy to visit at any time of day. A dedicated cycling path runs along the Quai de Brazza section, which is useful to keep in mind whether you are arriving on foot or by bike.
The estuarine angelica that gave the park its name nearly disappeared before being placed under protection in 2007, over a century after it was first identified in 1860. Today this park is one of the few places where visitors can see this rare plant growing in its natural setting.
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