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Starting point: Avenue de Saint-Maurice, at Lac Daumesnil and the traffic lights. Please note that parking is paid from Monday to Saturday in the Bois de Vincennes: see Practical information.
(S/E) Turn your back to the lake and take the wide path that follows the Ruisseau de Gravelle.
(1) Fountain. About 500 m on your right, on the other side of the stream, you can see a sculpture on a tree trunk: "Pallas", representing an owl, was created by Stéphane Beau in 2015.
Continue along the stream. Leave a bridge on your left and continue following the stream.
(2) Cross the Route de la Tourelle and continue to follow the stream. You will come to a roundabout at the edge of the cycle lane.
(3) Cross it, following the Ferme de Paris to reach Lac de Gravelle, opposite the Hippodrome de Vincennes. Go around the lake on the right.
(4) Waterfall feeding Lac de Gravelle. Lac de Gravelle is fed with water from the Marne by pumping (6,000 m3/day, then 15,000 m3/day) through a pipe from the Ménilmontant reservoir, which is fed by the Canal de l'Ourcq.This is the starting point of the Bois de Vincennes hydraulic network (the lakes and streams are artificial, dug under the direction of Adolphe Alphand between 1855 and 1866.
At the end of the lake, leave the small waterfall on your left. Take the Route de la Gerbe, which descends between the racecourse and the Joinville police academy. This will take you to one of the entrances to the Paris Arboretum.
(5) Cross the arboretum on the left, following a small stream. At the bottom, take the exit on the left. (You can use the toilets in the arboretum during opening hours.) When the arboretum is closed, walk along the racecourse, which is much less pleasant.
You will come to a crossroads. Cross the road with your back to the racecourse and walk along the opposite pavement (green space owned by the City of Paris) alongside the École du Breuil.
(6) Pass a fountain. At the crossroads, cross and take the path between a stream and Avenue de la Belle Gabrielle. After 320 m, turn left into the woods, still following the stream, and continue for about 730 m. You may be lucky enough to see Hector the heron, who often hangs around between Lac de Gravelle and Lac des Minimes on this route.
You will arrive at Lac des Minimes. Go around it on the right, passing in front of Rosa Bonheur de la Porte Jaune.
(7) Lac des Minimes and fountain. Continue to the kiosk. With your back to the kiosk, walk 20 m to your left and take a long straight path.
Cross Avenue du Tremblay. At the end of this straight road, you will arrive near the Parc Floral.
(8) Turn left for 30 m, then follow the left side of Avenue des Minimes between the Parc Floral and a waterproof rainwater management channel. After 600 m, you will come to the esplanade of the Château de Vincennes.
(9) Parc Floral and Château de Vincennes. Cross the esplanade in front of the château. You will arrive in front of the Brasserie de l'Esplanade. Continue for 650 m and you will arrive at Lac de Saint-Mandé.
(10) Lac de Saint-Mandé. Go around it on the right and join Avenue Daumesnil via the path in the woods that runs alongside the houses of Saint-Mandé. Cross Avenue Daumesnil and follow it to the Paris Zoological Park with its large aviary.
(11) Continue untilyou reach Lac Daumesnil, near two merry-go-rounds.
(12) Lac Daumesnil and boats. Go around the lake on the right, pass near the boat landing stage, continue along the lake on your left until you reach the bridge that leads to the Îles de Reuilly and Bercy and the Buddhist temple with its large pagoda.
(13) In the courtyard, you can see a life-size wooden elephant. Continue along the lake and you will come to Avenue de Saint-Maurice (S/E).
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