Parc de la Poudrerie, a listed green nugget in Sevran (93)

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Published by Margot de Sortiraparis · Photos by Margot de Sortiraparis · Published on August 3rd, 2023 at 03:01 p.m.
Fifteen kilometers from the Bassin de la Villette, along the Canal de l'Ourcq, lies a lovely 137-hectare forest park in the Seine-Saint-Denis municipalities of Livry-Gargan, Villepinte, Sevran and Vaujours. Combining remnants of the area's industrial past with immense tree-lined avenues, it's one of the green spaces not to be missed for a bike ride, family outing or jogging session... in the 93.

With its huge entrance gate, the Parc de la Poudrerie is a real eye-catcher - and there's more to come! In 1867, the site was far from being a green space as it is today: it was Napoleon III who built a poudrerie, a factory to manufacture gunpowder, to meet the military needs of the French army. The Bondy forest was chosen, far from residential areas to allow experimentation without endangering the population. The engineer Gustave Maurouard designed the factory and supervised its construction. Thanks to its location, the Sevran powder plant became the first in the world to use steam-powered machines.

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In all, the Poudrerie de Sevran remained in operation for a century, until 1973: among the famous chemists who worked there was Alfred Nobel ! Then, during the First and Second World Wars, the Poudrerie proved to be a very useful factory, as it was here, in 1967, that the imploder for France's first atomic bomb was developed. The poudrerie eventually closed a few years later, before becoming a museum surrounded by a huge park.

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Since then, numerous species of animals and plants have been identified in the park, making it an area of significant interest for local biodiversity: between the large century-old trees, the meadows and the park's three ponds, the area is a delight for small animals, amphibians, ducks and numerous birds. But above all, Parc de la Poudrerie boasts an incredible wealth of history: from the Cartoucherie to the Pavillon Marouard, not forgetting the red brick arches, the vestiges of the site's industrial past are listed as Historic Monuments.

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Discover this Seine-Saint-Denis departmental park, for a stroll with family or friends, accessible with the Navigo pass (served by the RER in particular), by bike or on foot!

Practical information

Dates and Opening Time
From August 2nd, 2023 to December 31th, 2027

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    Location

    Allée Eugène Burlot
    93410 Vaujours

    Prices
    Free

    Official website
    parcsinfo.seinesaintdenis.fr

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