Parc de Saint-Cloud

The Parc de Saint-Cloud, officially the Domaine National de Saint-Cloud, is a domaine national, located mostly within Saint-Cloud, in the Hauts-de-Seine department, near Paris, France.The park, which covers 460 hectares, was a nature reserve until 1923. It is considered one of the most beautiful gardens in Europe, and in 2005 the park was awarded Notable Garden status. On 9 November 1994 the park was classified as a Historic Monument. In 1999 a winter storm heavily damaged the park's forests. As of late 2008, restoration efforts were still underway. The park is operated as a domaine nationale under the French Ministry of Culture.HistoryThe park is located on the site of the Château de Saint-Cloud, a residence of royal and imperial families from the 16th century. After Napoleon III declared war on the Prussians, the site was occupied by a Prussian force which used the high outcropping to shell Paris. Counter-fire from the French caused the building to burn on 13 October 1870. The structure was completely razed in August 1892.Only a few outbuildings remain from the original structure. The park contains a Le Nôtre-designed garden in the French style, an English garden, and Marie Antoinette's rose garden.The park showcases a panoramic view of Paris called "La Lanterne" or the "Lantern of Demosthenes".