Buttes-Chaumont park, in the east of Paris extends over an area of 23 hectares. It was built at the wish of Napoleon III, who, as with Montsouris park in the south wanted to provide the working classes with a green area. It was laid out under the orders of Alphand (great organiser of Parisian promenades during the Second Empire), by engineers Darcel Belgrand, architect Davioud and landscape designer Barillet-Deschamps, on the bare heights -'monts chauves' (bald mounts) hence the name 'Chaumont'; between 83 and 101 metres high, it makes up the most westerly promontory of the hills of Belleville. Inaugurated during the World Fair of 1867, the Buttes-Chaumont is the archetypal Haussmanian park and one of the finest in Paris. It has age-old trees, sophora, old plane and chestnut trees and a rich birdlife: tits, wagtails, warblers, hedgesparrows, gulls, waterfowl, black swans, geese, mallards... also, fish: gudgeon, roach, tench, pike... With its cliffs, belvederes, suspension bridge and lawns the park is quite unlike any other. Skating track.