Aquarium de la Porte Dorée – Dive in the tropics

When winter seems never to be ending (but also in summertime), I like to imagine that I am on the tropics, diving among exotic fishes… That’s where the Tropical Aquarium of Porte Dorée intervenes.

This aquarium, located at the entrance of the Bois de Vincennes, a big park at the East boundaries of Paris, exhibits very diverse and coloured species of fish, including sharks and even crocodiles!!!

The building is also of great interest. The Palais de la Porte Dorée was built in 1931 and was at that time the palace dedicated to French colonies. The bas-reliefs all around the building evoke, with propagandist purposes, the territories that France used to possess at that time. And it’s from those overseas territories that came the fishes showed in the aquarium, also founded in 1931, at the time of big colonial exhibitions.

Today, apart from the aquarium, the other spaces of the building are dedicated to the story of immigration (permanent and temporary exhibitions on this subject), and is a relevant cultural centre to understand the origin of today’s multicultural France.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Aquarium de la Porte Dorée | Art & culture, Relaxing | Aquarium entrance € 6.50
293 avenue Daumesnil | Belleville/Nation | +33153595860
Tue – Fri 10:00 – 17:15, Sat – Sun 10:00 – 19:00

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