1.Parc de la Poudrerie

The astonishing remains of a 19th-century gunpowder factory in deep woodland by a canal close to Paris

I was shown the Parc de la Poudrerie by a Paris friend who used to live nearby. Only locals seem to know about it and, as it is in a densely populated suburb not far from Clichy-sous-Bois where the 2005 Paris riots started, I was completely unprepared for the mysterious and beautiful experience it turned out to be. Within five minutes of leaving the station you are in another world, where the tranquil canal mirrors the reflections of the trees and sky, disturbed only by the passage of a pair of exotic mandarin ducks or the scurrying of a water vole. Violets, primroses and cowslips grow along the towpath. A little further on, the dignified brick and stone remains of the abandoned gunpowder factory above the canal blend harmoniously into the ancient woodland which makes up a large part of the 137 hectare park, full of wood anemones and bluebells in spring and the tapping sound of woodpeckers. It is listed as of outstanding natural interest because the deliberately scattered buildings, laid out in a fan shape to minimise damage in case of an accidental explosion, and the undisturbed woodland containing a variety of ancient trees and three ponds, have favoured species such as butterflies, weasels, red squirrels, pipistrelle bats, newts, salamanders, beavers, woodpeckers and falcons which are not usually found in urban areas. About 30 of the original 300 buildings have been saved from demolition, one housing a small technical museum, and another used for temporary exhibitions. The park is popular with local families as well as naturelovers, as it has something for everybody: romantically decaying buildings emerging from the trees, a buvette, cycle paths, a