Parc Montsouris in the 14th arrondissement is another wonderful green space in Paris. Entirely manmade, it is situated on a former quarry, and a network of mining tunnels which were filled with human skeletons (as part of the Paris catacombs). Before construction of the park began, 800 skeletons had to be removed from the tunnels.
The park was officially inaugurated in 1875 and is one of the four large urban parks created by Napoleon III and Haussmann (the others being Bois de Boulogne, the Bois de Vincennes and the Parc des Buttes Chaumont), to provide additional recreational space for the city's growing population. It has 15.5 hectares of land to roam around, and is an English landscape garden in style, with a lake, a cascade, broad sloping lawns, a cafe and meteorology station. Close to Cite Internationale Universitaire, it is also a popular place for students.