The History Of Longchamp Racecourse In 1 Minute

Édouard Manet’s The Races at Longchamp
Édouard Manet’s The Races at Longchamp | © WikiCommons
Paul McQueen

The Longchamp Racecourse, located within the beautiful surroundings of the Bois de Boulogne, is one of France’s most prestigious tracks. At the park’s westernmost edge, the 57-hectare complex overlooking the Seine is capable of holding a crowd of 50,000 people and hosts half of all top-tier French horse races each year. The most highly anticipated event of the calendar, the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, is held on the first weekend in October and attracts the fastest horses and fattest wallets from around the world.
On Sunday April 27th, 1857, a massive crowd, including the Emperor Napoleon III and his wife, Eugénie de Montijo, gathered to watch the track’s first day of racing. The royal couple had made quite the entrance by arriving at the venue in a yacht which had cruised down the Seine. In its early days, the better viewing boxes were reserved exclusively for the aristocrats of the world, including racing enthusiasts Prince Murat of Nassau and Prince Napoléon Bonaparte.

Presentation round at Longchamp Racecourse

Longchamp is the subject of numerous impressionist artworks. Some of the most famous depictions are Édouard Manet’s ‘The Races at Longchamp’ from 1867 and the similarly named ‘Race Horses at Longchamp’ by Edgar Degas in 1871. Up until 1930, it was by the river that most people came to Longchamp, just as the royal couple had done on its opening day, in steamboats and the like. During the Second World War, the racecourse continued to operate. Indeed, it was popular with the German officers occupying Paris at the time.

Today, the venue is used for flat racing and is known for its interlaced tracks, ranging from 1,000 to 4,000 meters with 46 different starting points, and its tough upward stretch, which pushes the thoroughbreds to their limits. Longchamp Racecourse closed on October 5th, 2015 for a two-year renovation and should reopen in time for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in 2017.

📍Longchamp Racecourse, 2 Route des Tribunes, 75016 Paris

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.

Culture Trip Spring Sale

Save up to $1,100 on our unique small-group trips! Limited spots.

X
Edit article