After its redevelopment, the famous Parisian hippodrome will offer walks and educational tours to discover the world of horses.
Walking to admire the racecourses or discover the world of horses will soon be possible at the Paris-Vincennes hippodrome. The institution of horse racing in the 12th arrondissement of Paris will be open to walkers from 2030 onwards.
«Opening to the public for walks allows crossing the hippodrome from southwest to northeast on non-race days, accompanied by information panels and awareness of biodiversity, animal welfare, and agriculture, allowing the public to fully appropriate these spaces,» states the press release from the Society for the Encouragement of French Trotter Breeding (SETF) which manages the hippodrome.
Regarding animal welfare, SETF plans to install six ponies on the site for eco-pasturing and offer discovery activities tailored to a young audience.
They also plan activities such as e-cycling, a cycling school, and the marketing of seminars and cultural events (fairs, festivals…), an offer that will be further defined in the coming months.
These new activities are part of the renewal of its concession to SETF, adopted by the Paris Council on Friday. The concession has been renewed for a period of 30 years. In exchange, SETF commits to renovating and diversifying the activities of the site, including an urban agriculture center, an investment estimated at over 60 million euros for works that will begin in 2025.
After five years of negotiations, SETF’s project was selected for its proposals for opening and animating the site. The new project includes a catering offer «aimed at targeting diverse clienteles throughout the year,» details the document.
Owned by the City of Paris, the Vincennes Hippodrome has been managed by SETF since 1975. The 50-year lease expired at the end of 2024 and was subject to a call for tenders for which SETF was the only eligible candidate.
