Le Bourget is a French commune located in the department of Seine-Saint-Denis in the Île-de-France region. A small village before industrialization, Le Bourget experienced some battles during the Franco-German war of 1870. Nevertheless, the town is best known for hosting the Paris-Le Bourget airport, which is open to national and international commercial traffic. regular and private planes. Opened in 1919, it was the first civil airport in Paris and remained the only one until the construction of Orly airport. The history of the city is also strongly linked to aeronautics. Le Bourget also houses the Air and Space Museum and hosts the Paris-Le Bourget international aeronautics and space show every two years.
Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace (National Air and Space Museum of
France)
This is by far the dominant landmark and main reason most
visitors come to Le Bourget. Founded in 1919, it is one of the oldest
and largest aviation museums in the world, located directly on the
grounds of Paris-Le Bourget Airport (Europe’s leading business aviation
airport).
Key features:
Collections: Spans ballooning,
aviation, and space exploration. It includes over 400 aircraft in its
full holdings, with more than 100 on public display across indoor halls
and outdoor tarmac areas. Highlights include two Concorde supersonic
jets (including the Air France F-BTSD), a Boeing 747, the Breguet 19
“Point d’Interrogation” (famous for early long-distance flights),
Spitfires, Mirages, Rafales, a Douglas C-47 Dakota (linked to D-Day),
and various prototypes and helicopters.
Exhibition Halls: Themed
areas cover early flight, World War II, prototypes, helicopters, and
space (with satellites and capsules). A new hall under the historic
control tower explores air navigation and traffic control with
instruments, simulators, and interactive exhibits.
Site Significance:
Le Bourget itself is a historic aviation landmark. Charles Lindbergh
landed here in 1927 after his solo transatlantic flight in the Spirit of
St. Louis. The museum occupies part of the old airport infrastructure,
including the striking Art Deco 1937 terminal building designed by
Georges Labro for the Universal Exhibition.
Visitor Experience: You
can board select aircraft (extra fee for some), visit the planetarium
(when open), and enjoy views over active runways. It's family-friendly
with activities for children. The museum is open Tuesday–Sunday and
labeled a "Musée de France."
This museum alone makes Le Bourget a
must-visit for aviation enthusiasts, history buffs, and families.
Paris-Le Bourget Airport and Historic Terminal
The airport opened
for civil operations in 1919 (military use earlier) and served as
Paris's primary airport until Orly (1932) and later Charles de Gaulle
took over. It remains iconic for:
The 1937 Art Deco terminal — an
architectural highlight with its pavilion-style design, now partly
integrated with the museum.
Hosting major events like the Paris Air
Show (every two years at the Parc des Expositions).
Historic flights:
Lindbergh's arrival, attempts like L'Oiseau Blanc (1927), and Howard
Hughes' 1939 flight.
Today it focuses on business aviation, with the
museum preserving its heritage.
Église Saint-Nicolas (Church of
Saint Nicholas)
The main religious landmark in the town center. Built
in 1742 in a classical style on the site of an earlier church (possibly
dating back to the 15th century). It features a sober exterior and has
undergone significant restoration in recent years. It serves as a local
parish church and a quiet historical counterpoint to the high-tech
aviation theme of the area.
Other Notable Landmarks and Memorials
Mémorial des Aviateurs and aviation-related sculptures (e.g., Lindbergh
– Le Garçon et l'Homme): Tributes to pilots and aviation pioneers
scattered near the airport and museum.
Memorial Normandie-Niemen:
Honors the French squadron that fought with the Soviets in WWII.
Gagosian Le Bourget: A major contemporary art gallery in a converted
industrial space near the airport, known for large-scale exhibitions by
artists like Jeff Koons or Cy Twombly. It adds a modern cultural
dimension.
Parc Georges-Valbon (Parc de la Courneuve): A large nearby
park (shared with neighboring communes) offering green space, hiking
trails, and lakes — a pleasant contrast to the industrial/aviation
surroundings.
Why Visit Le Bourget?
Aviation heritage: Site of Charles
Lindbergh’s 1927 landing after his transatlantic flight. The museum
preserves this legacy with iconic aircraft.
Major attractions: One of
the largest air and space museums in the world, plus occasional events
at the exhibition center.
Proximity to Paris: Easy day trip or
half-day visit, combinable with nearby parks or Drancy.
Main
Attraction: Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace
This is the primary reason
most visitors come. Located at the historic airport, it features:
Indoor halls with aircraft, rockets (including Ariane), and space
artifacts.
Outdoor tarmac with large planes you can often board
(e.g., Concorde prototypes, Boeing 747).
Highlights:
Lindbergh-related exhibits, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s P-38 remnants,
planetarium, and interactive areas like Planète Pilote for kids.
Visiting Tips:
Time needed: 3–5+ hours. Plan a full morning or
afternoon — it’s vast with both indoor and outdoor sections.
Best
for: Families, aviation fans, history lovers. Wear comfortable shoes for
walking on the tarmac.
Crowds: Quieter on weekdays; weekends and
school holidays busier. Avoid if possible during Paris Air Show periods
(next major one in 2027).
Practicalities: Bring water, especially in
summer. There’s a restaurant/shop on site. Photography is generally
allowed.
Hours (as of recent data):
Open daily except Mondays.
April–September: 10:00–18:00.
October–March: 10:00–17:00.
Check
the official site for exceptions (e.g., special events).
Tickets:
Permanent exhibitions: Often free or low-cost (confirm current pricing).
Paid add-ons: Boarding planes (e.g., Concorde, Boeing 747), planetarium,
simulators (~€8–17 depending on activities; discounts for under 26,
kids). Paris Museum Pass may offer benefits.
How to Get There
From Paris (easiest public transport):
RER B train to “Le Bourget”
station (Zone 3, ~15–25 minutes from central Paris like Gare du Nord).
Then bus 152 or walk/taxi (~15–20 min walk to museum).
Metro Line 7
to La Courneuve–8 Mai 1945 + Bus 152/350.
Total time: 30–60 minutes.
Use the Ile-de-France Mobilités app or “Next Stop Paris” for schedules.
From CDG Airport: RER B (one stop) or Bus 350 directly to the museum
area.
By car: Via A1 or A86 highways. Parking available at the
museum/exhibition center. Traffic can be heavy.
Taxi/Uber: Convenient
but pricier (~€20–40 from central Paris).
Tip: Buy a Zone 1-3 day
pass (Mobilis) for flexibility. Public transport is reliable but some
areas feel suburban/less polished.
Best Time to Visit
Spring
(April–June) or Fall (September–November): Mild weather, fewer crowds.
Summer: Longer museum hours but hotter and more crowded.
Avoid:
Mondays (museum closed), peak Air Show periods, and very rainy days
(outdoor tarmac less enjoyable).
Weather in the Paris region is
temperate but changeable — layer clothing and check forecasts.
Other Things to Do Nearby
Parc Georges-Valbon (Parc de la Courneuve):
Large green space for walks, picnics, and hiking. Good family spot.
Mémorial de la Shoah in Drancy: Sobering Holocaust memorial nearby
(short bus/taxi ride).
Gagosian Gallery: Contemporary art in a former
industrial space — worth a quick stop for art fans.
Paris Air Show
(biennial): Massive event with air displays and public days — plan far
ahead if interested.
Canal walks or further exploration toward La
Villette in Paris.
Food and Practical Tips
Restaurants:
Limited traditional French options in the immediate area; more Middle
Eastern/halal spots and chains. Better to eat in central Paris or near
the museum’s on-site options.
Safety: The broader Seine-Saint-Denis
area has a mixed reputation (some suburban neighborhoods feel rough).
The museum itself and main routes are generally fine for tourists, but
standard precautions apply: stay aware, especially evenings or when
walking from the RER station. Many visitors report no issues.
Hotels:
Airport-area chains like Campanile, Ibis, AC Hotel by Marriott, or
Kyriad (convenient for early flights or museum visits). Not ideal for a
full Paris stay unless you want suburban quiet/lower prices.
General Advice
Combine with Paris: Visit as a half-day trip from
central Paris.
Accessibility: Museum has good facilities; check site
for details.
For families/kids: Excellent with interactive zones.
Photography: Great light on the tarmac — bring a good camera or phone
charger.
Language: English signage and some staff at the museum;
French elsewhere.
Always verify current hours, prices, and transport
on official sites before going, as they can change.
Location and Regional Context
Le Bourget sits in the Petite
Couronne (inner suburbs) that ring Paris. It is part of the densely
urbanized northern periphery, bordered by communes such as Dugny,
Bonneuil-en-France, La Courneuve, and others. The area forms part of the
broader Paris metropolitan region, characterized by a mix of
residential, industrial, and infrastructural land uses.
The
commune is highly accessible via major infrastructure:
A1 autoroute
(to the north) connects toward central Paris and Roissy-Charles de
Gaulle Airport.
A86 autoroute (to the south) links to other suburban
hubs like La Défense and Bobigny.
This strategic position near major
transport corridors has shaped its development.
Topography and
Terrain
Le Bourget is remarkably flat and low-lying, typical of the
Paris Basin's sedimentary plains. Key details include:
Elevation:
Ranges from 38 m to 48 m (125–157 ft) above sea level, with an average
around 43–45 m.
Area: Only 2.08 km² (0.80 sq mi or 208 hectares),
making it one of the smaller communes in the region.
Terrain:
Predominantly level urban and suburban land with minimal natural relief.
The flat topography was ideal for early aviation development.
The
surrounding landscape is part of the gently undulating Île-de-France
plateau, influenced by the Seine River system's alluvial deposits,
though Le Bourget itself is not directly on the Seine. The area features
typical Parisian suburban geography: built-up zones interspersed with
parks, infrastructure, and residual open spaces.
The Airport and
Its Geographic Impact
Paris–Le Bourget Airport (IATA: LBG, ICAO:
LFPB) dominates the geography, though only a small portion lies within
Le Bourget commune itself. Most of the airport spans neighboring Dugny,
Bonneuil-en-France, and Gonesse.
Size: The airport covers about
553 hectares (roughly 5.5 km²), vastly larger than the commune.
Elevation: Approximately 67 m (220 ft) AMSL.
Runways: Three main ones
(03/21: 2,665 m; 07/25: 3,000 m; 09/27: 1,845 m), oriented to handle
prevailing winds in the region.
The airport's presence creates a
large open, paved, and grassy expanse amid dense suburbs. It hosts the
Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace and serves primarily business, general,
and exhibition aviation (e.g., the Paris Air Show). Historically a major
commercial airport (opened 1919), its flat, open fields were chosen for
early 20th-century aviation needs.
Climate
Le Bourget has a
temperate oceanic climate (Köppen: Cfb), moderated by its proximity to
the Atlantic but influenced by continental effects.
Summers: Short,
warm, and partly cloudy (average highs around 20–25°C).
Winters:
Long, cool to cold, with temperatures often near or below freezing and
higher precipitation.
Precipitation: Distributed year-round, with no
strong dry season.
Winds: Variable but often from the west/southwest;
the flat terrain offers little obstruction.
This climate supports
typical northern French vegetation (deciduous trees, grasses) in any
green spaces, though urbanization has heavily modified the natural
environment.
Hydrology and Soils
The immediate area lacks
major rivers flowing through the commune. It lies within the broader
Seine River watershed, with groundwater and minor drainage systems
typical of the Paris Basin. Soils are primarily alluvial and sedimentary
(clays, silts, sands) from historical river activity and glacial
deposits, supporting agriculture before urbanization. Urban development
has introduced significant impervious surfaces, affecting local drainage
and increasing runoff into regional systems.
Human and Historical
Geography
Originally a small market town (bourg) or village, Le
Bourget grew due to its location. It saw military significance (e.g.,
Franco-Prussian War) and transformed with the airport's rise in the
early 20th century. Today, it is a dense suburban community (population
around 15,900–16,500, density ~7,660/km²) blending residential areas,
services, and aviation-related activities.
The geography reflects
classic Parisian banlieue patterns: high connectivity, limited natural
green space, and heavy human modification of the landscape for transport
and housing.
Prehistory and Antiquity
In the Gallo-Roman era, a
busy path was located near the current site of Le Bourget. It is
therefore quite natural that men settle on the current territory of
the municipality.
Middle Ages
The first mention of the
place dates from 1134, when Louis VI ceded the land of Bourget to
the abbey of Montmartre. Le Bourget was then an agricultural village
linked to Paris by the Route des Flandres, a former Roman road.
In the eleventh century, the old hamlet of Burgellum had a leper
colony. Le Bourget also housed taverns on the Flanders route from
the eleventh century, and a post house created in the fifteenth
century. Horses rented at the level of the current avenue
Jean-Jaurès, reinforced the teams of the carts going up the rue de
Flandre until beyond the Saint-Nicolas church.
Modern times
In 1573, the nuns of Montmartre exchanged 60 pounds of annuity to be
taken on the Bourget with Antoine de Brolly, lord of Ménil.
From the end of the 16th century, the seigneury of Bourget was most
often grouped together with that of Blanc-Mesnil. In 1580, Nicolas
Potier was thus Lord of Bourget, as was René Potier, one of his
descendants, who bore the title of Lord of Blanc-Mesnil and Bourget
in 1646-1680. Until 1700, the village was in fact under the
obedience of the lords of Blanc-Mesnil, but on the death of
Mademoiselle de Blanc-Mesnil, the last heiress, Bourget decided to
gain administrative autonomy. and to separate from the guardianship
of the parish of Dugny.
1870-1914
In 1870, Le Bourget had 850 inhabitants. With the
arrival of the industrial revolution, the village developed. From the
end of the 19th century, the town was home to many industrial companies
(such as the enamel crystal factory of Charles Paris, created in 1867),
thanks to its service by the Route des Flandres, the Compagnie du Nord
railway or the of Great Belt.
During the Franco-Prussian War of
1870 and the siege of Paris, Le Bourget was annexed around September
1870 by the Prussian army and was the site of an anecdote but above all
of several clashes.
On October 17, 1870, the mounted balloon
called Liberté was blown away, empty, by the violent wind from the La
Villette gas factory in Paris, which was then besieged. It escapes the
aeronauts and runs aground at Le Bourget after having traveled 11 km.
The remains of the balloon are recovered by the Prussians.
From
October 28 to October 30, 1870, Le Bourget was the scene of clashes
against the Prussians. The event is known as the First Battle of Le
Bourget. On October 28, 1870, General de Bellemare, commanding officer
at Saint-Denis, sent Commander Roland, without the authorization of
General Trochu, to settle with 300 snipers at Le Bourget. Admiral
Saisset had sent a battalion of marine infantry to Drancy to occupy the
village and fortify themselves there, and thus support Le Bourget. The
German garrison was then driven out of the village. But on October 30,
1870 the Germans counter-attacked with a deluge of artillery while the
Prussian infantry advanced from three sides on Le Bourget, Drancy side,
Dugny side and Blanc-Mesnil side. Surrounded to the north, east and
southeast, many French soldiers fled to La Courneuve and Aubervilliers
to the southwest. The Germans then cut the road to La Courneuve. Only
Commanders Brasseur and Baroche, with their troops, remained in Le
Bourget and defended the city in the Saint-Nicolas church and in the
streets. At 1:00 p.m. the Germans reclaimed the square, leaving the
French troops in great disorder. The street where Ernest Baroche died
bears his name today.
The news of the defeat at Le Bourget
reached Paris at the same time as that of the capitulation of Metz on
October 27, 1870. They caused great discontent in Paris.
On
December 21, 1870, Admiral de La Roncière's troops, made up of gunners
and marines, the 134th and 138th line infantry regiments and mobile
guards of the Seine, attacked Le Bourget and Stains during the second
battle of the Bourget (1870). The French troops then attack on two axes.
On the first axis of attack, after 7 a.m., the forts in eastern Paris
and Aubervilliers, batteries at La Courneuve and armored wagons on the
Soissons line opened fire on Le Bourget. The offensive then begins and a
first battalion attacks from the northwest, seizing the cemetery and
taking a hundred Prussian prisoners. A second brigade attacked it from
the southwest on the road to Flanders but could not enter the village
because of the fortifications made by the Prussians during the month of
November. The attack fails and the French soldiers and sailors leave
with a few prisoners. On the second axis, General Ducrot took up
position at Drancy with numerous troops. He is informed that the
offensive on the first axis has been a failure and it is then decided to
undertake a siege of the village of Le Bourget. Drancy is then armed
with batteries, without any result however.
Lieutenants Bousset,
Morant, Patin, Wyats, ensign Duquesne were killed at Le Bourget on
December 21, 1870.
Several paintings in the Saint-Nicolas church
in Le Bourget relate these battles.
With the French defeat in
1871 and the signing of the Treaty of Frankfurt on May 10, 1871, the
Burgundians, then refugees in Paris, were able to return home. The
fighting then left many ruins.
On June 2, 1907, young people from
the Batignolles district of Paris, returning from a Corpus Christi
procession in Dugny, were attacked at Le Bourget, one of these young
Hippolyte Debroise was mortally wounded there. The trial of these
aggressors presented as The Apaches of Le Bourget took place thereafter.
The newspaper La Libre Parole published a long article on this
assassination on the front page of its June 6, 1907 issue. The bloody
shirt of young Debroise is kept in the Saint-Joseph-des-Épinettes church
and he is buried in Batignolles (8th division).
1914-1945: Le
Bourget airport in Paris
From September 1914, the army set up an air
reserve at Le Bourget and Dugny, closer to the front than those at
Saint-Cyr. She quickly creates an airfield, in order to protect the
"entrenched camp" of Paris against German air attacks. The requisition
of agricultural land was immediately followed by the installation of
seven wooden and canvas sheds, and barracks for workshops and
administrative offices.
In 1915, the effectiveness of the
squadrons against the night attacks led by the zeppelins remained
disappointing and the squadrons were sent to the front in rotation by a
third. The Le Bourget site is nevertheless experiencing a densification
of its infrastructure, mainly on the territory of the municipality of
Dugny, where the air reserve continues to develop to reach up to 500
aircraft.
After the First World War, the air reserve continued
its activities on the Le Bourget site, continuing to manage stocks. In
the aftermath of the conflict, civil aviation benefited from facilities
and equipment at Le Bourget airport which quickly made it the benchmark
Parisian airport. The first regular lines served London, Brussels and
Amsterdam then, little by little, all of Europe.
Le Bourget is
also becoming a place for walks where people come to admire these
machines which will soon connect the four corners of the world. It is a
place of departures or arrivals of major air raids. On May 8, 1927, the
White Bird took off from Le Bourget and its pilots, Charles Nungesser
and François Coli, hoped to reach New York non-stop; unfortunately the
plane inexplicably disappears. It was finally Charles Lindbergh who made
the first aerial crossing of the North Atlantic between New York and
Paris, on May 21, 1927. We came to applaud the aviator, "winner" of the
North Atlantic, posing on his Spirit of Saint Louis. A huge crowd also
welcomed Édouard Daladier on September 29, 1938, after the signing of
the Munic agreements.
In 1935, the architect Georges Labro won
the competition for the construction of a new terminal for the Paris
International Exhibition of 1937. The winning project is a building with
sober architecture, 233 meters long, integrating the set of functions
for passenger reception and airport management. Not fully completed to
welcome the first visitors to the Universal Exhibition in June, the
terminal was officially inaugurated on November 12, 1937.
In
1939, Le Bourget airport, with 21,000 aircraft movements and 138,000
passengers, was the second airport in Europe after Berlin-Tempelhof.
During the Second World War, the Germans took possession of the
airport and considerably enlarged it while occupying the city. On August
16, 1943, American and British forces bombed the runways but the airbase
remained occupied until its liberation58,60. This bombardment of August
16, 1943, called "Operation Starkey", intended to destroy the airport,
razed the town of Dugny to 98% and the north of the city of Le Bourget.
Since 1945
At the Liberation, Le Bourget airport was
rehabilitated by the Americans and the British. From May 1945, 42,000
prisoners of war and deportees were repatriated and then passed through
Le Bourget.
At the end of the war, airport traffic increased
rapidly and in 1952 Paris acquired a new airport, that of Orly. In the
1960s, the saturation of the latter led to a return to activities at Le
Bourget, but in 1974, Roissy-en-France airport was opened to traffic. Le
Bourget airport is gradually neglected.
The creation of the new
Roissy-en-France airport frees up space at Le Bourget and the grouping
of the collections dispersed in part of the airport hall is studied. It
was from 1973 that the Air and Space Museum gradually moved from
Chalais-Meudon to Le Bourget airport. The first hall, hall B, was
inaugurated in 1975 shortly before the Paris Air Show.
Before
January 1, 1968, the city of Le Bourget was a commune of the department
of Seine, a department subsequently abolished (just like the department
of Seine-et-Oise in which it was landlocked), in application of the law
of July 10 1964 relating to the reorganization of the Paris region. It
is therefore integrated into the department of Seine-Saint-Denis.
In November 2005, like many municipalities in the Paris metropolitan
area and those of the large provincial towns, acts of delinquency
affected the city but remained more moderate than in other
municipalities in the department, even neighboring ones such as that of
Blanc-Mesnil. There was no increased violence at Le Bourget as the
timeline of the 2005 riots in France shows. Nevertheless, this episode,
relayed by the media of many countries, then shows the state of ethnic
and social ghettoization of many suburban sectors and the inability of
the political power to face the failure of the integration of a large
immigrant population