Montfermeil is a commune in the eastern suburbs of Paris , France. It is located 17.2 km (10.7 mi) from the center of Paris . Montfermeil is famous as the location of Thénardiers ‘ inn in Les Misérables . It has made the headlines due to troubles in its social estate called “les Bosquets”.

Culture and Sights

Places and monuments 

• The Church of Saint-Pierre-Saint-Paul de Montfermeil
• The city brought together several mills: Saulx water mill (around 1200 – xviii ^th  century), the mill of the Pit ( xv ^th  century), the mill from above, the mill of Bruyeres, the windmill of Coubron the mill of the Tower and the moulin de la Galette, the mill Square ( xix ^th  century), the mill Sempin. Only the one called Moulin de Montfermeil remains today .
• Labor Museum (clock house)
• Jean Valjean fountain
• Petit Château (belonging to the Department):
  The Petit Château (or house of Bourlon: name of the first owners) was built around 1635 . In 1869, it was the terminus of the Larmanjat monorail . From 1935 to 1962, it housed the Saint-Paul institution.
• Castle Cedars (communal property):
  The castle Cedars was built in the xvii ^th  century by Néret, Treasurer of France. In the xix ^th  century, it was the property of Madame de Fleurieu who aménagea. It was bought by the city in 1994 .
• Inaugurated on September 8, 2007, the arboretum of Montfermeil presents, on 11 hectares, a collection of trees and shrubs from all over the world. The 97 remarkable trees are presented on 17 benches called “  cairns  ” and classified according to the theme of the “gallery of evolution”.
• Château de Maison-Rouge, a locality established in 1740 , the château passed into different hands, until the estate was divided up and the château destroyed in 1956 .
• “Les ormes” house: located inside the departmental hospice.
• Funck-Brentano House: built during the First Empire. It was inhabited by Frantz Funck-Brentano , historian and member of the Institute.
• The laundry and Lassaut fountain created due to lack of water in the xix ^th  century and covered in 1859.
• The Residence: dating from the time of the Restoration, it was inhabited by Charles Adolphe Wurtz .
• La Maison du Mûrier: it was built by Millon, lawyer from Paris in 1794 , and main editor of the Montfermeil grievance book .

Green spaces 

Montfermeil covers an area of ​​545 hectares, including 69 hectares of green spaces distributed among the 21 hectares of Bondy forest, 20 hectares for the Bois des Ormes, 23 hectares of parks and gardens, 5,300  m ² of flower beds, 3 hectares in schools.Montfermeil Arboretum Park

• The former Parc des Cèdres and Parc Jean Valjean now form the Arboretum Park, opened in 2006. The Arboretum Park In the heart of the city, it constitutes an 11 hectare green lung, bringing together the Château des Cèdres park and the Jean park Valjean. Accessible to all, the Arboretum de Montfermeil is a park with a collection of about 160 trees and shrubs of various species and originating from all continents. The collections are presented on benches called ”  cairns  ” and classified according to the theme of the “Gallery of evolution”. The visit begins near the water, the origin of life, with the fossil tree, the Ginkgo Biloba, then it gradually rises along the wooded slopes to end in the Chromatic Gardens (gardens of colors) which symbolize the action of man on nature. Each bench shows a specific period in the evolution of the tree. 17 benches dot the park. 
• The “Au coq hardi” tavern, on the site of the Sept-Îles pond.
• the property of Domaine de Formigé, with 5.2 hectares at the edge of the Bondy Forest  ;
• Jean-Pierre Jousseaume park or Sempin park;
• the Parc des Ormes which has the Natura 2000 label  ;
• Henri Pescarolo park.

Cultural events and festivities 

• The Son et lumière show  : created in 1995 with the theme of the history of Montfermeil, it changed the theme in 2007 and highlighted ” Les Misérables ” based on the novel by Victor Hugo . It is staged for the occasion, by Jean-Jacques Lecorre and Glenn Mathe . This show ended inJuly 2013.
  The first edition of the new sound and light  : La dame aux camélias , took place injune 2015, the second is being prepared with more than 300 volunteers aged 10 to 83 playing 360 characters. For the occasion 400 costumes were purchased from the Warsaw Opera and the others were made by volunteers under the guidance of a professional costume designer. 
• The competition of houses and balconies full of flowers every summer.
• The contest of illuminated houses every Christmas.
• The culture and creation parade. It celebrated its 11 ^th  edition in 2016 and brings together more than 700 spectators, around fifty amateur or semi-professional designers and 200 amateur models. The Cultures et Création parade, created in 2005, in the aftermath of the riots, as a symbol of gathering, is helping to change the outlook on the suburbs. This event is sponsored by the LVMH group .
• The Brioche festival, which celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2013.
• The Neighbors Day . With more than thirty sites in 2015.
• The forum of associations and craftsmen.
• The Christmas market and the Creative Arts Fair.
• The traditional fireworks shot of the National Day which usually takes place onJuly 13in the park of the Moulin de Montfermeil (Moulin du Sempin).