Honey offers many benefits. In Paris Ile-de-France, many varieties of different qualities of these sweet blond sugar-laden substances are produced by bees from nectar stored in hives. Come and meet the beekeepers and the bees at the Forest parc de la Poudrerie, Honey known as "concrete" from Saint-Denis, the Murs à Pêches in Montreuil or the educational apiary in Saint-Ouen.
Accessible to everybody during “open days” (from June to mid-September) and all year for groups on primary booking, Maison des abeilles is an educational place to inform on bee keeping. In the majestic forest park de la Poudrerie, you will be able to get close to bees safely by webcam or via glass hives. Honey tasting will be accompanied by explanations to allow you to better understand the work of the working bees, extraction techniques and all the techniques used from the beehive to the honey jar by the onsite beekeeper volunteers.
A multi-medal winner since 2001 each year at the Regional Agricultural contest, the “miel béton” meaning concrete honey, is produced by bees installed on the roof of the city hall of Saint-Denis and on the pavements and sidewalks of the town. You can buy it at the tourist office gift shop. Via the generic term of "Pollination of the town" Olivier Darné, plastic artist and urban beekeeper, has carried out transdidplinary research work over several years in the town.
Le Rucher Audonien, the educational apiary, is an association founded in 2002, where a dozen or so volunteers come together to share their passion for honey. These enthusiasts take care of a dozen hives located in Saint-Ouen and gather the honey according to traditional methods. Honeypots are on sale at the apiary during activities and at Saint Ouen tourist office, all year long depending on stock. The 2011 harvest was awarded a gold medal at the regional contest. Buy your honey at the tourist office.
A dozen or so beekeepers produce honey in Montreuil in the parks, buildings and industrial terraces ...). One professional beekeeper, whose hives are located on the site of Murs à pêches produces different types of honey (in 2011: honey acacia, lime, ivy and also the rare type of honey Sophora from Japan). The other beekeeper produces flower-scented honey in the Parc des Beaumonts. 250 and 500 grams of honeypots are on sale.
It is in the Cité-Jardins of Stains where the apiary is installed. The "Parti Poétique" association helps the inhabitants take care of their hives to harvest this mild sweet product.
Honey has been produced in Stains since 2013 - come and learn all about it!
Since the end of May, 2014 the town of Epinay-sur-Seine has got a strange object at Place Oberursel - Cité d'Orgemont. The bees from the towns may now find a place to take refuge - in an “urban forage” which allows for pollination in the heart of the town. This artwork is the creation of the association Parti Poétique that allows a colony of bees to live and produce honey... an urban honey harvest. Maybe you will be able to taste this honey at one of their “pot” sales ! In progress.
On the theme of bees: honey worshops for children in Paris