The patch of the world's evolution
13.7 billion years, on a human scale
It's hard to imagine a billion years. Astrophysicist Carl Sagan proposed a simple idea: what if the entire history of the universe fitted into a single year? The Big Bang would take place at midnight on 1 January, and the present moment would be midnight on 31 December.
This idea inspired the Path of the World's Evolution: a waymarked trail through the Clos, sign after sign, faithfully following this scale. With every step, a date on the imaginary calendar, and the real stage in the history of life that it represents.
The trail begins in the darkness of the origins and ends, as it should, at the present moment: you. Along the way, young and old alike discover that almost everything familiar to us — dinosaurs, mammals, and ourselves — unfolds in the very last days of this cosmic year.
A playful and dizzying way to take the measure of time, before heading off to enjoy the wine, truffles or fruit of the Clos.
- Birth of the Milky Way19 January
- The Sun ignites2 September
- First land animals20 December
- You are hereToday
A few signs along the way
Each stage of the trail is marked by an illustrated, bilingual sign telling the story of a key moment in the history of life — from the formation of the first stars to the appearance of our species.
Discover the path of the world's evolution
The starting point of the walk: 13.7 billion years of history, scaled down to a single year to make sense of it all.
The first galaxies, then the first stars
Immense clouds of hydrogen are drawn together by gravity and begin to spin: the first galaxies. Where matter becomes even more concentrated, the temperature soars — the first stars ignite.
Earth's first cataclysm, the birth of the Moon
Theia, a planet the size of Mars, collides violently with Earth. Theia disintegrates; its debris, flung into space, gradually gathers in orbit — this is how the Moon was formed.
The 2nd mass extinction, the most destructive
Pangaea fractures, and titanic volcanoes cover an area the size of Europe in lava. More than 96% of living species disappear — life will have to rebuild from scratch.
The first mammals and dinosaurs
Life starts again, once more, from the depths where it survives best. The first dinosaurs appear; so do the first mammals, though they keep a low profile — far smaller than their neighbours.
Here ends… the path of the world's evolution
On this one-year scale, our entire species represents just 4 minutes. A walk that reminds us of the rarity and preciousness of life — and leaves everyone with one question: what will we do with it?
Ready to walk all the way to today?
- Duration45 minutes to 1.5 hours, at your own pace
- Distance450 metres
- EntryFree (a contribution towards upkeep is suggested)
- SeasonOpen all year round (except in rain and snow)
