Follow
Paris is a beautiful city with famous gardens of all types. From ancient royal garden to modern themed garden, they are all there decorating the city and creating escapades for its citizens and tourists.
More than that, they also often have more to offer than just fresh air and natural beauty. Parc André Citroën features a moored gas balloon and Parc de la Villette features a modern IMAX theater plus the biggest science museum in Europe. Whatever it is, these gardens are great way to enjoy a different side of Paris.
Here are ten best gardens in Paris that you must not miss while you are in town.
Luxemburg Garden
Boulevard Saint-Michel, Ile-de-France, Paris, France, 75006
Luxemburg Garden or Jardin du Luxemburg in its original language is one of the largest public parks in Paris. Covering 224,500 square meters of area, the garden gets its name from the Luxemburg Palace which stands right in front it.
The garden was constructed by the order of Maria de Medicis, King Henry IV’s widow in 1612. Therefore, Luxemburg Garden is heavily influenced by Italian Baroque style, specifically made to resemble Florence garden.
Luxemburg Garden is well-known as it is several times mentioned in popular culture such as in Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables. Free musical performances and numerous monuments and statues are things you can enjoy in the garden. Read More…
Bois de Vincennes
Avenue de Paris, to the east of 12 arrondissement, Paris
Located in the suburb of Paris in Vincennes town, Bois de Vincennes has the privilege to occupy such a massive land at 9.946 square km and nicknamed as Paris’ Lung for its rich and expanded greenery.
The park was originally used as the hunting area for kings of France. A château was built on spot as the famous hideaway for the kings in 14th century. It once also had the honor to host the 1900 Summer Olympics archery events.
Lakes and floral park are two natural attractions provided by Bois de Vincennes. The floral park which holds hundreds of flower and plants varieties such as irises, dahlias, and camellias are such a great sight to enjoy.
Cultural aspect f the park is represented by a Buddhist Center which opens every summer and children can visit Bois de Vincennes Zoo, a small zoo inside the park, when it opens in 2014. Read More…
Parc des Buttes Chaumont
Rue Manin and Rue Botzaris, Place Armand-Carrel, 19th arrondissement, Paris.
Covering 247, 316 square meter of area, Parc des Buttes Chaumont is located in 19th arrondissment of Paris. Originated as a limestone quarry public waste back in the 19th century, the park is now one of Parisians’ favorite public parks to spend some time relaxing after hectic hours.
The pinnacle of Parc des Buttes Chaumont’s attractions is Sybille shrine which is a Corinthian-styled shrine built to resemble the Roman Temple of Vesta in Tivoli, Italy. The park also features flora richness and rarity with its Byzantine hazelnuts and sequoia trees. Read More…
Jardin des Tuileries
Rue de Rivoli, Ile-de-France, 75001 Paris
Located just next to two Paris famous tourist attractions, Le Lourve and Place de la Concorde, Jardin des Tuileries is simply the most visited park in Paris. It also has its historical value as the oldest public park in Paris.
The park was built by the order of Queen Catherine de Medicis in 1559 after King Henri II passed away. Its function beside as a strolling area was to hold important parties and celebrations such as Marguerite de Valois’ wedding.
Inside Jardin des Tuileries, there is a miniature of Arc de Triomphe called Arc de triomphe du Carrousel. Just like the original, this site is also used as military cavalry parade. Read More…
Jardin des Plantes
Jardin des Plantes is more a botanical garden than a public park for relaxing. Originally built as a royal garden to grow medicinal plants, Jardin des Plantes was open to public in 1640.
The main attractions of Jardin des Plantes include a small zoo, Muséum national d’histoire naturelle, and a labyrinth. There are also themed gardens where plants of similar nature or habitat are grown.
One most unique from Jardin des Plantes is that it has been a place for a botany school and its students to do research and observation. You can see these students engaged in various projects all day long. Read More…
Parc Montsouris
Avenue Reille and Boulevard Jourdain, 14th arrondissement of Paris
Parc Montsouris is one of Paris’ gardens that have English romantic style. The park is a result of Paris reconstruction plan in the 19th century. Located right next to residential districts and Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris, the park is a convenient choice as a relaxation hideaway for the surrounding residents.
The park is the house for around 150 species of tree with numerous brooks, waterfalls, hidden nooks, and wooden footpaths. A giant man-made lake is full of wild animals such as swans, ducks, turtles, geese, and birds which will tempt you to feed them. Read More…
Bois de Boulogne
At 8.459 square kilometers, Bois de Boulogne is two and a half times larger than New York’s Central Park. Originally stood as an oak forest in 7th century, the park today still retains its oak trees comprising up to 50% of the park’s tree population. It was Napoleon III who turned it into a park in 1852.
Jardin d’Acclimation is probably the most popular attraction in Bois de Boulogne since it houses various interesting attractions such as museum, menagerie, and animal park. An annual festival is held every July and attended by camping audiences. Read More…
Promenade Plantée
Promenade Plantée is the most unique park in Paris. The green walkway expands 4.7 kms long constructed on a 19th century Vincennes railway viaduct. Officially, this elevated park starts from Opera Bastille and ends at a spiral staircase of Périphérique boulevard.
The park is popular as a perfect place to stroll along in a beautiful morning or afternoon and has been feature on several popular culture arts such as the movie Before Sunset and novel Olympos by Dan Simmons. Read More…
Parc de la Villette
Who would have thought that this beautiful garden was the largest slaughterhouse in Paris? Thanks to Napoleon III, the slaughterhouse was moved to a new place and the place where it stood was turned into a modern park which carried deconstructivism as its main theme.
Bernard Tschumi was assisted by Jacques Derrida, a famous French philosopher and deconstructionist in designing the park. As a result, it is not your ordinary park, but one with rich lines, points, and surfaces figures that will trigger its visitors to create their own activities and interact with each other.
Parc de la Villette also houses the biggest science museum in Europe, Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie, concert halls and prairies. Read More…
Parc André Citroën
Rue Balard, rue Saint-Charles ou quai André Citroën, Paris
As the name can tell you, Parc André Citroën was built on a former Citroën automobile plant founded by André Citroën. When the plant was closed down in 1970, some of its area was built as park to fulfill Paris’ urbanization policy. The park then develops into an enchanting park with elegant design and exciting attraction. The most famous attraction is a moored gas balloon that allows visitors to view the city of Paris from above. Read More…
