Luxembourg Gardens

The Jardin du Luxembourg is the favourite park of many Parisians, a place of formal lawns, tree-lined avenues, fountains and statues on the Left Bank, between the Latin Quarter and Saint-Germain-des-Prés. It was created in 1612 by Marie de' Medici, the widow of Henri IV, who had grown up in Florence and wanted a palace and gardens in the Italian style, like the Pitti Palace of her childhood. The architect Salomon de Brosse built the Palais du Luxembourg for her, and it now houses the French Senate. The park, about twenty-five hectares in size, was laid out in a mixture of French formal geometry near the palace and a more informal English style in the western section, which was added in the nineteenth century.

The central axis runs from the palace to the Grand Bassin, a large octagonal pond where children sail small wooden boats, a Parisian tradition that goes back to the nineteenth century, and visitors can hire boats in the afternoons. Around the water, the famous green metal chairs invite you to sit in the sun, read or watch the world go by. The Medici Fountain, built in the early seventeenth century in a shady corner under tall plane trees, is a romantic Italianate grotto with a long pool, one of the most beautiful corners of Paris. Statues of queens of France and famous figures line the terraces, and there is a small replica of the Statue of Liberty by the sculptor Bartholdi, a reminder of the artist's links to Paris.

The garden is a place for many activities. Elderly men play chess in a corner, and games of pétanque and the traditional long paume, a ball game, are held in the grounds. A bandstand hosts concerts, and there are tennis courts, a playground, a puppet theatre, a carousel and an orchard of old varieties of apple and pear. The garden also hosts horticultural classes and beekeeping lessons, since there is a bee yard, and themed walks are organised.

There are rules to follow, which are posted at the gates: do not walk on the lawns, do not pick flowers, and keep dogs out, apart from in the dedicated zone. Bicycles and scooters are not allowed inside. The gates open early in the morning and close at dusk, with hours that vary by season, and entry is free. The main entrances are at the Rue de Médicis, the Rue Vaugirard and Boulevard Saint-Michel. The metro and RER B are close.

The garden suits families, picnickers, joggers and anyone who wants a break from sightseeing. Allow an hour or two, and the Panthéon and the Sorbonne are near.