Luxembourg Gardens – A walking tour of Paris’ most beloved garden by Yoel Tamanlis and Zvi Hazanov

The Luxembourg Gardens, which extend over approximately 240 dunams, constitute the largest green space in the heart of the Left Bank inParisThey are the result of complex decisions over complicated generations and would likely not have been born if King Henry IV had not been assassinated. In 4, immediately after the decision to open the gardens to the general public, they become a huge hit and attract thousands of visitors.

At the top of the list of “customers” of the gardens are the students studying at the various faculties in the Latin Quarter who wish to take advantage of the magical and tranquil atmosphere of the place. The gardens soon become the most popular park in Paris, an ideal place for a lunch break or a picnic, the ultimate Parisian park.

Why do I love the Luxembourg Gardens so much?

These gardens are my favorite place inParis. These are the most elegant gardens in the City of Lights. For me, they are the epitome of French landscape architecture. I come to them on every visit to Paris to soak up the special atmosphere and simply to find peace, since here is where Parisian life takes place, far from the hectic pace of life of the city that takes place beyond the fence. I recommend not missing the various components of this wonderful garden, which has earned itself a place of honor in the hearts of many Parisians and tourists, and dedicating a few hours to it.

Everyone can find their interest and occupation or their corner of paradise here:

• If you are a tourist looking for a spectacular, attractive and pleasant place, you are in the right place.
• If you are a student at one of the universities on the Left Bank who just wants to catch some peace and quiet before the upcoming exam, the Luxembourg Gardens are the ideal site for this.
• if you Parents of children on vacation For those looking for a little escape, these gardens have a lot to offer your children.
• If you are a music lover, you will find a variety of free concerts here that are open to the general public.
• If you are an athlete looking for a pleasant place to run, you are in the right place. If you are looking to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city while staying in Tabor, this is the place for you.
• If you feel like playing some tennis or שחמט, Bridge, or Patenga, you will always find suitable opponents here ready for battle.
• If you just feel like catching some sun on a bright day or just gathering strength for the rest of your daily trip, there is no more suitable and pleasant place.
• If you are a sculpture lover, the Luxembourg Gardens are heaven for you.
• If you are a "bookworm" and want to sit in a central, quiet place and just read a book, you are welcome to sit comfortably on one of the hundreds of green iron chairs scattered throughout the gardens, which were designed in their current form as early as 1923.
• And if you just want to be impressed and appreciate the beautiful gardens and buildings, then you are absolutely in the right place and at the right time, because it is always the right time in the Luxembourg Gardens.

The history of the Luxembourg Gardens

It all began after the death of King Henry IV when his wife, Queen Marie de Medici, decided to leave her residence in the Louvre. She was still in love with the Boboli Gardens and the Pitti Palace in Florence, where she had spent her childhood, and wished for a similar palace in Paris. In 4, she purchased the mansion of Duke François of Luxembourg, along with several other neighboring estates. The palace was built for her by the architect Salomon de Brosse, and the queen asked the famous painter Peter Paul Rubens to paint a series of paintings depicting her life with her ex-husband (these paintings can be seen today inThe Louvre MuseumIn 1624, a church was built next to the palace. Medici Fountain The rectangular building is built in the Italian style. It is surrounded by tall plane trees that shade it. The mythological figures on the fountain are a later addition by the sculptor Auguste Auten from 1866.

What a pity that Marie de Medici did not get to live in the palace for long and enjoy the gardens. She was expelled from France in 1631 after rebelling against her son Louis XIII and died in 13 in Cologne, in present-day Germany. As a result of being without a “landlord” for a long period, the gardens grew wild and inspired some of Jean-Antoine Watteau’s (1642-1684) most beautiful paintings. The palace went through several incarnations over the years: during the early 1721th century, it was home to the Duchesse de Berry (18-1695 Marie Louise Élisabeth d’Orléans), the wife of Regent Philippe of Orléans (not to be confused with Madame du Barry The mistress of Louis XV. During his time, the palace became a kind of den of burglars, and the Duchess used to bring her lovers there (the evil tongues of her time claimed that one of them was her father).

During the French Revolution, the palace became a prison where quite a few nobles were arrested and later transferred toConcierge And from there to the guillotine. During World War II it was captured by the Germans and housed the headquarters of the German Air Force (Luftwaffe).

Today it serves as the seat of the French Senate – the upper house of parliament. The gardens also underwent several changes and were redesigned by Algernon in the 19th century and have since retained more or less their shape and character.

Want to see what the Luxembourg Palace and its gardens looked like in the 18th century? Watch this video

Today's Luxembourg Gardens

The amazing gardens are characterized by great variation between the seasons. They change shape, atmosphere, and shades depending on the time. Therefore, it is highly recommended to visit them in all seasons of the year. Each season has its own shades and uniqueness, but the bottom line is that the garden is always beautiful and attractive. During periods of flowering or fall, it is difficult to withstand all this beauty and you have to check it again and again to believe it. In spring and summer, a particularly spectacular and colorful flower display takes place here, while in the fall the fall is breathtaking.

For many years, the gardens have been a center of attraction for Parisians and tourists from all over the world. Here you can see locals in their natural environment, meet French families at leisure, and watch couples in love strolling among the chestnut trees. Most of the gardens are carefully designed in a classic French style with straight lines and maximum symmetry, in the spirit of French thought that man dominates nature. Other parts of the garden are designed in a less polished English style, where space is given to natural growth. It is not surprising, then, that these gardens have inspired dozens of literary and cinematic works.

Over 100 impressive and magnificent statues are scattered throughout the garden, on the terraces, along the paths and in the lawns. Some are statues of royalty. France, which gives the place a rather prestigious appearance. Other statues are of famous figures from the fields of art and statesmanship, of wild animals and even a miniature model of the Statue of Liberty. There is no doubt that these magnificent gardens have become even more attractive, appealing and sought after than the magnificent Tuileries Gardens – their “competitors” on the right bank, located in the space between the Louvre Museum andPlace de la Concorde.

A perfect place to spend time with children in Paris (and with adults too)

The Luxembourg Gardens are undoubtedly one of the best and most enjoyable places to take children to spend time in Paris. At the time, Napoleon dedicated the garden to the children of Paris, and they took it seriously and have continued to enjoy it for over a hundred years. The children who flock to the gardens in droves can enjoy many and varied attractions and facilities: a puppet theater, modern playgrounds divided by age, pony rides, and more. The main attraction is around a beautiful octagonal pond located in front of the palace, where children can sail small, colorful sailboats for their enjoyment.

Older people, whether locals or occasional tourists, can spend a few wonderful hours playing chess, bridge, petanque and tennis. When the weather is nice, most of the day these facilities are full to capacity and the atmosphere is wonderful. During the Romantic period, the Luxembourg Gardens were a favorite getaway for famous artists, poets, philosophers and writers. Even today, looking at the radiant gardens, it is not difficult to understand their choice. Ernest Hemingway He said that as a penniless young writer struggling to make ends meet and sometimes starving, he used to come to the gardens, wait for moments when the guards were momentarily distracted, and catch pigeons for his dinner.

The gardens also host many cultural events: several times a year, changing photo exhibitions are displayed on the garden's gilded fences. The public can also enjoy free exhibitions held at the local gallery, and of course, you can visit (for a fee) the changing exhibitions that are considered very prestigious at the Luxembourg Museum, one of the city's most important museums, which opened its doors in 1750 and is considered the first museum in France. In the field of music, the many visitors can enjoy original concerts open to the public that take place on a circular orchestra stage placed in the center of the garden and known by locals as the "musical kiosk."

Several other attractions take place in the wonderful gardens: In the southern part of the garden, 300 different varieties of apples and pears grow in extensive orchards, and next to them lies an ancient beehive that was placed here in 1856, where bees produce honey that is sold to the general public every year at the end of September. The place also serves as a school for beekeepers, and lessons on the subject can be taken here. In the southeastern part of the garden, there are two large lawns, the only ones in the garden area that are allowed to be walked on. On beautiful days, when the weather is warm or even when the sun is just peeking through the clouds, you will find people sunbathing here in large numbers, in a very dense but pleasant atmosphere for everyone. A jogging path stretches around the entire garden. Many Parisians take advantage of it on weekends in particular and on weekdays in general to prevent unnecessary kilograms from clinging to their usually well-preserved bodies.

A walking tour of the Luxembourg Gardens (so you don't miss any of this beauty)

We will begin our tour of the gardens a little outside of them at the Port Royal metro station (RER B line) and we will immediately understand why.

Route map

Before we start the tour, I recommend clicking on the map below and opening it in a separate window.

Now that the map is in front of you, you can get started!

Marco Polo Gardens – the southern part of the Luxembourg Gardens

The original Luxembourg Gardens extended to the area of ​​the Port Royal metro station. In the 19th century, the Rue Auguste Comte was built across the gardens, resulting in a new garden named after Marco Polo, although historically it was an integral part of the Luxembourg Gardens.

In this charming garden (or perhaps it would be more accurate to call it an avenue) you can find a series of statues representing the parts of the day (morning, noon, evening), which were created in the 19th century by several artists. It is also highly recommended not to miss the charming fountain of Carpo (Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux 1827-1875), also from the 19th century.

View of the Luxembourg Palace

Continue north through the Marco Polo Gardens, cross the Rue Auguste Comte and enter through the gate into the Luxembourg Gardens. As you continue north through the avenues of trees and flowers, remember that the Luxembourg Gardens are like an urban theater where the scenery changes each season. And so several times a year the lawns are replaced, seasonal trees are brought in in pots, and flowers are planted.

When you reach the end of the avenue, you will see the southern facade of the Luxembourg Palace, which was added to it during the 19th century by the architect Alphonse de Gisors.

From there, continue towards the Medici Fountain mentioned earlier and exit the gardens onto rue de Medicis. On the way, you will see the statue of Henri Murger, who wrote about the life of Parisian bohemia in the first half of the 19th century and whose stories inspired Puccini’s opera “La Bohème.” Don’t worry, the trip is not over, we’ll be back soon.

The Luxembourg Gardens Cafe – The Hunting Ground of Paris’ Famous Serial Killer

After leaving the Luxembourg Gardens, walk along the fence south and enjoy the changing photography exhibitions (this tradition began in 2000 with the exhibition by Yann Artois Bertrand). After you've finished enjoying the photos, enter the Luxembourg Gardens at the first entrance you see.

Walk along the avenue of trees until you reach a small building where you can find various musical ensembles playing in the spring and summer. There is a café next to the building. This was the hunting ground of Henri Désiré Landru (1869-1921), one of the most famous serial killers in French history (if not the most famous).

Between 1914 and 1919, Landreau would place advertisements in the matchmaking sections of newspapers. In these advertisements, he presented himself as a financially secure and well-to-do widower in Paris’s high society, seeking a financially secure widow for a second marriage. Since World War I was taking place at this time and there was no shortage of widows, he also had quite a few “dates.” Landreau would meet his victims in this café for a first date. After several weeks in which he would make the women fall in love with him and give him access to their properties, he would murder them and burn their bodies in a furnace he built outside of Paris.

Landro was eventually caught in 1919 after the sister of one of the women he murdered managed to frame him. After a two-year trial, Landro was executed in Versailles. During his career, he managed to murder 10 women and one boy (the son of one of the women he murdered).

“The Selfie Statuette” and Statues of Important Women from History

Right next to the cafe we ​​talked about, you can find a statue of Shahak reciting lines from the text. If you look closely, you’ll probably think it’s a statue of someone taking a “selfie” of themselves using some old-fashioned cell phone 🙂

Speaking of statues, if you look west you will find 20 important women from French history scattered in a sort of half-threshing floor. 19 of these statues depict real women (most of them French queens). However, one statue is of Clémence Isaure, a mythological figure who, according to legend, created a medieval poetry contest in which the winners were awarded golden flowers.

The Luxembourg Gardens Pool – When Hemingway and Gertrude Stein Met

Go down the steps to the pond located in front of the southern facade of the palace. As written, this is one of the favorite places for the children of Paris and here they enjoy sailing their boats.

This is where Gertrude Stein and Ernest Hemingway first met, and the encounter marked the beginning of a wonderful friendship. Gertrude Stein loved to walk here every day because of the view. On the other hand, Hemingway loved to walk in this area because he was constantly hungry and the smells of cooking in the restaurants, which distracted him and caused him great sorrow, did not reach here…

Statue of Liberty

Continue west until you are very close to the Guynemer Street exit. On your right you will see a replica of the Statue of Liberty that Felix Bartholdi, the creator of the original statue, donated to the park in 1910.

.

You can also see not far from here an obelisk that is a monument to the composer Jules Massenet, known to us today for his famous opera Manon.

End of the trip – Luxembourg Gardens Gardening and Apiary School

Continue south parallel to Guynemer Street until you reach the southern fence of the garden. Here you will find a charming building from 1867, which is called Pavilion Davioud, after its architect. Originally a café, it is now a gardening school. Right next to the gardening school you will find beehives where future beekeepers are trained.

Our route ends here and you are welcome to take the metro or continue walking. In the 6th arrondissementI really hope you enjoyed it.

How do I get to the Luxembourg Gardens and what are the opening hours?

The Luxembourg Gardens are located up Boulevard Saint-Michel in the 6th arrondissement and extend along Rue Vaugirard. They can be reached by metro Odeon or by the Luxembourg RER station. The gardens are open daily from 07:30 a.m. until half an hour before sunset. The garden guards' whistles signal the closing of the gates.

Want to live near the Luxembourg Gardens?

You can find excellent hotels in the following districts:

• The 5rd District (in the western part)
• The 6rd District
• The 14rd District (in the southern part)

If you are specifically looking for a vacation apartment, then you can find some recommended apartments in those very same neighborhoods:

• The 5rd District
• The 6rd District
• The 14rd District

A few words about Yoel Tamanlis

Yoel is a Francophile who currently lives in Modi'in. In addition to being a journalist, he is also a photographer, and if you are interested in enjoying his beautiful photographs of Paris, you are welcome to take a look at the page Paris via ZoomIf you want to read the articles he published on the siteGo to this link.