Jardin du Luxembourg is 55 acres of green space in the heart of the Latin Quarter. It’s the perfect place to relax and a great place to people watch, tourist and locals alike.
Marie de Medici homesick for Florence designed the gardens and filled them with statues and fountains. The Medici Fountain is not only a beautiful fountain to photograph but it was also a tranquil spot to join the locals and relax with a good book.
This is the perfect park for children or the young at heart. It has puppet shows, pony rides and a large fountain for children to push toy sailboats. You don’t need to be a child to enjoy watching your sailboat go where the wind takes it.
I followed the sound of music and caught this local band playing. I was told this pavilion is also a place that has dance bands on summer evenings. Now that would be fun to see.
As I walked through the park I caught these beekeepers busy tending their beehives. It’s one of the reasons that the trees and flowers thrive.
I discovered the park even has a Petanque court, french bocce ball. I actually got caught up watching these older gentlemen play. I wasn’t sure what they were shouting but their enthusiasm was contagious.
On another day I took a bus to the Parc de Boulogne and it takes the prize for the biggest park in Paris. It is estimated to be double the size of Central Park in New York City. It’s a huge park and I only took the time to go to the botanical garden Parc de Bagatelle. Since it was Spring the tulips and roses were in full bloom, there was color everywhere.
There are also picturesque Anglo-Chinese pagodas and this Empress kiosk.
I loved strolling through the fabulous rose garden that contains over 10,000 rose bushes and trellises.
On one of my last days in Paris, I went to Parc Monceau. It may not be on the must-visit list but it definitely is the smartest park in Paris. It is located in the upscale neighborhood in the 8th arrondissement, surrounded by beautiful buildings and a short stroll from the Musee Jacquemart Andre. It is full of interesting architectural antiques and sculptures. Including these Corinthian columns of a Naumachie, a roman stage for naval battles.
It’s a small intimate park. I saw groups of friends and families chatting, having a picnic or a moment of peace sitting or lying on the grass. Most of them looked like locals having a day in the park.
