The famous palace and park complex, located on 26 hectares in the area Latin quarter, owes to Maria de Medici, widow of the French king Henry IV. Italian by birth, she ordered to build country palace like two drops of water similar to where the queen was born and raised.
In 1611, around the palace, the architectural solution of which combines the Renaissance and the Baroque, a park was laid out in a strictly geometric order, with terraces and flower beds in the French style, and later an English-style park area was laid. The decoration of the Luxembourg Gardens, in addition to the palace, in which the French Senate now sits and works National Museum, three fountains have become, including the Baroque fountain of Marie de Medici, numerous marble sculptures, skillfully trimmed trees, manicured lawns and incredible beauty flower beds. Palm trees are lined up everywhere right in huge tubs - these heat-loving plants are transferred to the Greenhouse for the winter.
Surrounded by a tall wrought-iron fence Luxembourg garden - perfect place for walking. And it is good at any time of the year and day - quiet, spacious, romantic. Here you can wander for hours, admiring the views, looking at the monument to Marie de Medici or the 2-meter Statue of Liberty, the fourth in a row, and other equally magnificent creations of famous sculptors. Or you can take a chair from the large octahedral fountain and go with it to any corner of the garden - to relax or read a book. Bright green lawns seem to be designed to lie right on the grass on a hot summer day or have a modest quiet picnic - for Paris this is in the order of things.
However, the garden has all the conditions for active rest: many sports and playgrounds, tennis courts, carousels for children. Ponies, donkeys and carriages are running along the alleys. The music pavilion regularly hosts concerts and exhibitions. The Theater of Miniatures works. And on the water surface large fountain sailboat models can be launched. There are cafes nearby where you can enjoy a cup of coffee or a glass of wine outdoors.
Useful information
Where is
The address of the Luxembourg Gardens (original name - Jardin du Luxembourg) is as follows: Rue de Vaugirard, Boulevard St. Michel, Rue Auguste-Comte and Rue Guynemer, Paris, France.
How to get to the Luxembourg Gardens
The Luxembourg Gardens can be reached on foot at the end of Boulevard Saint Michel. Or take the metro to the station and "Odeon" or take the RER trains to the station "Luxemburg". City buses number 21, 27, 38, 58, 82, 83, 84, 85 and 89 also run here.
Opening hours of the Luxembourg Gardens
From November to March, the Garden accepts visitors from 8:15 to 16:45. April to October - 7:30 am to 9:45 pm. And only on Mondays - until 17:00. The opening hours also depend on the season and the Senate.
Entrance fee
The entrance to the Luxembourg Gardens is free.
Useful information
Relaxing in silence Luxembourg park, you can go for others bright impressions and emotions - for example, in the Louvre, against which the garden rests. Not far from here and to others famous places Paris - homes for invalids, Eiffel tower or the Zadkine Museum.
The Left Bank of Paris is famous for the magical charm of a truly French flavor. Here, every brick of old mansions is saturated with subtle notes of Parisian mood, which sweeps through the centuries in romantic waves through small cafes, majestic cathedrals, captivating roses of gardens and smiling eyes of noisy townspeople.
And the center of this beautiful area, which is called the Latin Quarter, is a magnificent park at the very end of Boulevard Saint-Michel - Luxembourg Gardens. This place is not only permeated with tender lines by Akhmatova, Tsvetaeva, Brodsky, Diderot, Russo, Ernst Hemingway, and it attracts not only because it is one of the main cultural heritage of the French capital, but primarily because the Luxembourg Gardens are saturated with that very unique energy of the left bank.
You can get to the Luxembourg Gardens either by walking along the boulevard Saint-Michel to the very end, or by taking the metro to the Luxembourg station. Behind a tall wrought-iron fence, which you will immediately notice as you approach the desired place, there is a garden covering an area of twenty-six hectares.
If you place a small historical background, then it should be said that the center of the park is luxurious palace Maria de Medici - Luxembourg Palace. Previously, it housed works by Rubens dedicated to the queen, and now periodically there are exhibitions of artists and sculptors of different schools and trends. Admission to them is completely free, since the masters are exhibited to gain fame and in the hope that the city or any fan of this type of creativity will acquire their work.
L Luxembourg Garden is known for both the most romantic and a beautiful fountain Paris - by the Medici fountain. In addition, the garden also contained the first variation of the Statue of Liberty (moved to the Orsay Museum in 2012), which adorns the “big apple” of the United States today. On top of all this, the park is full of interesting statues, which, on the one hand, simply add design ideas to the setting of plants and flowers, and on the other hand, some of them are small pieces of the great French heritage. For example, a statue of the Scottish Queen Mary Stuart stands almost invisible in a corner under a sad chestnut tree. It is difficult to find it, but meanwhile it is known all over the world and was sung in the verses of a considerable number of poets.
The territory of the Luxembourg Gardens is huge and is divided into two main parts: the central pompous part in front of the palace, decorated with a huge fountain, crazy and beautiful compositions of flowers, and numerous alleys with passages, meadows, sculptures, benches, cafeterias and cozy gazebos. It is impossible to get lost in the park and we are more than sure that everyone will be pleased to wander through it.
And so, the central part. Firstly, this is just a stunning place for photos, especially in spring and early summer, when all the splendor of countless flower beds and shrubs is wrapped in luxurious blooms of amazing flowers. The French often spend their leisure time here, sitting on benches with a bottle of water, a baguette, a book or just a cigarette to catch their breath, relax after a working day or bask in the sun instead of while away the time in stuffy rooms.
The Luxembourg Gardens is the most "French" of all the city's parks, because only here you can see the true purpose of green places in Paris, how Parisians spend their free time, and, finally, become one of them, comfortably sitting on an armchair by the fountain, inhaling the scent of roses and enjoying the freshness of the greenery, hiding from such a distant and at the same time immeasurably close city center from one side.
If you delve deeper into the alleys of this magical garden, you can find just a great many interesting places for leisure activities. Probably, it is worth starting with a small cafe, which is hidden from the shade of trees directly opposite the famous and already mentioned above Medici fountain. If you come to this place in the morning, you can appreciate one of the most magnificent breakfasts in Paris. No doubt it will be appreciated by lovers of French croissants, but supporters of the opposite point of view should take note of this cafe. After all, it is quite possible that once having been there, later they will change it!
In this small open-air cafe, with delicate wrought-iron tables that fill with yellow maple leaves in autumn and literally drown in them, simply amazing croissants and baguettes are baked every morning. Airy, softest, flawless and literally melting in your mouth. Believe me, breakfast in this place is worth it in order to avoid a tempting snack at the hotel in the morning and get (maybe even across the city) to a sophisticated and lyrical cafe in the depths of the Luxembourg Gardens.
By the way, basketball courts and tennis courts are located not far from the cafe, where everyone can play by renting rackets and balls right on the spot. Here they play "ball" - a certain French ancestor of golf, when several iron and wooden balls in a certain order are thrown into a hole on the lawn. In the park, you can ride a horse, a pony, an old carriage, or even an old carousel, which is more than a hundred years old.
The Luxembourg Gardens are a great place to spend pleasant leisure time or a picnic on the grass, or even just sit on the lawn or a chair and bask in the sun a little. Or just relax, inhaling the aroma of a fresh Parisian morning, and then take a stroll through the luxurious Luxembourg Gardens, which are simply impeccable in the morning hours.
It is impeccable both in summer, when tired Parisians hide from the tormenting heat under the crowns of age-old trees, and in autumn, when golden leaves fabulously fall on lonely cafe tables and graceful benches, and in winter, when the rainy freshness of the gray stone of the royal palace whispers about the eternity of its beauty, and in spring, when an endless array of luxurious flowers envelop every corner of the park with fireworks of colors and aromas.
The Luxembourg Gardens are always flawless ... Let me put an ellipsis, and you can put an end to this statement yourself when your foot steps on the rough gravel of the main alley of the pearl of Parisian parks.
There are many parks and gardens in Paris, and it is rather difficult to get around all of them if you do not live in this city for a long time. At the same time, you should definitely see at least two of them, the most famous and "atmospheric" - the Tuileries Garden and the Luxembourg Gardens, which will be discussed in this article.
The Tuileries Garden is impossible to miss - it is located in the very center of Paris, in the 1st arrondissement on the right bank of the Seine, opposite the Louvre. The Luxembourg Gardens is located in the VI arrondissement on the left bank of the river in the heart of the Latin Quarter. Both the garden and the Latin Quarter are imbued with the same notorious “Parisian spirit” that we are used to presenting through films and literary works. Climbing deeper into the Latin Quarter, you will be pleasantly surprised by a sharp decrease in the number of tourists around, and on many streets on a weekday you will find yourself almost alone at all, except for the few local pensioners or mothers with strollers walking leisurely about their business.
The Luxembourg Gardens is one of the oldest parks in Paris and the seat of the Senate. It was founded at the beginning of the 17th century - in 1612 - by the widow of the French king Henry (Henri) IV, Maria de Medici. The Medici, after the murder of her husband in 1610 by a religious fanatic until 1617, was actually the acting king, that is, the regent, until the heir came of age. Actually, the short and far from cloudless reign of Maria de Medici is inscribed in French history precisely thanks to the construction of the Luxembourg Palace and the creation of an elegant garden around it on an area of 23 hectares.
Today the Luxembourg Gardens - favorite place walks of Parisians from small to large, who affectionately call him "Luko" with an emphasis on the last syllable. Moreover, it is good at any time of the year: in winter under snow, in early spring, when the trees are covered with soft green foliage, in autumn decorated with bright wilting leaves and, of course, in summer, when its spreading trees help the townspeople to survive the heat.
Unlike the more "central" and dynamic Tuileries Garden, a walk through the Luxembourg Gardens immerses you in contemplation and awakens a slight melancholy. It is not for nothing that the great Parisians, Denis Diderot and Voltaire, loved to walk in this park; Victor Hugo and Jean-Paul Sartre, William Faulkner and Milan Kundera mentioned in their works the Luxembourg Gardens. Its alleys were painted by Delacroix and Van Gogh, and also filmed by filmmakers Roman Polanski, Jean-Luc Godard and many others.
The Luxembourg Gardens are full of attractions:
- Luxembourg Palace where the upper chamber of the French parliament sits - the Senate, as well as the so-called "Small Palace" - the seat of the head of the Senate;
- Museum in the Luxembourg Gardens(located in one wing of the palace). Information on . Access to the museum and the Senate is from the rue Vaugirard;
- Greenhouse, built in 1839. In the greenhouse and greenhouses of the Luxembourg Gardens, about 180 species of plants, including tropical ones, are cultivated, which adorn the territory of the palace and park. In summer, you can visit its halls and see temporary exhibitions, for example, the collection of orchids.
The territory of the Luxembourg Gardens is divided into "French", that is, made in the French style, and "English". Among the neat alleys with trimmed trees and planted flowers are:
Fountains, the oldest and most graceful of which are Fountain of Maria de Medici 1630 in one of the corners of the garden;
- 106 sculptures throughout the territory, many of which are the work of renowned masters. These are figures of historical characters, heroes of ancient Greek myths, animals, etc.
On the territory of the Luxembourg Gardens, there are many entertainments for adults and children: tennis and basketball courts, a carousel, a pony ride, the old Guignol puppet theater (French Petrushka). Children constantly launch boats in the main and largest reservoir of the Grand Bassin garden, opposite the Luxembourg Palace - this entertainment has its roots in last century... It is not necessary to bring boats with you, but you can rent them here.
How to get to the Luxembourg Gardens:
By RER line B, Luxemburg stop (closest to the garden entrance);
Metro lines M4 (Vavin or Saint-Sulpice stations) and M12 (Notre-Dam-des-Champs station);
Buses 21,27, 38, 58, 82, 83, 84, 85, 89, RATR.
It is quite possible to reach the Luxembourg Gardens on foot, for example, from Notre Dame, crossing one of the bridges to the left bank of the Seine River. If you don't want to delve too deeply into the streets of the Latin Quarter, then the Boulevard Saint-Michel leads to the Luxembourg Gardens from Notre-Dame (you get to it by crossing the Pont Saint-Michel).
A real tourist, getting ready for his next trip, always plans what sights to visit. There are many such places in Paris - the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, Champs Elysees... But the article will focus on the park, which must be seen with your own eyes. This is the Luxembourg Gardens. Located in the historical part of the city, it is part of the famous palace complex, which, in its luxury and pomp, is not inferior to Versailles itself.
An excursion into history
The creation of this magnificent park and palace was contributed by the Italian Maria Medici. In the 16th century, being the widow of King Henry IV, she commissioned the creation of a garden around country house, which was located far from the bustle of the capital. The palace project was based on the image of the Palazzo Pitti. Maria spent her childhood in it (far away in Florence). As you know, this Italian city is one of the main architectural gems all over the world and still surprises modern engineers with the complexity and magnificence of the forms of buildings.
According to the original idea, the palace and park ensemble was supposed to have vast forest areas, artificial lakes, lush flower beds. In order for the plants to receive everything they need (and land plot was large enough), in 1613 the construction of the aqueduct began. It lasted over ten years.
In 1617, the Luxembourg Gardens in Paris expanded their holdings. These were adjacent lands formerly owned by the Roman Catholic Church.
In the 17th century, the park was recognized by Parisians as a great place to relax. Masses of people began to visit him. In the 18th century, the Luxembourg Gardens were a real place of inspiration. The park was visited by the thinker and philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau, as well as Denis Diderot, a famous educator and playwright. Guy de Maupassant was a fan botanical garden and tree nursery.
Time passed, the owners of the palace and its parks changed. Together with them, the territory was transformed. Grandson Louis XIV, gave the order to change the area around the structures in the middle of the garden. It was complemented by a magnificent painting of the Avenue de l'Aubservatoire.
In 1782 the estate was restored. In the course of the work, several hectares of the park area were lost. These changes were initiated by the Count of Provence, who later became King Louis XVIII.
After the seizure of church property, namely the monastery of monks, the territory of the park became larger and remains so to this day.
"Heart" of the Luxembourg Gardens
One of the main attractions of the park is the palace built by Maria Medici. The Queen was bored with life in the Louvre. Perhaps she was homesick for her home in Italy. That is why I decided to set up an estate on the outskirts of Paris, where you could retire and forget about the bustle of the city.
The architect, working on the Florentine model, still created something unique, filled with the French soul.
This architectural monument survived the most incredible events, changed several owners. Even visited the role of a prison, which contained about 800 prisoners. The famous revolutionary Georges Danton also visited the palace grounds as a prisoner. Arriving there, he announced that he planned to free the prisoners. But fate decreed otherwise, and he himself had to become one of them.
Fountain Carpo
In addition to picturesque buildings, the Luxembourg Gardens in Paris has other attractions. For example, the Observatory fountain. It is located in the southern part of the park. The fountain was created in 1874 thanks to the joint work of several architects at once.
In the center of the building, on a hill, there are four women who represent Europe, Asia, Africa and America. With their naked bodies, they support within which the globe is located.
There are eight horses on the middle tier. They are made in a dynamic style, as if rushing forward. Next to them are fish, and below them are turtles, releasing jets of water.
This is not the only fountain in the Luxembourg Gardens that deserves attention.
Medici fountain
By order of Mary, one of the most magnificent architectural structures parka. The fountain that is named after her is the Medici. The project was designed by Salomon de Bross. Initially, the building was a grotto, but later it was changed.
The Medici Fountain in the Luxembourg Gardens contains a number of sculptures. On the sides are Leda and the swan, looking at each other. The central composition appeared later, in 1866. Its author was Auguste Otten. It is an illustration of the myth of Polyphemus: below, naked Galatea and Acis lie in each other's arms, and above them, ready to jump, a huge Centaur.
The front part of the fountain is designed like a pond. Several species of fish live in its waters. The largest population of them is represented by catfish.
Sculptures
Walking the winding paths in the garden, you can see many more unique architectural monuments. Hundreds of sculptures are located in various areas of the park.
The first "Statue of Liberty" by Frédéric Bartholdi, statues of French queens, prominent women of the country, for example, Louise of Savoy are just a few units of splendor. All this is kept in the Luxembourg Gardens.
There are sculptures of heroes of ancient Greek myths and animals.
Art Museum
Another place that attracts tourists is located in the park. This is a museum in the Luxembourg Gardens. Back in the middle of the 18th century, exhibitions of royal paintings were held within its walls. This was the starting point in the history of the museum, making it the first place where unique masterpieces were revealed to the general public.
At the beginning of the 19th century, works by contemporaries were exhibited here, which allowed artists to demonstrate their art during their lifetime.
Today the museum is open for original exhibitions, organizing thematic events.
Nature in the park
Of course, the palace and park ensemble cannot be imagined without its green areas. Plants in the park do not stop blooming throughout the warm period. The gardeners working here are always busy. They change the types of plants in the flower beds three times a year. Thus, an incredible decorative effect of the landscape is achieved.
In the most warm months visitors can see plants in tubs. These are date palms, oleanders, orange and pomegranate trees. Moreover, some species have been growing here for two hundred years. At other times they are exhibited in the greenhouse.
Near the fence were spread their branches of apple and pear trees, which were planted by the monks.
All plants in the garden tolerate diseases and bad weather very well. Trees such as chestnuts, lindens, maples create an extraordinary atmosphere and are home to several species of birds.
Modern rest
Today the Luxembourg Gardens is one of best places for a vacation in Paris. Elderly couples come here to stroll slowly through the shadowy streets and read their favorite books on the benches.
Fans of outdoor activities can rent carriages, or ride a pony. There are basketball and tennis courts in the park. If you prefer mind games, try your hand at chess with local old-timers.
The Guignol stone theater of miniatures will not leave indifferent any child. Fascinating performances are held there almost every day. Kids will be able to have fun on special playgrounds with slides and swings. Here you can even ride on old carousels or launch a boat in the largest reservoir, Grand Bassin.
Often visitors to the park in sunny days are located at the walls of the greenhouse.
Working hours
It should be noted that the park is not always open to visitors. This happens because employees carry out certain work to improve it, clean the territory, and eliminate breakdowns.
From April until the end of October, the garden is open from half past seven in the morning until nine in the evening. In November, the schedule changes, there is less time for visiting - from eight in the morning to five in the evening.
Getting to the park is easy - you just need to take the subway train and get off at Odeon station.
If you are going on a trip, be sure to make a list of what you want to visit the sights of Paris. It is not difficult to find a description of any of them, but as they say, it is better to see once. What could be more exciting than plunge into the world of the past, touch the history, imagine yourself as a queen walking around her estate?
The Luxembourg Gardens (French Jardin du Luxembourg) in Paris is a palace park on the left bank of the Seine, a favorite vacation spot for Parisians and tourists.
The original garden was only 8 hectares and was not large park with trees, flower beds and artificial ponds. In the 1630s, the garden was expanded to thirty hectares and acquired a modern look.
After the death of Maria de Medici, the monarchs largely neglected the garden. In 1780, Louis XVIII sold eastern part park, however, after the French Revolution, the garden was expanded to 40 hectares and restored.
In 1865, during the reconstruction of the Luxembourg Gardens, a fence was built around the park, an orchard was planted and numerous statues were installed.
Garden attractions in Jardin du Luxembourg
In the Luxembourg Gardens, you can have a great time admiring a beautiful palace and reservoirs with fountains. There is a large orchard, an apiary, a greenhouse, a rose garden and 106 statues scattered throughout the park, in particular the sculpture of Marie de Medici and the Statue of Liberty.
By the way, there are four Statues of Liberty in Paris: one, as we already know, is in the Luxembourg Gardens, the second is in the Museum of Arts and Crafts, the third is on the Swan Island, and the fourth Statue of Liberty can be seen near the Eiffel Tower.
Luxembourg Palace - residence of Maria de Medici
The Luxembourg Palace was erected in the 1630s as royal residence Maria de Medici. The palace was built according to the project of the architect Salomon de Bross in a transitional style from the Renaissance to the Baroque. At the beginning of the 19th century, after the revolution, the residence was converted into a legislative building and significantly expanded by Alphonse de Gisor. Since 1958, the French Senate has been sitting in the palace.
Medici fountain
The Medici Fountain is located in the beautiful countryside of the Luxembourg Gardens. It was built in 1624 together with the palace park. The fountain depicts a mythical episode - the meeting of the nymph Galatea with her beloved Acis, and the cruel Cyclops Polyphemus hangs over them. The pond adjacent to the fountain appeared in 1862, at the same time the statues of the Seine and Rhone were installed, as well as the coat of arms of the Medici family.
Fun in the Luxembourg Gardens
On a huge territory palace and park ensemble there's a lot interesting entertainment for children and adults. In the western part of the Jardin du Luxembourg there is a large playground "Green Chicken" (Poussin Vert). It is divided into two zones: for children under 7 years old and for children from 7 to 12 years old. Playground equipped with sandpits, slides, rope trails, a climbing wall and a variety of swings.
In the park, children can ride a pony or an old 100-year-old carousel, watch a performance of Guignol's life in a small puppet theater.
The most popular activity for children in the Luxembourg Gardens is launching remote-controlled boats and sailboats in the large swimming pool in front of the palace. This entertainment was mentioned by Joe Dassin in his song "Le Jardin Du Luxembourg".
For adults there is no less interesting options for leisure activities. The park is equipped with tennis courts and basketball courts. There is an open music pavilion where you can listen to the performance for free. For lovers board games there is an indoor chess playground. In addition, visitors can view a free photo exhibition that is held on the outside of the garden fence.
Parisians and guests of the capital choose the Luxembourg Gardens for family picnics, romantic walks and reading books. On vast lawns in good weather there are always a lot of vacationers. And if you want to see the environs of Paris from above, visit the Montparnasse Tower - the most controversial building in the city, which at the same time spoils the view and allows you to enjoy it.
Information for tourists
Address: Rue de Vaugirard / Rue de Médicis, 75006 Paris, France.
Entrance to the garden- free for everyone.
How to get to the Luxembourg Gardens
Metro(nearest stations):
- line 4 - Odéon, Saint-Sulpice, Saint-Placide;
- line 10 - Mabillon, Odéon;
- line 12 - Rennes, Notre-Dame des Champs.
RER: Luxembourg station (line B).
By bus(nearest stops):
- Senat - buses No. 58, No. 84, No. 89;
- Musée du Luxembourg - buses no. 58, no. 84, no. 89;
- Luxembourg - buses No. 38, No. 82, No. 84, No. 89;
- Guynemer-Vavin - buses No. 58, No. 82, No. 83.
Cycling from the Vélib network- the nearest rental office is 6009 at 28 Rue Guynemer.
Opening hours:
- 7:30 - 21:30 - from April to October;
- 8:15 - 16:30 - November to March.
The Luxembourg Gardens, like Paris itself, are beautiful at any time of the year. When planning your trip to France, take care of your accommodation in advance. You can select and book on our website.
Luxembourg Gardens on a map of Paris
The Luxembourg Gardens (French Jardin du Luxembourg) in Paris is a palace park on the left bank of the Seine, a favorite vacation spot for Parisians and tourists.
The history of the creation of the Luxembourg Gardens
The Luxembourg Gardens was created on the initiative of Queen Marie de Medici in 1612 and now covers an area of 25 hectares.
