Jardin du Luxembourg Park in Paris
The Jardin du Luxembourg is a very popular park for both locals and tourists alike, whether you want a game of tennis, let the children enjoy the pond with model boats or a puppet show, relax on the lawns or chairs by one of the many statues and monuments, or admire the Palais du Luxembourg, the fountains and the flower beds, etc, there is something for everyone in this incredible garden in Paris.
About the Jardin du Luxembourg
You will find that the history of the Jardin du Luxembourg goes back to the start of the 1600s, when the land was owned by the Duke of Luxembourg, and it was then purchased by Queen Marie de Medici so that she could have a new palace constructed on the grounds.
And so, even today there are the constant reminders of the original buildings including the Petit Luxembourg and the Palais du Luxembourg, which is home to the French Senate, plus there are other historical features within the gardens such as the ornate fountains of the Jardin du Luxembourg.
Even though the garden and park has altered over the years, there are many impressive original features such as the large pond or basin located in front of the Palais du Luxembourg and the Fontaine Medicis.
The large pond in an octagonal shape called the Grande Bassin, has one central jet for a water feature, but is now popular for sailing model boats, which are also available to rent, and the Medicis Fountain now has a water feature in front of it and another fountain behind, along with additional statues.
And talking of statues in Paris, there are approximately 100 different statues and monuments that you can discover in this garden alone, most of which date from the 1800s and include statues of French queens. There are also monuments dedicated to specific people along with animal sculptures, those inspired by mythology and even an original model of the Statue of Liberty.
The Jardin du Luxembourg is also home to the Musee du Luxembourg, which was first established in the 1700s and is now home to temporary exhibitions, plus there is an Orangerie, a fruit garden and hothouses that contain rare orchids, although, belonging to the Senate, the hothouses are only open on Heritage Days.
You will find different styles of garden including a roserie and the fruit garden, and some areas are laid out in a traditional French style with formality, yet there is also an English style garden and yet there are a few parts remaining from when the gardens were originally styled upon the Italian garden in Florence where Marie de Medici grew up.
But in one area of the garden close to La Fontaine Medicis, there is a diagonal path or ally, which provides a lovely view towards The Pantheon, that is a far more recent addition to some of the older allies and paths.
Incredibly, just like you can find in the Tuileries Gardens, there are well over 3000 different chairs and relaxer chairs dotted all over the gardens that are free to use so that you can enjoy the beautiful flowerbeds, the numerous different varieties of shrubs and trees, or watch people playing games like chess, or boules on one of the four petaque courts.
There are also six tennis courts and a basketball court along with a childrens playground and a sand pit for the very young ones, plus during the warmer months children can enjoy pony rides within this park in Paris, not forgetting that there are often live music events being conducted at the bandstand in the Jardin du Luxembourg.
But there are also other forms of entertainment for children including an historical merry-go-round and the Theatre des Marionnettes du Jardin du Luxembourg, yet adults can also discover exhibitions of art works, sometimes located on the grills surrounding this large garden that spreads over an area of approximately 50 plus acres.
In addition to all these activities and attractions, you also have the Pavillon Davioud, which is home to a horticultural school first founded in the early 1800s. Plus there are the beehives, or apiary, and this has been a feature of the Luxembourg Gardens for well over 150 years, with a honey festival is also held here yearly.
So as you can tell, with its rich history and the amount contained within this garden in Paris, the Jardin du Luxembourg is an ideal place to visit for a family day out, whether as a tourist or someone who is residing in the city, with it being just as popular today as it was over a century ago.
Visiting the Jardin du Luxembourg Gardens in Paris
You will find that the Jardin du Luxembourg is open at different times depending on the time of year and this could be opening from 7:30am in summer through to 8:30am in the morning during winter months and closing from 4:30pm during winter through to 9:30pm in the height of summer.
Certain activities are only available at specific times, such as the Creche, which is only open from 2pm to 6pm from May to mid-September for children aged 18 months to 6 years. Whereas the playground for children aged between 7 and 12 is open from 10am until approximately 1 hour before closing time.
Now dogs are allowed within the garden, but only in certain parts and they must be kept on a lead at all times, and you can lay around on the grass or have a picnic, but again this is only in certain areas.
However, you may be pleased to know that there are four different water points, so that you can top up your drinking water bottles, plus there are toilets including those for the disabled, along with kiosks where you can purchase drinks and snacks.
Access to the Jardin du Luxembourg
When it comes to getting to the Jardin du Luxembourg, you will find the park located in the 6th Arrondissement, so if you are travelling via public transport in Paris, the nearest Metro stations are the Vavin stop serving line 4 or the Notre Dame des Champs stop via line 12 on the western side of the gardens.
However, on the eastern side the Luxembourg stop serves the RER trains on line B, yet close to different entrances you have the bus lines 21, 27, 38, 58, 82, 83, 84 and 89 along with the Noctilien Night Bus via Lines N14, N21 and N122 will also get you close by, as will one of the tours in Paris such as l’OpenTour.
