Jardin Du Luxembourg

Paris has countless streets and boulevards that are fantastic for that elegant walk in the afternoon. Most tourists will list down a visit to the famous palace of versailles as a must do during their time here, but i would suggest an alternative if you’re short in time at the capital.

I live in the city so i consistently look on to build up my knowledge of the area. My classic method of doing so is to get on a metro, and get off at a stop that i’ve never visited before. I must admit that i cheated a little bit this time, since i already knew what the stop has in store for me. So, you will need to hop on a rer train to luxembourg (rer b) or simply on the metro line to anything close to vavin, notre-dame-des-prés, saint-placide or rennes, but any of this or other near by with do. If you’re coming on the rer train, the highlight of the trip, jardin du luxembourg, is literally steps away!

To make connection to the prior mentioned palace of versailles further out, I personally find the luxembourg gardens very similar in style and ambience. The gardens is spacious and you get a great ‘open-feeling’ right in the middle of the city. Although it’s not as classic as the palace nor rich in history, I highly recommend this place for its tranquility and opportunity for a fantastic walk. I also feel that this place perfectly combines classic history while preserving the parisian life around its fences. You could see that from within the gardens, you will be able to point out the tall-standing montparnasse tower in the back ground, as well the local buildings over the fences and the trees.

Just in a nutshell, the garden is a short walk to the latin quarter (don’t worry i will cover that since that’s where we’re going next! ) and has been a center of attention in this part of paris since the early 17th century. The greens of the garden are something to be admired, as they’re constantly looked after by the association and are always looking neat and tidy. You will also realize that there are numerous statues and sculpture-works in, around, and basically everywhere in the gardens. The best part about the gardens is that it’s free for the public so you won’t need your wallet (you will for the foods later) to get in! opening and closing times do vary depending on the seasons, but you could usually count on it to be available from around 8:30am until 4:30-9:30pm. For more (reliable) information, check out their website that will be listed down below!

Another thing i would recommend, is to avoid this place on rainy days. The grounds are similar to that of versailles, and they will leave mud-like dirts on your shoes. It is a garden after all, so be well-prepared!

I’m not too sure as to whether you could eat in the gardens, but the numerous chairs around its center would make up for a flawless picnic. The green chairs actually make up quite a photogenic scene. No one really sits on them, so they’re empty most of the time. Second thought i would assume that you can bring food inside. There is a cafe inside but it was closed on the day, so i would assume, and only assume that you could bring in food. Either way, you could bring in something and look for a sign that prohibits food. A wise man once told me that if you don’t see a sign that stops you to do something, or a police officer looking over people, then it’s safe to assume that you could go ahead and do it - please keep in mind that this only applies to food and nothing illegal; i’m by no means encouraging this!

The gardens also has a museum in which you could visit. I’ve heard that you will need to buy a ticket to get in to see the expositions, but a clearly explanation and break down of the fees will be listed on their website, in which is pasted down at the end. I would assume that this museum is slightly less visited and less dynamic than the louvre and other big name players.

Oh and just to add on while we’re still here, you could also go for a jog in and around the gardens. A lot of people were jogging on the premises so don’t worry if you think you’ll be the only one. There was actually a group of people that were doing group exercises, like boot camp kind of style.

After taking pictures and fully taking in the beauty of the luxembourg gardens, we will now move on to some snacks. To fit in with our culture-centered exploration, there’s nothing else to have for a light afternoon snack, than the one and only, crêpe. Given that you get off at the right exit, you will come within minutes of mcdonald’s. The best way to recognize where i’m referring to is to look for rue soufflot. Once you get here, you will see the famous fast-food chain, but the treasure is actually on its doorsteps. There is a small crêpe/panini stand, as you would easily find in this area of the city. I am not sponsored by the kind lady who makes the crepes, but i could say with much confidence that it is one of the best spots to get crêpes.

For a starter, the prices are relatively low in comparison to its competitors. You could see below the prices for the sweet crêpes in which i somewhat awkwardly took. The most important of all, or at least for me, is that they make their crêpes fresh. She does not mess around and take the lazy short cut of pre-making them and simply warming them up for us customers. She expertly spreads the crepe mixture onto the hot pan to cook, then transfers to another to finish it off with your desired toppings. Just writing about it now a few days later is making me crave for the crêpes. i got a nutella filled crêpe, for only €2. 30. i find that this is cheaper that usual since other vendors (literally 10 minutes away) sell a sugar-filled crêpe for €2. 00. you could see all the toppings and their respected prices down below for a better idea!

The end product itself obviously tasted divine, especially on a cold day that we’re currently experiencing. My only regret was that i ate it too quick, since it probably lasted no more than 5 minutes. there’s really nothing better than a warm crêpe, slightly crispy yet soft on the inside, with thick, nutty, rich nutella spread as its heart and soul. If you’re tempted for some mcdonald’s, your patience should do you and wallet much good if you try a crêpe here.

And that is a wrap for this post mainly about the beauties of the jardin du luxembourg, and a tiny bit about the extraordinary crêpes! As always, I hope that this post has been of assistance to you guys that are either new in the city, or are just visiting the french capital for a short period. if you take in the equation for time and cost of transportation, the gardens is a good alternative to the versaille palace. They’re two different spots with two completely different histories and meanings in the french history, so the win win situation would be to visit both!

1. le jardin du luxembourg
2. musée du luxembourg

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Seeing Luxembourg Palace and its gardens is another one of those “obligatory” visits that you must make when you are in Paris. It is located in the 6th arrondissement in the Luxembourg Gardens, close to Sorbonne University and the Notre Dame Cathedral.

The palace is the headquarters of the French Senate, having been built between 1615 and 1627. A Baroque-style building, the site is also home to a hôtel particulier, Le Petit Luxembourg, which serves as the official residence of the president of the French Senate. In the past, the palace served more as a secondary residence rather than an “official palace”.

In front of the palace’s main facade, there is a huge round fountain, which, in my opinion, gives a special touch to the building; fountains always improve important buildings and gardens in my eyes. I recommend visiting on a sunny day because it makes everything seem much prettier.

The Luxembourg Gardens are both huge and diverse: there are children’s play areas, there are several different sculptures dotted around the entire site, and you can also ride a pony through them. Walking through this area is very pleasant, to say the least.

I have been lucky enough to visit the palace twice, and the second time that I went, we bought breakfast from a bakery close by and then ate it whilst sitting on the chairs by the fountain and the palace.

However, I cannot tell you anything about the palace’s interior as I have never actually been inside, but I am sure that it has to be absolutely beautiful.

The gardens are only open until 22:45 because it is privately-owned property.

The closest metro stop is actually on the RER suburban train line, line B, and is called “Luxembourg”. (I don’t know if you know how the Paris Metro works: it is divided into the metro and suburban train services, although the latter has many stops through the city centre.)

Paris is home to many beautiful museums and palaces, art collections and magnificent monuments to the triumphs of a human spirit. But sometimes you just wish to find a beautiful green garden in which you could eat your lunch, observe nature and get tanned a little.

It is even better when you can combine those two wishes and relax in the heart of both history and nature. The Luxembourg Gardens, covering around 23 hectares of land, with its unique combination of art, architecture and carefully designed fountains offer a perfect place for afternoon relaxation.

The Luxembourg Palace

At the beginning of the 17th century, Henry IV, the ruler of France in his time, for political reasons and strengthening his power married an Italian noblewoman Marie from the powerful Florentine family Medici. After her husband died, Marie did not rest. She was a great art lover and connoisseur, such as the rest of her family. The Medici family in Florence was responsible for the rise of many talented artists of the Renaissance period, including Leonardo da Vinci, and Maire remained faithful to the tradition of supporting art. She was the one who bought the part of the land on which we can now admire the Luxembourg Palace and commissioned the project. She wished for a residence in Italian style that would remind her of the places in which she has spent her childhood, but the end result was a masterpiece in the French style. Over the course of time, the palace has served many practical as well as noble purposes. First, it was the princely residence and later the national and republican palace; it still serves to the purposes of the French Sénat nowadays.

Practical information

The gardens are open during day time and it closes at night; keep in mind that the opening hours are changing with the seasons. In the winter and autumn time, the garden opens later in the day and it closes earlier, and in the summer and spring it opens earlier and closes later in the evening. The entry is, same as in many other French parks and gardens, free. You can enter through one of the four gates: one is on place Edmond Rostand, one is on place André Honnorat, another on rue Guynemer and the last one on rue de Vaugirard.

You can reach the gardens by taking the metro line 4 (direction Saint-Germain-des-Prés) or line 10 (Mabillon). You should get off at the station Odéon and then you have only a small walk left to the gardens. You can also reach the gardens by taking a bus or tram RER B; in that case, you should get off at the station Luxembourg-Sénat.