6. Parc de Sceaux
Another place worth visiting is Parc de Sceaux, located in the suburbs south of Paris. The park was designed by André Le Nôtre at the end of the 17th century at the request of Colbert (Finance Minister for Louis XIV). During the revolution, the park was destroyed, however, in the second half of the nineteenth century, a new castle was built and the park was reconstructed according to the design of Le Nôtre. Parc de Sceaux is enormous and it is worth spending a whole day for a walk. A beautiful castle, numerous canals, fountains, vast lawns and gardens full of flowers encourage not only walks, but also bike rides or picnics in the shade of the trees. Interestingly, many Japanese cherries grow in the western part of the park. Thanks to this, this garden has become the main meeting point of the Japanese community of the Île-de-France region.
7. Parc Monceau
One visit to the Parc Monceau, located in the 8th district, and you will fall in love with white stone sculptures, waterfalls and characteristic colonnades. The park was created by Ludovic-Filip de Orléans, cousin of the King of France. The garden was opened in 1769, and was designed by the writer and painter Louis Carrogis Carmontelle. Carmontelle was fascinated by England and this garden is strongly inspired by the eighteenth-century gardens of English aristocracy. It was here, in 1797, that a large audience gathered to admire the first parachute jump in Paris, by André-Jacques Garner who jumped out of a hot air balloon!
8. Parc de la Villette
La Villette, in the 19th district, is not only a garden, but also a scientific, musical and artistic center. It begins with a wide promenade leading to the bridge over the canal de l’Ourcq. Lovers of street art will enjoy a scenic walk along this canal. On the opposite side of the river there is a Museum of Science and Industry, two cinemas, and a military submarine. A little further there is the Paris Conservatory and concert halls.
9. Jardin des plantes de Paris
The Parisian botanical garden located in the 5th district of Paris, covers an area of 28 hectares and consists of 11 smaller gardens. It was created in 1626 as a royal garden with medicinal plants. In the area are located schools of botany, natural history and pharmacy. During the French Revolution, Louis XVI, located in Versailles, was moved to the Jardin des Plantes. This is why and when the existing Menagerie, the second oldest zoological garden in the world after the Vienna Tiergarten Schönbrunn, was created. In the garden, in the vicinity of the library and greenhouses with tropical plants, there are four museums: the Great Evolution Gallery, the Mineralogy Museum, the Paleontology Museum and the Museum of Entomology, which are part of the Natural History Museum, one of the largest in the world.
10. Jardin Versailles
Perhaps the most world renowned garden of all the gardens in Paris is the Gardens in Versailles. The park has an area of 800 hectares, and is a perfect complement to the neighboring Palace of Versailles. Strolling along these paths one is reminded of the power of the seventeenth-century absolute monarchy in France. The garden is huge and you can get lost in it. It is worth turning into a side path, to experience the silence accompanying this place. During high season you should book in advance to visit the gardens and to see the fountain shows, but if you are a lover of beautiful parks, no visit to Paris would be complete without Versailles.