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.
Acis and Galate in Jardin du Luxembourg
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.
Pavillon Davioud inside Jardin du Luxembourg
Jardin du Luxembourg Eugene Delacroix monument
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.
Palais du Luxembourg

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.
Triomphe de Silene inside Jardin du Luxembourg
Orangerie du Jardin du Luxembourg
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.

Palais du Luxembourg statues


Clock bas reliefs
La Paix
La Guerre
La Sagesse
La Justice
l'Eloquence
La Prudence

Famous women and Queen statues


Laure de Noves
Marie de Medicis
Marguerite d'Angouleme
Valentine de Milan
Anne de Beaujeu
Blanche of Castile
Anne d'Autriche
Anne de Bretagne
Marguerite de Provence
Sainte Clotilde
Sainte Bathilde
Berthe
La Reine Mathilde
Sainte Genevieve
Marie Queen of Scots
Jean d'Albret
Clemence Isaure
Anne Marie Louise d'Orleans
Louise de Savoie
Marguerite of Anjou

Monuments


Statue of Liberty
Scheurer Kestner
Henry Murger
Theodore de Banville
Etudiants morts dans la Resistance
Leconte de Lisle
George Sand
Stendhal
Le cri, l'ecrit
Eugene Delacroix
Eugene Delacroix statue
Eugene Delacroix water fountain
Ludvig Van Beethoven
Stefan Zweig
Paul Verlaine
Gabriel Vicaire
Edouard Branly
Jules Massenet
Charles Augustin Sainte-Beuve
Jose Maria de Heredia
Ossip Zadkine
Antoine Watteau
La Comtesse de Segur
Louis Ratisbonne
Charles Baudelaire
Ferdinand Fabre
Pierre Mendes France
Frederic Le Play
Hommage aux esclaves des colonies francaises

Antique statues


Marius debout sur les ruines de Carthage
Calliope
Vulcain
Flore east
Diane a la Biche
Goddess of Love
Minerve a la Chouette
Junon, Reine du Ciel
Goddess of Flowers
Venus au Dauphin
David vainqueur de Goliath

Other statues


Le Lion de Nubie et sa Proie
Harde de Cerfs
Joies de la Famille
Archidamas
Triomphe de Silene
l'Hiver
l'Effort
La Messagere
Psyche sous l'emprise du mystere
Sainte Suzanne
La Femme aux Pommes
Le Silence
L'Acteur Grec
Faune Dansant
Il Dispetto
La Bocca Della Verita
Velleda
Le Marchand de Masques
Polyphemus
Lion
La Peinture
Enfants supportant une vasque

Orangerie busts


Jean-Francois Millet
Theodore Rousseau
Antoine Louis Barye
Ferdinand Victor Eugene Delacroix
Jean Jacques Pradier
Jean Auguste Dominique
David d'Angers
Pierre Paul Prud'Hon
Francois Rude
Baron Antoine Gros