Jardin Robert Cavelier de la Salle
This is one of two gardens located within the Jardin des Grands Explorateurs, which is classed as an extension part of the Luxembourg Gardens that holds different statues, numerous large trees for shade, lawns, flowerbeds, fountains and park benches to sit and relax.
About the Robert Cavelier de la Salle Garden in Paris
Now the Jardin Robert Cavelier de la Salle at the southern side of the Jardin du Luxembourg was named after the French Explorer Rene-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de la Salle from the 1600s, who is well known for his explorations in Canada, the North Americas and the Gulf of Mexico. He also claimed a part by the Mississippi River as French territory, naming it Louisiana after King Louis XIV.
The Jardin Robert Cavelier de la Salle is one of two gardens in Paris located next to each other that are dedicated to explorers, and these are both within the Jardin des Grands Explorateurs, which is, as we mentioned earlier, is classed as an extension to the Jardin du Luxembourg.
This garden runs along the meridian line and has a perspective from the Palais du Luxembourg down to the Observatoire de Paris, and was laid out by Gabriel Davioud in the 1860s, when the Avenue de l’Observatoire was laid out during the changes made to the city by Baron Haussmann.
You can find the Jardin Robert Cavelier de la Salle in the northern part of the garden and is actually slightly larger than the Jardin Marco Polo, with lawns, flowerbeds and rows of chestnuts trees that are in the traditional French garden format.
Also within this garden you will see ornate lamp posts, statuary columns and two of the four statues depicting times of day, which were produced by famous sculptors with one being called La Nuit by Charles Alphonse Gumery. Another called Le Crepuscule, which translates to Twilight, that was produced by the artist Gustave Crauk is also located in this section of the Garden of Great Explorers.
Visiting the Jardin Robert Cavelier de la Salle in Paris
Now as we mentioned earlier, the Jardin Robert Cavelier de la Salle is the northern garden within the Jardin des Grands Explorateurs, which meets up to the Esplanade Gaston Monneville before the southern entrance to the Jardin du Luxembourg in the 6th Arrondissement.
You may also be pleased to know that the majority of the garden is accessible to the disabled, however we would like to point out that it normally opens at around 8am on weekdays and 9am at weekends, but the closing times vary depending upon the time of year. This can be as early as 5:30pm during the winter months and as late as 9pm in the height of summer.
And as for getting here via public transport in Paris, the nearest RER train station is the Port Royal stop serving line B, whereas the nearest Metro station is the Raspail stop serving lines 4 and 6.
However, the bus lines 38, 82, 83 and 91 along with the Noctilien Night Bus Service via lines N01, N02, N14, N21 and N122 will also get you close by plus there are Velib stations for the self service bike hire scheme located within walking distance as well.
