Parks and gardens in Paris: Jardin des Tuileries

You can’t come to Paris and miss the Jardin des Tuileries. This beautiful garden, situated between the Louvre and Place de la Concorde, is one of the most popular Parisian places for leisure during the spring and summer time. Created by Catherine de Medici in 1564, the Jardin des Tuileries was shaped as a French garden in 1664, by a famous gardener, André Le Nôtre. This garden is also a place where you can stroll among the statues created by famous artists and have so much fun during the traditional fair that is held every year from June to August.

History

In 1559, after the death of King Henry II, his wife, Queen Catherine de Medici moved with the royal court to the Louvre Palace. A few years later, she decided to make a beautiful Italian Renaissance garden next to this palace. In 1664, Louise XIV commissioned the most famous French gardener André Le Notre, to redesign the Jardin des Tuileries. Le Notre transformed it into a French garden, where the symmetry and perspective are most important. During the French revolution, this garden became a public place. In 1852 and 1862, under the reign of Napoleon III, two pavilions were constructed inside of the garden. Today, one of these pavilions - the Orangerie - houses an art gallery of impressionist paintings. It is also a place that exhibits permanently eight large murals “Water Lilies” by Claude Monet. The other pavilion is the National Gallery of the Jeu de Paume. This is an important Parisian and French arts center for modern and postmodern photography and media.

Arch and sculptures

Located at the entrance of the Jardin des Tuileries, the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel is a 19-meters high triumphal arch built between 1806 and 1808 to commemorate the military victories of the Emperor Napoleon I. Inside of the garden, you can see and admire many sculptures made by the famous artists. Let me mention just some of them: “Brushstroke Nude” by Roy Lichtenstein, “Microbe vu à travers un temperament” by Max Ernst, “Comptine” by Anne Rochette, “Grande Femmes II” by Alberto Giacometti. Also, you can find the sculptures made by Aristide Maillol, a French artist, as well as many animal sculptures by Auguste Caïn.

Practical Information

The Jardin des Tuileries is open from 7.30 am to 7.30 pm from the last Sunday in September to the last Sunday in March, and from 7 am to 9 pm from the last Sunday in March to the last Saturday in September. The entrance to the garden is free of charge. Every year, from June to August, in this garden you can enjoy and have fun during the Fête des Tuileries, a traditional Parisian fair. In the garden, you can find several restaurants perfect for lunch or a coffee break. “La Terrasse de Pomone” is a place open all year and serves pancakes, salads as well as ice creams.