Once the place to see and be seen in Paris, Jardin des Tuileries or Tuileries Garden is a gorgeous Italian-style Paris garden much like the enchanting Luxembourg Gardens, stamped with history and filled with dramatic leafy sculptures art lovers will surely appreciate. If you want something different than the city’s museums and monuments and are in search of a place where you can get some fresh air and allow the children to let off steam, this ‘little respite of green’ is an ideal choice.
Encompassing a relatively small area of just 25 hectares and running parallel to rue de Rivoli and the banks of the River Seine, the garden is ideally nestled in the heart of the City of Lights, between Place de la Concord and the Louvre Museum and is considered one of the most visited gardens among locals and international travelers alike. Built by Catherine de Médici in the 16th century, Tuileries Garden was designed by the royal landscaper and gardener Louis XIV, who also designed Versailles Park and then, in 1664 by André Le Nôtre. Formerly, the garden used to be a royal garden of the old Tuileries Palace.
The garden is truly like a museum of outdoor sculptures. Visitors will discover many statues of Rodin, including Eve, The Great Shadow and Meditation, as well as such contemporary artworks, as Bel Costume by Jean Dubuffet, Reclining Figure by Henry Moore and Great Woman II by Alberto Giacometti and more. For those who have gardening, sculpturing and painting skills, Tuileries often serves as an open-air classroom, offering students pretty and tranquil grounds to create.
Another highlight of the garden is its two museums – the only remains of the original Palais de tuileries: the Galerie Nationale du Jeu de Paume, showcasing contemporary art and photography and the Musée de l’Orangerie housing one of French impressionist painter Claude Monet’s most genuine achievements – the famous water lilies.
An assortment of restaurants for lunch or tea is also found throughout the Tuileries, add to this many take-away mouth-watering food offerings. More than three thousand chairs await romantics to admire the 60,000 bulbs in bloom in spring. For children there are several playgrounds and a little pond where kids can indulge in the fun toy boat sailing. Pony rides and puppet shows are also available. The garden is open from 7:00am to 9:00pm April to September and from 7:30 t0 7:30 October to March.
In the vicinity visitors will find a wide selection of hotels to suit every need and budget, including the 5 star Le Meurice, with its 3 star Micheline restaurant and amazing views of the Jardin de Tuileries; the Residence La Concorde for budget travelers featuring modern comfortable amenities; the stunning Saint-James & Albany Hotel Spa where you can fully relax and rejuvenate your body, mind and soul, and the 19th century Brighton Hotel boasting antic furnishings, chandeliers and artworks.
