The left bank of the Seine, across the road is the Latin Quarter, the buildings of universities and lyceums of the Sorbonne. Here students finish their homework, here older people relax on iron chairs during their lunch break, here mothers, grandmothers and nannies walk young citizens in the green alleys French Republic.

This is the Luxembourg Garden (le Jardin du Luxembourg), 26 hectares of peace and quiet in the middle of kilometers of the eternal bustle of Paris. How can one not recall here the beginning of a twelve-minute composition performed by Joe Dassin:

"Luxembourg Garden...
It's been so long since I came here!
Here are the children running, here are the leaves falling,
Students dream about the end of classes,
And the teachers talk about their beginnings...”

Story. A sip of Florence in Paris

Marie de Médicis ordered the creation of the Luxembourg Gardens in 1611. This happened shortly after a simple schoolteacher from Angoulême, François Ravaillac, who suddenly turned into a religious fanatic, stabbed to death her husband, King Henry IV, who exchanged his Protestant faith for the Catholic one for the sake of the French throne. Mary, crowned at her urgent request the day before the death of her husband, overnight became not only a crowned widow, but also regent for her son, the eight-year-old King Louis XIII. In short, there was enough authority. And she was a powerful woman - just look at her portrait by Frans Pourbus the Younger.

Growing up in Florence, one of the centers of the Italian Renaissance, Maria, even in Paris, which was wild for her, strived for beauty. When will she became a full-fledged manager of the state treasury, ordered not only to reconstruct the castle outside the city limits, but also to arrange a garden around it. And so that the trees would not wither, she ordered an aqueduct to be built to it. The builders, inspired by the Queen’s beloved Florentine Pitti Palazzo and her personal wishes, completed the castle. It must be said that he appeared on the site of the estate of the Duke of Pinet from the Luxembourg family, who had long since left the world. If the name of the duke's family had not passed on to the palace and garden, it is unlikely that anyone would now remember his lordship.

The Luxembourg Garden has preserved to this day much of what was conceived and done at the beginning of the 17th century. For example, a ramp with terraces around big fountain, creating the feeling that you are moving from one dimension of the garden to another.

How to get there

The Luxembourg Gardens are not very far from - you just have to cross the Seine on the Saint-Michel Bridge and walk along the Saint-Michel Boulevard to the Rue Vaugirard, and then turn right.

You can get to the Luxembourg Gardens by buses: No. 58, 84, 89, stop “Luxembourg” and No. 63, 70, 87, 86, “Saint Sulpice”.

To the north of the Luxembourg Gardens, although not exactly nearby, there are the Saint-Sulpice (named after the nearby Church of St. Sulpice) and Mabillon (named after the scientist and Benedictine monk Jean) metro stations Mabillon).

And the nearest metro station, Luxembourg, is located on Boulevard Saint-Michel, diagonally from one of the entrances to the garden. Near the southern end of the garden, bordered on both sides by the Observatory Avenue (avenue de l`Observatiore), there is the Port-Royal station.

Lenin with Trotsky at the Royal Gate

Near the Port Royal station (translated as Royal Gate), our compatriot will find two virtual attractions at once. The first is the Paris meridian (it was considered zero before the transfer of this honorary title to Greenwich). The meridian coincides with Observatory Avenue, and it is also marked by a fountain with the sculpture “Four Sides of the World.”

The second is the real restaurant “Closerie des Lilas” (“Lilac front garden”), in which the now virtual Lenin and Trotsky loved to play chess. However, many other famous personalities have been here, from Arthur Rimbaud to Mick Jagger, who is still alive today. Does it make sense to visit a restaurant? It's not cheap, to put it mildly. But if you decide to go to Lenin's or Jagger's places and completely despise money (especially when you have it), then you, of course, will not be afraid of a saddle of lamb stuffed with herbs with black truffles for 50 euros or, say, oysters - from 20 to 30 euros for half a dozen. What can we say about the signature rum baba for 12.50!

Luxembourg Palace

Luxembourg Palace(Palais du Luxembourg) was rebuilt, let me remind you, for Marie de Medici in 1615-1631 according to the design of a prominent representative of Mannerism in architecture, Salomon de Brosse.

Restless in her cultural and political desires, Maria ordered for the new palace not just anyone, but Peter Paul himself Rubens has 21 canvases with scenes from his own life and three portraits in addition. They are now stored in .

But the dowager queen did not enjoy the garden and palace for long: soon after construction was completed, her son Louis XIII, tired of enduring his mother’s intrigues, expelled her from Paris. By that time, he trusted more to another intriguer - his prime minister, Cardinal Richelieu. For more than ten years, the French-Italian queen wandered around European capitals, until she ended her days alone in Cologne - in the house of her beloved painter Rubens, who had then been gone for two years in this world.

And in the Luxembourg Palace life went on as usual. Another son of Marie de Medici, Gaston d'Orléans, and his daughter Anna Marie Louise d'Orléans, by the way, Duchess of Montpensier, settled here. This princess of royal blood could not get married for an indecently long time and therefore received the nickname Grand Mademoiselle. Father and daughter also did not escape intrigues and conspiracies, but they saved their heads, and at the same time the palace for their descendants. And the park was looked after.

Until the Great French Revolution of 1789, the Luxembourg Palace remained royal residence. In 1791 it was declared the State Palace, where members of the Directory immediately settled - this, if anyone has forgotten history, is what the revolutionary government was called. After the fall of Napoleon, from 1815, the palace housed the House of Peers, and from 1879, the Senate.

Yes, imagine - right here, in the park palace, 348 senators sit, whose work is supported by 2 thousand Senate employees. And while you and I are walking along the paths of the Luxembourg Gardens, the senators, looking through the windows of the palace at us and their very few sentries, decide the fate of France. And maybe even peace! Currently, the Senate of the French Republic is headed by Gérard Larcher. Here he is, in the photo above, receiving a delegation from Azerbaijan.

Of course, you won’t get into the Luxembourg Palace itself - even French deputies don’t like it when their work is interfered with. But to the palace museum, please. I'll tell you more about it later.

Queens in chestnut alleys

Let's walk through the park. Standing facing the Senate, let's move clockwise from the green dial of the Luxembourg Gardens. You won't have to go far. Right next to the Luxembourg Palace we will see the sculpture “Woman with Apples”. Its author is Jean Terzieff. Actually, he comes from Russia, more precisely from Kabarda, and his name is Avenir Chemerzin. And his son Laurent Terzieff became a famous French actor.

A couple more steps, and we come out to one of the most beautiful fountains in the world - the Medici Fountain, built in the Baroque style by the same architect Salomon de Brosses for the same Marie de Medici.

In the central niche we see the beautiful Galatea with the shepherd Atys just at the moment when they were caught by the jealous Cyclops Polyphemus (the work of the sculptor Otten).

And on the reverse side we will find the bas-relief “Leda and the Swan” by de Valois.

We follow our arrow further and begin to admire the marble statues of famous French queens that appeared here in the 19th century: from Margot - Margaret of Navarre (by the way, the first wife of Henry IV, whom he divorced due to her childlessness),

to Maria de Medici, his second and, as you already know, last wife.

Nearby, under the chestnut trees, there are sculptures of Clotilde of Burgundy, Matilda of Flanders, Margaret of Anjou... However, our Anna Yaroslavna (known in France as Agnes of Russia), the wife of King Henry I, is not here.

But there is, of course, Mary Stuart. Just imagine, she was also the queen of France, the wife of King Francis II, although not for long - in 1559-1560. And when her sickly husband died, she returned to Scotland. You know what happened next from Schiller's play.

Walking through the Luxembourg Gardens, Joseph Brodsky, as if enchanted, stopped at the statue of the Scots Queen. And later he wrote a whole cycle of poems “Twenty Sonnets to Mary Stuart”:

Having passed his earthly path to the middle,
I, having entered the Luxembourg Gardens,
I look at the hardened gray hairs
thinkers, writers; and back-
ladies and gentlemen walk forward...

And you, Marie, tirelessly,
you stand in a garland of stone friends -
French queens during it -
silently, with a sparrow on his head.
The garden looks like a cross between the Pantheon
with the famous "Breakfast on the Grass".

Marble, bronze and Guignol

We go further to pay tribute to those whose monuments decorated the garden: poets Paul Verlaine and Charles Baudelaire (pictured below), novelists Gustave Flaubert and Stendhal, critic and literary scholar Charles-Augustin Sainte-Beuve, composer Massenet, artists Antoine Watteau and Eugene Delacroix.

Let's not forget the surrealist poet Paul Eluard - a very original monument to him by Ossip Zadkine is also here.

Liked? Nearby, on 100 bis rue d'Assas, is the Zadkine Museum, visible from the garden. If you have time and desire, come see other works of our compatriot (he is originally from Vitebsk), the great French sculptor. Moreover, entry to it is free and it is open every day, except Monday, from 10.00 to 18.00.

And here is the statue “Liberty Enlightening the World” by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi. It is only two meters high. The French sent her 30-ton, 46-meter “sister” as a gift to the Americans for the 100th anniversary of the United States (you can read more about the American Lady Liberty here) . But just in case, they left as many as four copies in Paris: here in the Luxembourg Gardens, and also on Swan Island in the middle of the Seine, in the Museum of Arts and Crafts and, finally, on a barge moored next to the right bank of the Seine.

A little further in the circle is the small Guignol Theater or the Puppet Theater of the Luxembourg Gardens. Guignol is a folk character, akin to Parsley. Entrance – 6 euros. Performances are given here at 11.00 and 15.30, but not every day. Therefore, if you would like to visit the Parisian brother of our Petrushka, first go to the theater’s website and compare your plans with its program.

Who among our compatriots has not walked through the Luxembourg Gardens before you and me! Poet Osip Mandelstam, who lived in Paris in 1907-1908, Marina Tsvetaeva, who wrote the poem “In the Luxembourg Garden” a year later. In the spring of 1911, Anna Akhmatova loved to be here with her friend - the poor, unknown artist Amedeo Modigliani, whose works are now sold for hundreds of millions of euros.

So we made a circle. It will close for us near the Luxembourg Gardens Museum.

Hemingway's Favorite Museum

The Luxembourg Garden Museum (Musée du Luxembourg) is located in the wing of the Luxembourg Palace that is closer to the greenhouse.

In 1750, an exhibition of “Royal Paintings” was held here. Thus, the building became the first public art museum. It was after the revolution, in 1793, that it was opened to the public! In 1818, the first museum in Europe appeared in the Luxembourg Palace. contemporary art, where artists could exhibit their works during their lifetime.

In 1871, illustrator Andre Gilles was appointed curator of the museum. , widely known to Parisians for his newspaper cartoons, and also for the sign he painted for the “Nimble Rabbit” tavern on. Monsieur Gilles managed to bring disparate collections of works of art under one roof and recreate a sculpture museum. In 1937 it became known as the State Museum of Contemporary Art.

In the 1920s, future Nobel laureate in literature Ernest Hemingway lived nearby, on Rue Cardinal Lemoine. “I tried to go out along some street to the Luxembourg Gardens and, passing through the garden, went into the Luxembourg Museum, where at that time there were magnificent paintings by the Impressionists...” Hemingway recalled in the book "A holiday that is always with you".“I went there almost every day because of Cezanne and to see paintings by Manet and Monet.”

And in 1986, the main part of the collection of the Luxembourg Museum was transferred to the Orsay Museum. This is “optimization”! Nowadays, thematic exhibitions are mainly held here. Among the latest - “Fragonard in Love”, “The Tudors”, “Renaissance and Dream: Bosch, Veronese, El Greco”, “Chagall. Between war and peace."

The museum is open daily from 10.00 to 19.00, and on Mondays and Fridays until 21.30. The Christmas holiday is December 25th.

* * *

If you still have energy after our walk through the Luxembourg Gardens, take a short hike to the places of military glory of d'Artagnan and the Three Musketeers. According to the novel by Alexandre Dumas, they all lived very close: Aramis - on the rue Vaugirard between the rue des Cassettes and Servandoni, Porthos (and, by the way, Monsieur de Treville too) - on the rue du Vieux Colombier (Old Dovecote), Athos - on Ferou street. And d'Artagnan himself is on Rue Servandoni. True, Dumas, with his characteristic humor, left her the old name in his novel - Gravediggers.

Good luck with your literary and geographical research. Wander until the morning. You don’t have to leave the vicinity of the Luxembourg Gardens at all, because tomorrow you and I will go to get acquainted with the Latin Quarter. And he's right across the street. More precisely, across the Boulevard Saint-Michel. Look at the photo: Pan was shot against the backdrop of the Pantheon. And the Pantheon is already the Latin Quarter!

This garden dates back to the 17th century. The process of its creation began in 1611-1612 by decree of Maria de Medici herself. The widowed wife of Henry IV wanted to see the large garden areas around her country castle, which was built especially for her. Palazzo Pitti, the most significant palace, was taken as a model for the palace. After all, it was here that Maria de Medici grew up before she got to. The structure was erected outside the borders, which made it possible to use the vast surrounding lands for the construction of the park.

The plan included the creation of a large number of flower beds, some tree plantings and several artificial ponds. In order to provide them with water, in 1613 craftsmen began building an aqueduct. Work on its creation was completed only in 1624. A noticeable expansion of the area allocated for the park occurred in 1617. Then the lands that previously belonged to the Carthusian monastery were added to it.

During the first decades of the 17th century, the Luxembourg Garden acquired its basic outlines, which can still be seen today. A central fountain was erected, behind which a ramp with terraces was built around it. The new place began to quickly gain popularity among Parisians who went here for a walk. Later, at the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries, the grandson of Marie de Medici, King Louis XIV of France, took a significant part in the fate of the garden. It was during his reign that some innovations were introduced into the park's appearance, for example, an alley passing through the prime meridian and leading to the Observatory fountain.

In the 18th century, the garden area reached its current size - 26 hectares. In the same century, the palace was restored, and a botanical garden and tree nursery were equipped. Interest in this place was also increased by the fact that it was on its territory that the first art museum accessible to the general public began its work.

New changes awaited the park in the 19th century. During this period, a large number of statues made of marble appeared here. Among them were statues of several queens of France: Clotilde of Burgundy, who lived in the 5th-6th centuries, Matilda of Flanders, Margaret of Navarre, as well as Mary Stuart and Marie de Medici. In 1865, a street was opened through the garden area, which caused a noticeable resonance in Parisian society. The construction of the highway and new buildings in the south and east of the park had a detrimental effect on natural resources. However, the protests put forward by residents failed to change the situation.

Today the Luxembourg Gardens is one of the main attractions French capital, where there are a large number of museums, ancient sculptures and other interesting details. The territory is equipped with children's playgrounds and other amenities for comfortable leisure of Parisians and city guests.

How to get to the Luxembourg Gardens

The garden area is located in the central part of Paris not far from the Seine embankment. You can find it in the VI arrondissement at Boulevard Saint-Michel or Rue Guinemet. These streets border the park from the east and west, respectively. On the northern side, this task is performed by Rue Vaugirard.

The exact address: Luxembourg Gardens, 75006 Paris, France.

There are different ways to get to the Luxembourg Gardens:

    Option 1

    Metro: one of the most simple ways. Luxembourg station is on the blue line, designated B. It is located on Boulevard Saint-Michel, within walking distance of the main entrance.

    Option 2

    Bus: There are a large number of stops around the garden area public transport. The most convenient are AugusteComte, which can be reached by line 82, and Guynemer-Vavin, which can be reached by bus 58.

    Also not far from the metro station there is the same name bus stop Luxembourg. More transport goes to it: routes 38, N14, N21 and N122. From here to the main entrance the journey will take about 6-10 minutes.

In addition, very close you can find a large number of hotels of different price categories. By staying in one of them, you will be able to significantly save travel time to many attractions in this district of Paris.
Luxembourg Gardens on the map

What to see

The significant sights of Paris are located on an area of ​​almost three dozen hectares. One of the most important to this day is the Luxembourg Palace, which was previously the country residence of the rulers. Despite the fact that it was restored and partially rebuilt several times, the building has retained the echoes of Italian architecture incorporated into it back in the 17th century. Today, the French Senate sits in the palace, so only certain rooms are available for visits and only on certain days.

The Luxembourg Museum is also an important site. It is an art gallery that houses a variety of exhibitions of paintings by both artists of past centuries and modern creators.

It is on this territory that the ancient Paris meridian is located. It remained the reference point for longitude until experts decided to consider the Greenwich meridian to be the zero meridian. You can find it on the alley leading to the Observatory or Four sides Sveta". This water structure is a composition in which four female statues, symbolizing parts of the world, are held on their shoulders Earth. The author of the sculpture is French master J-B. Karpo.

Another famous fountain was the result of the work of the architect Salomon de Brosses back in the 17th century. It was he who, at the request of Marie de Medici, built a fountain located a little to the side of the palace. The construction was made in the Italian style to remind the queen of her homeland. In the 19th century the fountain was decorated sculptural composition made of marble and bronze: its central figures were Galatea in the arms of Acidas and the Cyclops Polyphemus hanging over them. The reverse side of the fountain is decorated with a relief with another plot from myths - the meeting of Leda and the Swan.

Walking through the park, it is impossible to miss another fountain. It is located in the very center of the garden area in front of the palace building and occupies a large area. This is what can be seen in numerous photos and postcards.

Not far from the palace there is a greenhouse. Various exotic plants are grown here - about 180 species in total. In addition, the greenhouse is often used as a venue for concerts and exhibitions, and in the fall, part of the Expo exhibition stands is located under its roof.

In addition to the greenhouse, you can also admire the plants in Botanical Garden. Next to it is a large Mineralogical Museum.

The garden alleys are decorated with a large number of monuments and busts of prominent Frenchmen. Here you can see politicians, poets and writers, composers and artists.

For the convenience of guests, on the paths and squares you can find a large number of chairs that can be used completely freely. However, visitors often prefer to relax directly on the green grass of flower-free lawns.

Opening hours and cost

Access to the garden is open all year round, including weekends and holidays.

  • During the cold season from November to March, the garden area is open from 8:15 to 16:45;
  • During the warm months of the year, you can stay in the garden from 7:30 to 21:45;

The Luxembourg Museum operates according to its own schedule:

  • From Monday to Thursday, its opening hours begin at 10:30 and end at 18:00;
  • On other days, including holidays, the museum is open from 10:30 to 19:00;

Ticket price

Access to the garden itself is free for everyone. But to explore the museums you need to purchase a ticket.

So, a ticket to the Luxembourg Museum will cost 13 euros ( ~952 rub. ) at the standard rate and at 9 ( ~659 rub. ) for visitors under 25 years of age.

The conditions for group visits can be found at the museum.

It is not easy to get to the Luxembourg Palace. This becomes possible every year on the third Sunday of September - on this day the palace opens its doors to everyone for free. The rest of the time you can visit it only with a guided tour and only by prior arrangement.

Vacation with children

There is a lot of entertainment for children in the Luxembourg Gardens. One of the oldest and still loved by Parisians is launching boats on the water of the central fountain. The size of the water structure is so impressive that it provides ample space for maneuvering model boats and sailboats. You can come here with your own boat, or rent a small toy boat on the spot.

Another popular pastime is carriage or horseback riding. Such trips delight both children and adult visitors. And toy horses await little guests on one of the old children's carousels preserved on the territory.

Another family entertainment worth no less attention is watching performances given by the Guignol miniature puppet theater. It has existed for more than one century and preserves the traditions of puppet theaters of the 18th and 19th centuries. One of the main characters of all his performances is the famous character Parsley.

In addition, the Luxembourg Gardens are equipped with modern playgrounds with swings and other structures designed for children of different ages. Older children can spend time with their parents on sports grounds that are specially prepared for various sports games. So, here you can try your hand at both familiar sports, such as basketball or tennis, and ancient French games. The latter include the ancestor of tennis, jeu de paume, or the game of bocce, similar to bowling.

  • Among the large number of monuments in the Luxembourg Gardens, you can find a sculptural image that is quite unexpected for these places. This is the local Statue of Liberty. It reaches a height of about two meters. This sculpture, like the New York one, was made by the master Frederic Auguste Bartholdi. Its full title is “Freedom Illuminating the World.” In total, four similar sculptures can be found in the French capital: the remaining three are located on Swan Island, in and on a barge moored near.

  • During the revolutionary years, the Luxembourg Palace was adapted into cells for prisoners. Representatives of the nobility were kept here. And during World War II, the Nazis used it to house the headquarters of the air force.
  • Many famous artists and writers flocked to these alleys in search of relaxation and muse. Guy de Maupassant was a frequent visitor. The writer Denis Diderot, the philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau and the painter Van Gogh often visited here, who even captured the park on several canvases. In the 20th century, Ernest Hemingway was a special guest here. And in the restaurant “Closerie de Lilas”, beloved by all bohemians, Lenin and Trotsky once played chess. The restaurant is still open today, and you can see old autographs of its famous guests.
Virtual tour

This green area, covered with flowers and trees, is home to a large number of very significant structures for Paris. The Luxembourg Gardens introduces its guests to the city from several sides at once: it talks about the main historical events, with which he was directly associated, and at the same time represents the best works of art. Each of its alleys is filled with history and creativity, and famous personalities of the state look out from any pedestal. Continuing to play an important role in the public life of the country, the garden has been a wonderful place for leisure for more than one century and continues to receive rave reviews from both residents of the French capital and travelers.

Business card

Address

Luxembourg Gardens, 75006 Paris, France

Price

Free admission

Working hours

Access to the garden is open all year round, including weekends and holidays

Opening hours depend on the season: rnIn the cold season from November to March - from 8:15 to 16:45;
During the warm months of the year - from 7:30 to 21:45

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Report an inaccuracy

Which was built by order of the widow of Henry IV in the 17th century. It is considered a great place for walking in summer time year, as it is strewn with a variety of beautiful flowers, majestic trees, and dense bushes. The pride of the garden are neat lawns of regular geometric shapes, various entertainments on the territory and a huge bright fountain with high terraces. Adults can sit on benches here, enjoying the purity of the local air, or even lie on the green lawn. Children will also not get bored in this fabulous place, they can have a great time launching boats on the pond or playing on one of the specially equipped playgrounds.

Luxembourg Gardens in Paris: what to see?

Luxembourg Gardens in Paris has always played an important role in the life of France, since initially it was the pride of the king, and then became a state palace park. A wonderful opportunity opens up for you to stroll along the favorite alleys of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Guy de Maupassant, Denis Diderot, Victor Hugo and many other truly brilliant people. The park occupies about 26 hectares of land in a popular Parisian area, so the garden has its own attractions that attract many tourists to this beautiful place. Among these assets it is worth highlighting:

1) Luxembourg Palace in Paris- a unique structure built in the 17th century. commissioned by Marie de Medici and became the residence of the French kings. Nowadays, the building does not lose its significance, since meetings of the lower house of the French parliament are held within its walls. The palace amazes with its unique transitional architectural style: from Renaissance to Baroque, which is distinguished by its discreet chic interior. In addition to the beautiful rooms of the building, as well as meeting with French parliamentarians, you can visit the national museum in the palace.
2) The Medici Fountain is one of the largest and most beautiful capital fountains, built in the 18th century. The water feature is an excellent example of the Baroque style of architecture. The highlight of the fountain can be called the incomparable sculptures of mythical themes, made of white marble and other expensive materials, creating an extraordinary composition.

3) “Star Alley” is a spacious street lined with statues of women who contributed to the development of France, as well as European queens. The property of the collection is the Statue of Liberty, which has become an adapted prototype of the famous American sculpture.
In addition, events are regularly held on the territory of the Luxembourg Gardens. cultural events: various exhibitions, concerts, sports games.

Luxembourg Gardens in Paris: opening hours

Unmatched Parisian park ready to receive guests and residents of the French capital every day. The latter, by the way, quite often walk through its beautiful green spaces.
In the midst tourist season(from April to October) the garden is open from 7.30 to 21.45, and in other months it can be visited from 8.15 to 16.45.
Exceptions to this schedule are days national holidays on which the park is not open (Easter, Christmas, Ascension, Pentecost, May 1 and some others), as well as days of important parliamentary events.
It should be noted that entrance to the park is completely free.

Luxembourg Gardens in Paris: how to get there?

An amazing park area is located in the 6th arrondissement of the French capital, in the Latin Quarter, near Saint Michel Boulevard and the Cathedral Notre Dame of Paris. His address: Boulevard Saint-Michel, 75005 Paris, France.
There are several ways to get to this beautiful recreation area:
1) On foot, if you are strolling along Boulevard Saint Michel and want to take a short break in cozy atmosphere and harmony with nature.
2) By metro. To do this you need to go to Odeon station.
3) On RER trains heading to the Luxembourg stop.
4) On city buses with numbers: 21, 27, 38, 58, 82, 83, 84, 85, 89.

Paris - amazing city, filled with beautiful buildings and parks. Famous park The Tuileries can be called the most famous in the city. But the beautiful Luxembourg Gardens are perhaps the most favorite place not only for Parisians themselves, but also for guests of the city. It’s not for nothing that Hugo and Balzac even mentioned him in their works.

Location

The Luxembourg Gardens are located on the left bank of the Seine. The Sorbonne University and the Latin Quarter are located nearby. There are always a lot of students on its lawns finishing their assignments, and mothers and grandmothers stroll along the alleys of the park with their kids. The park always has a calm and peaceful atmosphere; there are always a lot of people here. The garden is an oasis of peace and quiet amid the bustle of Paris. Joe Dassin very accurately conveyed the atmosphere of the park in his song. Since its foundation, the Luxembourg Garden has become a favorite place for Parisians of all ages. Years and centuries pass, and the alleys of the park are still crowded with people.

History of the garden

Like any famous landmark, the Luxembourg Gardens in Paris has its own history. The beautiful park appeared thanks to the whim of Marie de Medici. It was she who gave the order to lay out the garden in 1611. This event occurred shortly after the death of her husband Henry IV, who was stabbed to death by a religious fanatic. Maria de Medici was crowned, at her enormous request, literally the day before the unfortunate event. As a result, she changed her faith for the sake of the French throne. Overnight, she became regent under her son, gaining unlimited power.

Marie de Medici grew up in beautiful Florence, so Paris seemed incredibly gloomy and cold to her. Having received power, she immediately gave orders for the arrangement of a beautiful park and palace that would remind her of what she was used to in Florence. For this purpose, Marie de Medici acquired the former estate of the then deceased Duke of Pinay, who was a representative of the Luxembourg family. It is for this reason that the castle and park got their name. Thus, the duke's surname was immortalized and gained worldwide fame. If the Luxmeboug Garden had not been laid out on the territory of his estate, it is unlikely that anyone would have remembered his name even after a hundred years.

Initially, the park was planned to be planted big amount trees, arrange many ponds and create numerous flower beds. For all this it was necessary to have water, so an aqueduct was built. Much that was conceived and brought to life in that era has survived even to this day.

The palace was built within fifteen years. To this day it appears before us in the form of an openwork Tuscan castle. During construction work all the wishes of Maria Medici were fulfilled, who wanted to get a palace that reminded her of her native Florence.

Fountains of the Luxembourg Gardens

It is worth noting that the main objects of the garden are numerous reservoirs. And at one time a large central fountain was planned as the center of the park composition; it remains the main place in the park to this day. The pond is surrounded by a horseshoe-shaped ramp with terraces of flowers.

Even the most famous and romantic fountain of the garden, called the Medici, has survived to this day. The reservoir was built by Salomon Debros (architect of the palace) in 1624. On the other side of the complex there is a bas-relief - Leda and the Swan. And the front part of the fountain itself looks more like a pond in which fish live.

In addition, there is an observatory fountain in the garden, which was created by several architects at once. The center of the entire composition is four girls, on whose shoulders the earthly sphere rests. The figures of women represent the four continents on Earth. But Australia was deliberately not included in the composition, because, in the opinion of the authors, it would have violated all the harmony.

The park, which had not yet been fully developed, was already very popular among the residents of Paris in the seventeenth century. In general, the garden has experienced the most different times. After the Great French Revolution, noble prisoners walked around it, and the palace itself became an elite prison. It was during this period that the park area acquired its current size, since the revolutionaries annexed the lands of the neighboring monastery. Currently, the Luxembourg Gardens cover an area of ​​about 26 hectares.

The park was opened to the public only in the eighteenth century. Celebrities such as Denis Diderot and Jean-Jacques Rousseau loved to stroll along its alleys.

Garden and celebrities

It is worth noting that the park has seen many celebrities on its territory throughout its history. And its landscapes are depicted in the works of poets and artists. This is what Joe Dassin sings about in one of his songs. The Luxembourg Gardens in general was a place of inspiration for many creative people, among whom were not only the French, but also Russian writers and poets: Joseph Brodsky, Anna Akhmatova, Maria Tsvetaeva.

The garden remained forever captured in the works of David and Delacroix, George Sand, Hugo, Balzac, Hemingway.

And now on the Russian stage you can see a lyrical comedy based on the play by Lev and Alexander Shargorodsky “The Garden of Luxembourg”. BDT - Bolshoi Drama Theater named after G. A. Tovstonogov - timed the performance to coincide with the 85th anniversary of G. A. Shtil, People's Artist of Russia.

Luxembourg Palace

Speaking about the park, it is impossible not to mention the famous palace of the same name, built by Maria de Medici. True, its building was rebuilt several times, but still it has retained its lightness and airiness to this day. At one time, Maria de Medici commissioned the famous artist Rubens for 21 canvases for the new palace, which reflected scenes from her life, as well as three of her own portraits. Currently, the paintings are kept in the Louvre.

Maria de Medici was not able to enjoy her creation for long. Soon after the completion of construction, she was expelled from Paris by her own son, Louis XIII, tired of his mother’s intrigues. At that time, he had great confidence in an equally intriguing prime minister known as Cardinal Richelieu. Maria de Medici wandered around Europe for more than ten years, after which she settled completely alone in Cologne, in the house of her beloved artist Rubens, who had already died by that time.

Meanwhile, life was in full swing at the Luxembourg Palace. Another son of the queen, Gaston d'Orleans, and his daughter (Duchess de Montpensier) settled within its walls. Until the revolution of 1789, the palace remained royal. And in 1791 the building was declared state. It housed the Directory, then the House of Peers and the Senate.

Park sculptures

The Luxembourg Garden (photo given in the article) is decorated with numerous sculptures. Near the palace building there is “Woman with Apples”. And very close by you can see marble statues of the most famous French queens, which appeared here in the nineteenth century.

The garden was also decorated with sculptures by Paul Varlain, Charles Baudelaire, Gustave Flaubert, Stendhal, Massenet, Eugene Delacroix and Antoine Watteau. In general, throughout the park there are a lot of stone and bronze sculptures that appeared here in different periods. There are 106 of them in total.

In addition, the garden is famous for its beautiful flower beds and green terraces.

Greenhouses and orangery

On the territory of the garden there are a number of buildings, which include greenhouses and a greenhouse. Their presence is simply necessary, since gardeners change the plants in each flower bed three times a year. The seedlings are cultivated in a greenhouse, and the flowers then fall into flower beds. In total, 180 varieties of plants are propagated in the greenhouse and greenhouses, including tropical forms. In the summer, they display temporary exhibitions for tourists.

Luxembourg Gardens: reviews

According to tourists, this is one of those places that are definitely worth visiting in Paris. Numerous mentions of the park in Dumas’ book about the Three Musketeers and Joe Dassin’s song will intrigue anyone, so you need to see the legendary garden with your own eyes. This extraordinary place amazingly brings together representatives of all generations on its territory: students, mothers with children, elderly people, athletes on a jog.

The park can safely be called amazing beautiful place. Only the French could create such splendor and skillfully maintain it for many years. When you get to its alleys, you simply don’t have time to admire the beauty architectural complexes, fountains, flower beds and palm trees. The Luxembourg Garden amazes not only with its beauty, but also with its cleanliness, despite the large number of visitors every day. This amazing place It's really impossible not to love. A beautiful garden puts you in a lyrical mood. It’s not for nothing that poets’ poems were born while walking along its alleys.

The Luxembourg Gardens are open to the public; entry to its territory is completely free, as is visiting all the sights. The only place, which is currently impossible to get to, is the Luxembourg Palace. The Senate is located in its building, and therefore entry to tourists and other visitors is closed. Once a month, excursions are organized, which can only be attended by appointment, which is done for safety reasons.

Instead of an afterword

The Luxembourg Gardens can be called one of the most romantic places in Paris. Shady alleys, ponds and fountains, stunning sculptures and a beautiful palace - all this is worth spending the whole day walking around, enjoying the beauty of the park.

Famous for his appearance palace and park complex, located on 26 hectares in the Latin Quarter, is indebted to Marie de Medici, the widow of the French king Henry IV. Italian by birth, she ordered the construction of a country palace, like two peas in a pod, where the queen was born and raised.

In 1611, around the palace, whose architectural design combines Renaissance and Baroque, a park was laid out in a strictly geometric order, with terraces and flower beds in the French style, and later a park area in the English style was laid out. The decoration of the Luxembourg Gardens, in addition to the palace, in which the French Senate now meets and the National Museum operates, are three fountains, including the Marie de Medici fountain in the Baroque style, numerous marble sculptures, skillfully trimmed trees, manicured lawns and incredible beauty flower beds. Palm trees are lined up everywhere right in huge tubs - these heat-loving plants are transferred to the Greenhouse for the winter.

Surrounded by a high wrought-iron fence, the Luxembourg Gardens are a great place for a walk. And it is good at any time of the year or day - quiet, spacious, romantic. Here you can wander for hours, admiring the views, looking at the monument to Marie de Medici or the 2-meter Statue of Liberty, the fourth in a row, and other equally magnificent creations of famous sculptors. Or you can take a chair from the large octagonal fountain and go with it to any corner of the garden - to relax or read a book. Bright green lawns seem designed for lying on the grass on a hot summer day or having a modest, quiet picnic - this is par for the course for Paris.

However, in the garden all conditions have been created for active rest: many sports and playgrounds, tennis courts, carousels for children. Ponies and donkeys run along the alleys and carriages ride. The music pavilion regularly hosts concerts and exhibitions. The Theater of Miniatures is open. And along the water surface of the large fountain you can launch models of sailboats. There are cafes nearby where you can enjoy a cup of coffee or a glass of wine in the open air.

Helpful information

Where is

The address of the Luxembourg Gardens (original name - Jardin du Luxembourg) is as follows: Rue de Vaugirard, Boulevard St. Michel, Rue Auguste-Comte and Rue Guynemer, Paris, France.

How to get to the Luxembourg Gardens

You can walk to the Luxembourg Gardens at the end of Boulevard San Michel. Or take the metro to the station and Odeon, or take the RER train to the Luxembourg station. City buses No. 21, 27, 38, 58, 82, 83, 84, 85 and 89 also run here.

Opening hours of the Luxembourg Gardens

From November to March, the Garden receives visitors from 8:15 to 16:45. From April to October - from 7:30 to 21:45. And only on Mondays - until 17:00. Opening hours also depend on the season and the work of the Senate.

Entrance fee

Entry to the Luxembourg Gardens is free.

Helpful information

After relaxing in the silence of the Luxembourg Park, you can go for other vivid impressions and emotions - for example, to the Louvre, which the garden abuts. It's not far from here to others famous places Paris - nursing homes, Eiffel Tower or the Zadkine Museum.