25-hectare formal French garden created in 1612 for Marie de Medici's Luxembourg Palace (now the French Senate). Gravel paths, manicured lawns, the Medici Fountain, a pond where children sail toy boats, and rows of green metal chairs where Parisians read novels and sunbathe.
Location
Saint-Germain, Paris
Map
Insider Intel
Rent a chair (or find a free bench) and spend an hour doing nothing. The octagonal pond in front of the palace is the heart of the park — children sail toy boats here using long sticks. The Medici Fountain on the eastern side is a shaded retreat. The orchards and beehives in the southwest corner are open during harvest season.
Spring for the blooming flowers. Summer for sunbathing and tennis. Autumn for fallen leaves. The park is open dawn to dusk (hours vary by season) and is beautiful year-round.
Created in 1612 when Marie de Medici, widow of Henri IV, commissioned the Luxembourg Palace and surrounding gardens in the style of her native Florence's Boboli Gardens. The Senate has occupied the palace since 1799. The park survived Haussmann's 19th-century renovations but was reduced in size. Parisians treat the Luxembourg as an extension of their living rooms — expect locals reading, students studying, and families on weekend afternoons. The chairs are free (despite urban legends). This is the quintessential Left Bank experience.