Overview
The Jardin du Luxembourg is Paris's most visited public park, attracting over 6 million visitors a year. Created in 1612 by Marie de Médicis, the Italian queen who found the French climate too cold and the French gardens too bleak, it was designed to evoke the Boboli Gardens in Florence. Today, the garden surrounds the Palais du Luxembourg, seat of the French Senate, and remains a beloved sanctuary of Parisian life. Students from the nearby Sorbonne read on the green chairs, children sail model boats on the octagonal pond, and Parisians of all ages come to breathe, think, and simply be.
🕐 Opening Hours
Hours vary by month — typically opens at dawn and closes at dusk
Free admission unless noted above
🚇 How to Get There
💡 The RER B Luxembourg stop drops you right at the main garden entrance.
Get Directions →What to See
- 1Medici Fountain — a 17th-century Baroque fountain with a grotto, considered one of the most romantic spots in Paris
- 2The octagonal grand basin — children rent toy sailboats here on weekends
- 3Orchard with over 100 apple and pear varieties, maintained since the 19th century
- 4The Orangerie, featuring tropical plants in a beautiful glass pavilion
- 582 statues of French queens and notable women placed around the garden
- 6The Beehive apiary — a working apiary where bees produce Luxembourg honey
- 7Puppet theater (Théâtre du Luxembourg) with shows for children
- 8Tennis courts and bocce (pétanque) areas open to the public
Photos
Jardin du Luxembourg with its iconic octagonal pond and the Palais du Luxembourg in the background
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