Luxembourg Gardens

Fun Facts

• • During the Second World War, the occupying German forces constructed several concrete bunkers beneath the park to serve their military operations, some of which still exist underground.
• • Famous figures from literature and art, such as Victor Hugo and Vincent van Gogh, frequently sought inspiration within these walls, cementing the garden's status as a muse for creatives.
• • Many of the chestnut trees found in the park were grown from seeds collected at Monticello, the Virginian home of American founding father Thomas Jefferson.
• • Marie de Médicis commissioned the gardens specifically to recreate the atmosphere of her childhood home in Italy, importing Florentine design elements to the heart of Paris.
• • The Senate, which owns and manages the gardens, maintains a strict tradition of ensuring the flower beds and shrubbery are kept to impeccable standards.
• • The garden is home to over 100 statues, including a specific series dedicated to the queens and illustrious women of France, as well as monuments to famous poets and artists.
• • The iconic green metal chairs, which have become a symbol of the park, were once available only for a rental fee but have been free for public use since 1974.
• • The park contains a secret oratory and various hidden nooks that were once favoured by clandestine lovers and revolutionary thinkers during the 18th century.
• • The park features an apiary where visitors can learn about traditional beekeeping and the production of honey in an urban environment.
• • The park houses a miniature bronze replica of the Statue of Liberty by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, a precursor to the famous monument in New York.
• • There is a long standing tradition of model boat sailing on the central pond, which has charmed generations of local children and visitors alike for nearly a century.