Enjoy the lovely and diverse gardens in Paris

The golden days of summer provide a welcome opportunity to explore the magnificent and varied bounty of parks, green spaces and gardens in Paris. Some of these date back to the 17th century, whereas others are of a comparatively more recent vintage, but all have their own, unique characters, attributes and attractions. For a city that is densely urban, Paris always surprises visitors with its places of tranquil greenery, which number more than 400. With so many to choose from, allow the Hotel de l'Université to make a few suggestions for your enjoyment.

Attractive parks and gardens in the heart of Paris

The gardens of the Quai Branly Museum are sheltered by tall glass paneling that hushes the sound of the outside world, adding to the feeling of peace afforded by this place of pathways, ponds, plants and gently undulating landscape. The breeze rustling the leaves of maples, oaks, magnolias and cherry trees is often all you can hear. In these gardens nature and culture meet as the exhibitions within are often echoed without. Two examples of this are Tattooists Tattooed, which looks at the story of body art until October 18th, and Tiki Pop, an exhibition examining the popular American fascination with Polynesian culture that runs until September 28th.

Separating the Louvre from the Place du Concorde, the Jardin des Tuileries is a Unesco World Heritage Site. Established by Queen Catherine de Medicis in the mid-16th century, this was the first public garden in Paris. Here you can enjoy sculptures by Rodin, Max Ernst and Henry Moore amongst others and see Monet’s water lily paintings in the Orangery. During the summer it is the site of a very popular traditional funfair.

Nestled at the western end of the Ile de la Cité, the island home of Notre Dame Cathedral, can be found the Square du Vert Galant. King Henry IV, known as the Green Gallant due to his amorous liaisons, was the inspiration for the name of this lovely park. Perhaps this is appropriate, as this place of beautiful old trees and a plethora of bird life is known as a trysting place for lovers. It has been listed as an ecological green space since 2007 and is a delightful location in which to sit and watch the gently flowing Seine.

What is often regarded as the finest view of the Eiffel Tower can be enjoyed from the Parc du Champ de Mars. Named for the Roman god of war, this park was used as a parade ground by cadets of the Ecole Militaire in the 18th century, but is now favoured as a picnic spot and place of general relaxation by Parisians. On the other side of the Seine from this attractive green space is another, the Trocadero Gardens. Stretching from the Palais du Chaillot to the Seine, this is a place of fountains, garden terraces and statuary including Henri Bouchard’s 21 foot high bronze Apollo.

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• Jardin d’Eté : June 27 - August 31, 2014 Musée du Quai Branly, 37 Quai Branly, Paris 7e Tel. 0033 (0)1 56 61 70 00 Access : Pont de l’Alma, RER C
• Square du Vert-Galant : Ile de la Cité, Paris 4e Metro : Pont Neuf, line 7
• Jardin des Tuileries : 113 Rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris Tel. 0033 (0)1 01 40 20 90 43 Metro : Tuileries, line 1
• Parc du Champ-de-Mars : 2 Allée Adrienne Lecouvreur, Paris 7ème Metro : Ecole Militaire, line 8 RER C : Champs de Mars Tour Eiffel

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Featured picture copyright holder : Tourist office Paris - Photographer Marc bertrand

Hotel de l'Université at the heart of Paris Saint-Germain-des-Prés