Gardens to Nurture your Soul in and around Paris

Paris may seem busy, frantic, even overwhelming at times. With its bustling avenues, offices, shops, monuments, and museums, the city is one of the most visited in the world. It’s home to workers, residents, and travellers who cross paths both aboveground and underground (in the métro).

That’s why finding a moment of quiet is essential. Parks and gardens in Paris offer us just that: a chance to rest our souls, meet friends over a summer picnic, take a breather from the stress even in winter, admire blossoms in spring, or enjoy a meditative walk under falling leaves in autumn.

Here are my favourite parks and gardens, in and around Paris. I’m sure you will know some of them already, but this is a mix of classics and lesser-known places. Or else, what would be the point of being your local friend in Paris? In this article, I’m sharing why you should see these gardens, what you can see there, the best time to go, and whether or not your dog can come along too!

Best peaceful gardens in Paris for a break from the city

Jardin du Palais Royal – Paris 1

I don’t really need to introduce you to this historic garden, do I? Nestled behind the Comédie-Française, housing the Conseil Constitutionnel and a stone’s throw away from the Louvre, the Jardin du Palais Royal is beloved by locals, especially workers who like to enjoy their lunch picnics in the shade of the garden’s galleries and tree lines. My favourite time to go is spring, when the tulips bloom and the trees start to cover in tender green.

This symmetrical garden surrounded by elegant arcades has become an open-air gallery of contemporary art, celebrating its proximity to the French Ministry of Culture. That’s one of the main reasons why I love this place. The contrast between its northern part, sheltering classical French-style gardens with roses and fountains, and the southern part, housing the famous black-and-white Buren Columns and the large fountain of spheres, is fascinating.

• 8 Rue de Montpensier, 75001 Paris
• Don’t miss: For an instant of poetry, don’t miss the signature green chairs (‘Les Confidents’) celebrating the traditional chairs in Paris public parks and the poetry lines on the garden’s benches.
• Open daily.
• Dog-friendly (on leash).

Jardin alpin (inside Jardin des Plantes) – Paris 5

Somewhat hidden within the larger Jardin des Plantes, the Jardin alpin is like a secret micro-world that feels miles away from the city. Accessible through a small tunnel near the Ménagerie (where you could spot the animals), it shelters over 2,000 mountain species from the Alps, the Himalayas and beyond.

Its winding paths, rustic stone steps, and old water well invite quiet exploration, while the presence of a towering metasequoia creates a slightly magical feel. It’s truly one of my favourite spots to breathe and pause, and one that is highly appreciated by local readers too, who prize the few sitting benches.

• 57 Rue Cuvier, 75005 Paris
• https://www.jardindesplantesdeparis.fr/en
• Don’t miss: The big Metasequioa is my personal favourite.
• Go in spring and early summer when alpine flowers are in bloom.
• Open daily, during the same hours as Jardin des Plantes – Closed in winter.
• Not dog-friendly.

Parc Edmond de Rothschild, Boulogne-Billancourt

This park is what you might call a true hidden gem, although it’s not in Paris proper, but in the neighbouring town of Boulogne-Billancourt. Mostly unknown to tourists, I even found it a bit tricky to locate the first time I went. However, it turned out to be a tranquil escape, featuring a large lake and abundant wildlife.

What drew me there initially were the remains of an old Japanese garden, but there’s barely any trace of it left, except for a couple of red bridges and stone lanterns. You really have to know what you’re looking for to spot them.

That said, the park is really vast (it once belonged to one of the richest families in France) and hides some truly charming corners. I’ll mention the island in the middle of the lake, the stone path under the willow tree, and the artificial grotto, a subtle reminder of the English garden style once applied to this space. It felt like a secret countryside retreat just outside the city!

• 3 Rue des Victoires, 92100 Boulogne-Billancourt
• Don’t miss: the stone paths leading to the central islands in the middle of the lake, and the birds nesting on the banks of said lake.
• Open daily.
• Dog-friendly (on leash)

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Best gardens in and near Paris to reconnect with nature

Jardin des Plantes – Paris 5

“The Jardin des Plantes is a museum of the world” (Alexandre Vialatte). More than just a botanical garden, the Jardin des Plantes is a multi-faceted garden composed of various parts, making it a living museum of plants and trees. It also shares space with the Museum of Natural History (Muséum national d’histoire naturelle), which makes it a prized destination for families and tourists alike. The most famous part is the central garden, also called the “great perspective”. It is in the style “à la Française”, accessed from the Quai d’Austerlitz (Seine riverbank). But my favourite bits to visit are definitely the hidden Jardin Alpin, mentioned above, and the garden of the School of Botanics, near the big greenhouses.

In the northernmost part, you will find a small hill, which is quite lovely if you like to stroll around and get a bit lost in nature. It is called the Labyrinth, and is often a rendezvous point for young students in love (at least, I’ve often seen some there!). Ironically, it used to be a heap of trash in the Middle Ages, before it was turned into an artificial hill in the 18th century, but there’s absolutely no hint at the dirty past left today and it’s a perfectly romantic place to wander.

• Several entrances: Quai Saint-Bernard, Rue Buffon or Rue Geoffroy St-Hilaire (closest to the Museum of Natural History) or Rue Cuvier (closest to the Jardin Alpin)
• https://www.jardindesplantesdeparis.fr/en
• Don’t miss: The sakura blossom in early spring, and the magnolia blossom shortly after that.
• Open daily.
• Not dog-friendly.

Jardin de l’École du Breuil – Paris 12 & Bois de Vincennes

This 10-hectare garden is part of a horticultural school where students care for themed gardens all year long. Directly adjacent to the Bois de Vincennes and the Paris arboretum (also a very nice green patch in the city), it is a rich part where you can learn a lot about botanical works and plant variety at large.

My personal favourite in the vast domain is the small, perfectly trimmed Japanese garden, but I also love hanging out in the central garden with the waterlily pond flanked by palm trees and rose alleys. To some extent, I’ve always found the arrangement of this central space original, with a half-tropical, half-continental vibe. That’s why I love this garden.

Don’t miss the century-old greenhouse, which shelters an amazing collection of tropical plants, from epiphytes to bromeliads and cactae, and many others. It is open only on Wednesdays afternoons, so I recommend planning ahead!

• Entrance on Route de la Pyramide, 75012 Paris (although the official address is Rte de la Ferme)
• https://www.ecoledubreuil.fr/jardin/
• Don’t miss: Each May, the school du Breuil organises sales days during which you can buy excellent and sometimes rare plants and flowers for a very good price. It is extremely popular among Parisian plant lovers!
• Open daily.
• Dogs not allowed.

Roseraie du Val-de-Marne – L’Haÿ-les-Roses

This rose garden outside Paris features over 11,000 rose bushes and hundreds (thousands?) of rose species. It is the oldest rose garden in France, and a true celebration of floral beauty. What’s fascinating is that this garden started with a very personal intention. Its founder, Jules Gavreau, initially planted a few rose bushes for his wife, who had asked for a place to remember their daughter Rose, who had passed away as an infant. And step by step, the businessman turned passionate and grew the family’s collection of roses until it became one of the largest collections of old roses in the world.

Today, city agents are in charge of the garden and work daily to take care of the magnificent roses, some species coming from the other side of the world! The garden is best visited in late spring and early summer, when the roses are in full bloom (it opens only seasonally anyway). You will learn about all rose sizes, colours and shapes. I even saw a rose tree for the first time, and learnt it was a 70-year-old bush, the oldest one in the garden!

• Rue Albert & Rue Watel, 94240 L’Haÿ-les-Roses
• https://roseraie.valdemarne.fr/ (English: https://roseraie.valdemarne.fr/english-version/discover-the-roseraie)
• Don’t miss: The guided tours, usually offered in May (info on the website).
• Open seasonally from May to September.
• Not dog-friendly.

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Local parks in Paris to experience everyday life and charm

Every arrondissement has its own charming parks and gardens, and this is really a selection of my favourites.

Parc de Bercy – Paris 12

• 128 Quai de Bercy, Paris 12 – There are several entrances but my favourite is from Passerelle Simone de Beauvoir.
• Don’t miss: La Maison du Jardinier (The Gardener’s House) in the center of the park, dedicated to urban gardening.
• Open daily
• Dog-friendly on leash in the area facing the river, across the National Library François Miterrand.

Square René Le Gall – Paris 13

This quiet, charming park near the Jardin des Plantes, Square René Le Gall is often overlooked… yet I can say with certainty that it’s adored by locals. With its mix of wooded areas, shaded seating, peaceful walking paths, and even a rose garden, this space, listed as historical heritage, might surprise you with its diversity.

I particularly enjoy visiting the French-style section in spring, when the roses are in full bloom. However, its most intriguing feature remains the stone mosaics, often missed by the unknowing visitor. If you look closely at the stairs leading to the rose garden, you’ll spot unusual mosaics made of pebbles. I won’t tell you what they represent… look carefully and let me know what you see!

• Entrances: Rue de Croulebarbe and rue Berbier du Mets, Paris 13
• Don’t miss: the stone mosaics around the rose garden (especially in spring!)
• Open daily.
• Dog-friendly on leash in a limited area on the Berbier du Mets street side.

Square des Batignolles – Paris 17

• 144 bis Rue Cardinet, Paris 17.
• Don’t miss: The central kiosk and duck pond.
• Open daily.
• Dog-friendly on leash.

Parc des Buttes-Chaumont – Paris 19

Fun fact: before becoming a prized garden, the park was once a quarry, a dumping ground, and even an execution site… in short, not exactly a place anyone would have recommended. But by the end of the 19th century, its insalubrity had become unbearable (especially with the rise of hygienist ideas) and it was finally transformed into the English-style garden we know today.

• Several entrances: rue Bolivar or rue Botzaris are the ones I use the most frequently.
• Don’t miss: Having a drink at the Rosa Bonheur bar inside the park, especially on warm summer days.
• Open daily
• Dog-friendly

Parc de Belleville – Paris 20

• 47 Rue des Couronnes, Paris 20
• Don’t miss: The Belvédère de Belleville, a street art landmark in the area, located at the top of the park, and the mural celebrating the Paris Commune, at the bottom of the park this time (Passage de Pékin).
• Open daily
• Not dog-friendly.

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Unique gardens near Paris to feel like you’re travelling

Musée Albert-Kahn Garden, Boulogne-Billancourt

Stepping into the Albert Kahn museum & gardens feels like entering a living vision of peace. In Boulogne-Billancourt, at the western edge of Paris, this unique site blends world cultures through landscape: Japanese gardens with a red bridge, traditional house replicas and bamboo grove, a French rose garden, an English-style grotto and Victorian greenhouse, a forest honouring Kahn’s European homeland (Alsace), all united in one vegetal tapestry. It’s more than just a garden: it’s a dialogue between cultures, anchored by its founder’s humanist dream. Don’t miss his stunning photographic archive collection documenting life around the globe, “The Archives of the Planet”, visible in the museum.

• 2 Rue du Port, Boulogne-Billancourt
• https://albert-kahn.hauts-de-seine.fr/en/
• Don’t miss: The museum and the archives, and the regular exhibitions.
• Open Tuesday to Sunday.
• Not dog-friendly.

Jardins de Claude Monet, Giverny

Though outside Paris, Monet’s gardens in Giverny definitely deserve the detour… do I really need to explain why? One of my small regrets is how busy it gets, very early in the season nowadays. That’s why I always recommend visiting at the end of the season, although I completely understand the desire to see the full spring or summer colours in this one-of-a-kind painter’s garden. For those willing to brave the journey, it’s a chance to admire the living masterpiece that inspired the breathtaking Nymphéas at the Musée de l’Orangerie.

In autumn, when dahlias and late blooms take the spotlight, I still love wandering there. (Fun fact: It’s actually one of the first places I chose to take my parents when I first learnt how to drive a car!) It’s a quieter moment, when nature slowly begins to fall back asleep after the flamboyance of summer. Stroll through the flower garden and the iconic water lily pond for a truly immersive, painterly experience.

• 84 Rue Claude Monet, Giverny
• https://claudemonetgiverny.fr/
• Open from April to late October. Check the website for dates.
• Not dog-friendly.