Visiting the Luxembourg Gardens

If you’re aiming close to paradise, you won’t need to look much further than the Jardin du Luxembourg.

And, if you come with a fresh croissant au beurre, an americano, and a tantalizing read, you may actually reach it.

OK, I’ll admit this may be my version of paradise. But to each their own—

What to expect in the jardin du luxembourg

As I walked through the garden, I saw many people in their own little versions of paradise: some there with family—two sons crunching down on fresh baguettes, the father reading, the mother smiling at the scene; a woman with snowy hair sitting alone in the sunshine with two bare feet on the chair before her and a John Grisham book in hand; and near her, a man of a similar age happily had his bare feet up, too, with a newspaper in hand. And when he caught me looking, he gave me a kind smile.

The Jardin du Luxembourg is a large sanctuary. You can go for a peaceful walk, read a book, have a picnic, or even play tennis or chess inside.

Once you approach the gardens, you’ll be guided through the gates and into several different settings to choose from. Your options inside are quite diverse because they were built in different stages, under different command, over a long period of time.

You may prefer to relax in the quiet, green English garden on the west side, along the Rue Guynemer.

Or, like myself, you might be drawn to the symmetrical center—the traditional French garden, built in the same style as the Jardin des Tuileries and Versailles by the master landscape architect André Le Nôtre.

In the south, there’s an area to lay in the grass or have a picnic. And the east is where you’ll find the tennis courts. Walk around for yourself, and see which area you prefer.

Plus, if the scenery wasn’t nice enough, the Jardin du Luxembourg also hosts many sculptures. There are sculptures of famous women, a sculpture fountain commissioned by the Medicis in 1630, and even a statue of liberty inside.

And if find yourself in need of refreshments, you’ll find little stands and a proper cafe to meet your needs.

I’ve walked through the gardens two or three times now, and each time has been more pleasant than the last.

On my first visit, when I entered the gates, I passed by a guard and immediately found myself in a simultaneously serene and bustling setting. The English gardens sat fresh and verdant to my left and the palace to my right.

I walked by faces and faces of all different nationalities, some on the phone talking fast in their respective tongues, some jogging through in sportswear, some with snacks and books in hand, walking around as aimlessly as myself; each in our own little worlds.

I was immediately torn whether I wanted to sit in the English Gardens or near the Medici Fountain. That is, until I approached the center to the populated French Gardens. I wanted to be where the people where—where else could I get some prime people-watching in?

In fact, once I was seated on the very French green garden chair, I found it pretty difficult to focus on my book because life was happening all around me. Why escape into fantasy when the story around you is so pleasant?