Jardin des Tuileries

The Jardin des Tuileries offers a unique chance to soak in and enjoy a French-style walk of relaxation and entertainment. The garden is listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and is an epitome of classical designing and modelling. The garden is also home to some classical attractions like the Modern Art Museum and Orangerie Museum, where art collections from various eras are exhibited. The garden spreads across a rather large area of approximately 150000 square m. which is divided into six rectangular compartments that are planted with lawns, flower beds, and small clusters of five trees known as the quinconces. The main walkway of the Tuileries Garden stretches between two ponds that are visible through the main entrance to the garden. The garden is beautifully framed by two wide terraces from where visitors get to witness breathtaking views of nearby streets. Children’s play areas and pruned trees offer intense embellishments to the garden and enhance the beauty of the landscape. A handful of sculptures, including the Rodin and Maillol sculptures, add a traditional and prehistoric touch to the architecture of the garden.

The creation of the garden dates back to the period of Henry II. After his death, his wife, Catherine de Medici moved out of her primary residence and shifted into the Louvre Palace. After some time, she commissioned the construction of a new palace not very far from the Louvre, for which, she ordered a famous landscape architect to create a garden of the Italian Renaissance style, which would have fountains, a labyrinth and grotto, decorated with faience images of plants and animals.

After the garden fell into the hands of Henry IV, he decided to introduce a few changes in the garden, initiated by the restoration of the garden. He built a rectangular lake with fountains supplied with water from the pump house La Samaritaine (on the Pont Neuf). Successively, the garden was passed on to Louis XIII after the death of his father, Henry IV.  A riding school, stables and playing areas were established in his reign.Eventually, throughout the coming years, a lot of major changes were made to the Jardin des Tuileries whenever there was a new king that ruled France. The garden was redesigned, terraces were added, and new avenues were created with the help of hundreds of masons, gardeners and earth-movers. This garden was the first royal garden to be opened to the public.

In the 18th century, two statues were erected at the main entrance of the garden, followed by a few more figures that were set up at the Grand Alley. During the French Revolution, the palace was stormed by a mob and the King’s guards were massacred in the garden. The garden was then named the National Garden of the French Republic. In the 20th century, fencing events were held in the garden at the 1900 Summer Olympics.

1. Jardin du Carrousel

Jardin du Carrousel, surrounding the Arc de Triomphe, is a symbolic representation of Napoleon’s Victory at Austerlitz. The area is adorned by lush grounds and thick hedges along with strips of stone pavements emerging radially from the arc. Another defining feature of the carousel is the series of 18 statues created by Aristide Maillol in the late-18th century. Jacques Wirtz was the primary designer for designing the whole area. It is a relaxing and enjoyable place for people of all ages.

Timings: Open 24 hours
Price: Free; Official website at louvre

2. Musee de L’Orangerie

Located in an old orangey building in the Tuileries Garden, Musee de L’Orangerie is an art museum that is renowned for its mural collection of Water-lilies by the world famous artist Claude Monet. There are some artworks by painters like Picasso and Renoir too. Over the years, the building has had a lot of functions as well as purposes but is now only used as an art gallery and a protection mechanism for the orange and peach trees in the garden.

Timings: 9 AM - 6 PM
Price: EUR 9; Official website at musee-orangerie

3. La Terrasse de Pomone

An essential feature of the Jardin des Tuileries is the elevated terrace with a fine restaurant, which is one of the primary elements that factor into the immense popularity of the garden. Along with fine wine and delicious food, it has impressive viewpoints such as those of Champs-Elysees Ave, the River Seine and Place de la Concorde, especially after dawn. The city of lights truly morphs into its radiance when viewed from the terrace.

Timings: 9 AM - 8 PM
Price: EUR 11 - EUR 20; Official website at terrassedepomone

4. Galerie Nationale du Jeu de Paume

The Galerie Nationale de Jeu de Paume is an art gallery located in the Tuileries Gardens. It is mainly famous for being a centre of modern and postmodern media and photography. The building was constructed in the 19th century under the command of Napoleon III. Initially, it was used to house real tennis courts and eventually used as an extension for the Louvre and Musee de l’Orangerie. It achieved independent status in 1922. It showcases enormous collections of contemporary art by artists like Jean Dubuffet and Marcel Broodthaers.

Timings: 12 PM - 9 PM
Price: EUR 10 ; Official website at jeudepaume

5. Grand Carre

The area of Grand Carre is known for the two round ponds situated inside it. Around the two ponds, there are multiple, huge statues brought in the 19th century such as Misery by Jean Baptiste Hughes, Diana the Huntress by Leveque, Theseus Fighting the Minotaur and others; all of them mainly inspired by the Greek Pantheon. It was classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site back in 1991. This public park was one of the firsts to have complete closed-circuit water distribution and recycling water for its basins. This park efficiently contributes to enhancing the beauty and nature of the Jardin des Tuileries.

Timings: 7 AM - 9 PM
Price: Free

6. Moat of Charles V

Beneath the Terrasse is the famous Moat of Charles V of France, located at the exit of the terrasse. It is a remnant of the old fortifications that used to surround the palace. Since the late-20th century, the moat has been ornamented with sculptures which were originally a part of the facade of the old Tuileries Palace.

Timings: 7 AM - 9 PM
Price: Free

7. Grand Couvert

The Grand Couvert is the part of the Tuileries Garden which contains a lot of shrubs and trees. It was created for Catherine de Medici as her private garden in the mid-1500s. It has chairs and benches, along with some hidden areas that prove to be excellent places to sit, relax and eat. The whole area is filled with sculptures like Primo Piano II by David Smith, Confidence by Daniel Dezeuze and Jeanette by Paul Belmondo. People can often be seen performing exercises and yoga. The Grand Couvert is an exciting attraction within the Jardin des Tuileries.

Timings: 7 AM - 9 PM
Price: Free

The ideal time to visit Jardin des Tuileries is during the fall, or the summer season, preferably between March to September. The garden looks extraordinarily green and flowers bloom to their fullest during this time.

The Opening Times for Jardin des Tuileries vary according to the season. The variation is as follows -

1. Last Sunday of September until the last Sunday of March - 7:00 AM to 7:30 PM.

2. Last Sunday of March until the last Saturday of September - 7 AM to 9 PM.

3. In the months of June, July and August - 7 AM to 11 PM

Pick Bus, Metro, RER, Train or Light Rail options that you can take to get to Tuileries Garden. Here’s a list of a few lines that pass nearby  - Metro: 6, 9 stop - Tuileries; Train: J, L, N; Bus: 42, 72, 82 Stop - Pyramides/Tuileries, DIRECT 1; RER: C.