Jardin des Tuileries
| This garden and the
raised terraces along each side were designed in 1664 by Le Nôtre as
practice for Versailles. The park has always been open to the public,
though the terrace beside the river used to be reserved for the royal
children. It’s a good example of a French 17th-century garden, what with
statues and fountains and Keep off the Grass, though it was considerably
remodelled in 1989. Still, the park offers some fabulous views through
the heart of Paris, being part of the Grande Perspective. It has two ponds, one octagonal and one round; you can hire model boats to sail on either of them, and the fountain in the middle will wash your boat back to the edge if the wind dies. Most of the statues dotted around the gardens are by Maillol, who loved chunky naked ladies. |
