Luxembourg Garden
The Luxembourg Gardens are a Paris landmark worth visiting for anyone staying in the city. The 26-hectare palace and park complex, which used to be a royal palace, now holds meetings in the Luxembourg Palace of the Senate, as well as one of the chambers of the French Parliament. In the central part there is a large fountain, alleys for pedestrians, comfortable benches, beautiful sculptures and cozy gazebos.
The Luxembourg Garden was laid out in 1612 by order of the widow of King Henry IV, Marie de' Medici, a native of Italy. The garden was decided to be built in the Chateau Vauvert fortress, which was then far beyond the city limits. The prototype of the castle is the Palazzo Pitti in Florence, where Marie de' Medici lived. In 1617, Louis XIV ordered the garden to be enlarged at the expense of the territory of the Carthusian monastery. In the 17th century, the garden became very popular, and in the 18th century it was favored by writers and poets such as Rousseau and Denis Diderot. In the following years, the garden area has changed a lot. The Count of Provence gave part of the garden for the restoration of the palace, and after the revolution, all the lands of the Carthusian monastery were transferred to the Luxembourg Gardens.
In the Luxembourg Gardens there is a Guignol puppet theater, carousels, you can ride a pony or take a whole carriage. Outdoor enthusiasts can go to the tennis or basketball court. Most of the visitors can be seen at the Medici Fountain, where their own or rented small ships sail. The fountain itself is considered one of the most romantic places in Paris.
The Luxembourg Gardens are a wonderful place to relax, you can just climb on the grass and admire the local beauties, or walk around the beautiful garden, drink coffee with croissants.
