Tuileries Garden

One of the best things Paris can offer. Oh, those gardens! I keep on coming back. The pure beauty of Paris. Place de la Concorde, Tuileries Garden and then the Pyramids of Louvre – nothing can beat this experience! Created by Catherine de Medicis as the garden of the Tuileries Palace in 1564, it was first opened to the public in 1667, and became a public park after the French Revolution.

You can wander around this place for hours, promenading down the alleys and lawns, people watching, relaxing on the cleverly-provided chairs (free of charge!) by one of the fountains, enjoying a coffee or meal at one of the brasseries, admiring all sorts of birds gracing the heads of the park statues. You can even lie down on the grass if you want to. And what is great about this garden is that it is not for tourists only but Parisians enjoy it very much too.

The gardens are known for its extensive exposition of Maillol statues, which I simply love. They have been installed here since 1964, more or less hidden by hedges. Aristide Maillol (1861-1944) also has his own museum in Paris (59-61 Rue Grenelle).

Another great thing to do would be visiting L’Orangerie – the gallery mostly dedicated to the works of impressionists. The Orangerie was built in 1852 by the architect Firmin Bourgeois. Since 1927, it has displayed the series Water Lilies by Claude Monet (simply stunning!). On the terrace of the Orangerie are four sculptures by Auguste Rodin: Le Baiser; Eve, La Grande Ombre, and La Meditation avc bras.

There are two good open-air restaurants in Les Tuileries Gardens: Saut du Loup and Cafe Reale.

Scritto da neja il 2011-12-20 in #luoghi #park #people #birds #trees #relax #children #plants #statues #fountains #location #chilling #crows #brasserie #urban-adventures #city-break #tuileries-garden