Jardin des Tuileries – The elegant gardens in the heart of Paris
Why is the Tuileries Garden in Paris so famous?
The Tuileries gardens were commissioned by Queen Catherine de Medici in 1564 to complete the new Tuileries Palace. Over the years, the Italian Renaissance gardens were transformed by successive generations of rulers, royal and revolutionary.
Running alongside the Seine between the Louvre and Place de la Concorde, the statue-filled park connects some of Paris’s most visited locations. A place to meet, hang out, and enjoy the vibes, it is a promenade at the heart of many Parisian odysseys. As such, it is perhaps the most famous green space in the French capital.
What is the Tuileries Garden?
Split by the Grande Allée with its uninterrupted line of sight stretching to the Arc de Triomphe, Tuileries Garden enjoys some of the finest views in Paris. Filled with tourists traipsing between the Louvre and numerous landmarks nearby, few first-time visitors avoid soaking up its carefully cultivated charms.
The widowed Queen, Catherine de Medici, commissioned an Italian Renaissance garden to please the eye and feed the kitchens. The palace they were created for was destroyed by rioters in the 1871 Paris Commune, but the gardens survived. It was not the first revolution the gardens had witnessed. At one end is Place de la Concorde, the immense public square where Louis XVI and Marie Antionette met the guillotine.
In the intervening years, the Tuileries Garden was transformed by various monarchs. In 1664, the entire landscape was transformed by the noted royal gardener extraordinaire André Le Nôtre. When Louis XIV abandoned the Louvre for Versailles, the gardens were opened to the public at the request of Charles Perrault, author of Sleeping Beauty. The king still insisted on banning beggars, soldiers, and pretty much the entire working class.
Napoleon Bonaparte took up residence in the Tuileries Palace. As Emperor, the gardens would be used for military parades and special events. It would also welcome an imposing triumphal arch, the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel. Later, under the restored monarchy of Emperor Napoleon III, the garden was changed again. It’s what we see today. The biggest change was the addition of an indoor handball court, Jeu de Paume, and an Orangery. Both are art museums today.
The Tuileries Garden has been the setting for many city events. Most famously, the first manned Hydrogen-fueled air balloon flew from the gardens in 1783. Today, the park remains open to the public. The palace is gone. As are the kings and emperors. But the legends of the Tuileries Garden endure and remain a focal point for Parisian life.
Tickets and tours to the Tuileries Garden
Since the Jardin du Tuileries is a public park, there are no entrance fees to explore Jardin des Tuileries. But with the following tours, you can experience the park with a local guide.
Most popular "The History of Paris" exclusive walking tour | Paris City Center & Louvre Museum guided Tour | Guided city tour by electric bike | |
|---|---|---|---|
What | This epic tour sweeps through centuries of royal and revolutionary change, with the Tuileries Garden central to many stories. | An exclusive, expert tour of the landmarks clustered around the 1st arrondissement. | E-bike tour, which swings past a series of compelling monuments and must-see sights. |
Duration | 2,5 hours | 5,5 hours | 2 hours |
Ticket |
Tours to the Tuileries Garden: The details
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01
"The History of Paris" Tour
Walking Tour in Île de la Cité
An invigorating voyage through Parisian history revealed through its landmark buildings.
This epic tour sweeps through centuries of royal and revolutionary change, with the Tuileries Garden central to many stories.
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02
Paris City Center & Louvre Museum guided Tour
Walking Tour in 1. Arrondissement
An exclusive, expert tour of the landmarks clustered around the 1st arrondissement.
With reserved entry to the Louvre, you can fill an entire day with intoxicating art and history.
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03
Guided city tour by electric bike
Bike Tour in Paris
Discover Paris highlight while taking part in an E-bike tour, which swings past a series of compelling monuments and must-see sights.
The guided tour offers you the opportunity to admire the perfectly green areas of the Jardin des Tuileries and the Trocadero Gardens.
The Tuileries Garden ranks amongst the finest promenades in the world
Highlights of the Tuileries Garden
A stroll along the Grande Allée charts an uninterrupted view threading the eye of a needle to the Arc de Triomphe along the Champs Élysée. It is an essential Parisian sight for first-time visitors. Take time to chill near the ponds. Seats invite passersby to unwind and soak up the views and the atmosphere.
Eye-catching statues line the walkways. With works by Rodin, Henry Moore, and numerous installations from Aristide Maillol, the sculptures delight casual observers and art buffs. Although many are casts of the originals stored safely elsewhere. Several of Maillol’s sculptures are located in Place du Carrousel, the public square at the Louvre end of the Tuileries Garden. There you can see the ornate and impressive Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel, similar to the more famous Arc de Triomphe on Place de l’Étoile.
Line up the view west through the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel. The vista stretches for miles, perfectly aligned with the obelisk on Place de la Concorde and the Arc de Triomphe. If the sun shines (it does happen, rarely), stop for a drink at the cafés in the tree-covered Grand Couvert.
The Jardin at christmas
If you’re in Paris around Christmas, a lively Christmas fair fills one section of the gardens. Funfair rides and cotton candy distinguish it from traditional Marchés de Noël elsewhere in the city.
Tips for visiting the Tuileries Garden
The Tuileries Garden is a place to unhurriedly stroll and savor the views and atmosphere. A few bits of info may be useful.
- Seats around the pond are free to use, but sometimes unavailable. You rarely have to wait long; most users pause briefly.
- Looking west from the Octagonal Basin offers the finest views.
- Views of the Eiffel Tower are found on the West Terrace near the Octagonal Basin.
- Clean public restrooms can be found at the Louvre or the L’Orangerie, handily placed at either end of the Tuileries Garden.
- Art fans may want to work through the long list of sculptors on display. Some are world-famous, including a cast of Rodin’s The Kiss.
- Hop on the Christmas fair Ferris Wheel for exceptional views over Paris.
Is the Tuileries Garden worth visiting?
The Tuileries Garden is an essential destination for many visitors to Paris. Steeped in history and refined charm, its presence near the Louvre places it at the heart of promenades around the city’s most celebrated sights.
Historic facts about the Tuileries Garden
A historical monument since 1914 and included in the River Seine UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Tuileries Garden are among the best-preserved Renaissance gardens in Europe. Queen Catherine de Medici, the widowed wife of Henri II and mother to future kings, had a significant influence on contemporary architectural projects. Her dream of Italian Renaissance gardens for Tuileries Palace provided a canvas that future leaders would tweak and update. Notable changes were made under various kings, Emperors, and presidents. The biggest changes were the addition of ponds and squares, the creation of the wooded Grand Couvert, and the installation of the imposing Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel by Napoleon I.
L’Orangerie and the handball court Jeu de Palme were added under Napoleon III. The former is now home to Monets Water Lilies. The latter is a photography museum. Over the year, the gardens bore witness to bloody and momentous events. An insurrection in 1792 saw hundreds of Swiss Guards massacred while protecting the King and the Tuileries Palace. Months after the so-called ‘Second Revolution’, citizen Louis Capet, who had fled the palace, was executed. Artillery shells landed in the gardens during the first world war. While in 1944, French and German troops fought in the Gardens. Plaques displayed in the gardens commemorate the fallen. Notoriously, the Jeu de Paume was later found to be a warehouse for stolen art the Nazis had planned to ship out of Paris.
Although the park’s fame stems from its royal pedigree and enviable location in the heart of Paris, the Tuileries Garden has also hosted world-famous events. The first manned hydrogen balloon flight departed there in 1783, watched by King Louis XVI and the visiting US ambassador, Benjamin Franklin. The Tuileries Garden hosted some of the earliest motor fairs and was briefly the site of the only gas pump in France (1898.) Lines were likely very short.
Within the parks are various cafés and an ice cream stand. Two cafés in the wooded Grand Couvert are named after well-known former cafés in the park: Café Renard and Café Very. While not the original establishments, they offer some overpriced refreshments for a calming pause in the shade.
What to do after visiting the Tuileries Garden
For most, the Tuileries Garden is a magical stroll between attractions.
- At the eastern end stands the Louvre, the world’s most-visited museum. On the other is Place de la Concorde, home to an Egyptian obelisk and the spot where Louis XVI and Marine Antionette met the guillotine.
- Leading off Place de la Concorde is the ‘world’s most beautiful avenue’, the Champs-Élysées.
- Within the Tuileries Garden is the L’Orangerie. Once a citrus nursery for Napoleon III, it has been converted into a dazzling home for Monet’s vast Water Lilies murals (Nymphéas.)
- Across the river, on the Left Bank, you can see the magnificent Musée d’Orsay, home to one of France’s most important art collections.
FAQ
When can you visit the Tuileries Garden?
Opening hours for the Tuileries Garden are 7am to nightfall.
What is the nearest Métro stop for the Tuileries Garden?
Several Métro stations serve the Tuileries Garden:
- Concorde (Lines 1, 8, 12)
- Tuileries (Line 1)
- Palais Royal – Musée du Louvre (Lines 1, 7.)
Why is the Tuileries Garden so famous?
The garden of monarchs and emperors positioned between some of Paris’s most compelling sights, the Tuileries Garden is a portal to French history. Picturesque and boasting stunning views that stretch to the Arc de Triomphe, Paris’s oldest and most elegant garden is considered among the prettiest promenades in France.
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