Paris Botanical Gardens
The Paris Botanical Gardens, Jardin des Plantes, is almost 375 years old. I have to just stand in awe of it because of its age alone. I do well to get my lavender to live from one year to the next. However, plants in the Paris Botanical Gardens have been around for centuries. I came in search of Jardin des Plantes because I had read that it was originally designed as a garden of medicinal herbs. Having visited several similar gardens at manor houses in England, I was curious. What would I find here in the center of the metropolis of Paris.
A Bit of History
Between its opening in 1640 and 1718, the Paris Botanical Gardens were supervised by the King of France’s doctor . At that tie it contained around 1800 herbs. From its very beginning it has been a teaching garden. Today in the heart of the garden is the École de Botanique (School of Botany).
Paris Botanical Gardens École de Botanique
There are more than 4000 varieties of plants from around the world! Take time to read all the “little” signs. The garden which is the École de Botanique (School of Botany) is laid out according to botanical families.
Les Grandes Serres (The Large Greenhouses)
These greenhouses have everything from rainforest to dessert biomes and everything thing in the spectrum between. Architecturally speaking I think they are amazing! The buildings have been newly renovated. They are open to the public 10am to 6pm (5pm in the winter) every day of the week except Tuesday. Guess which day I visited – unfortunately the answer is Tuesday.
Grandes Serres – Greenhouses main entrance
Greenhouses which contain a variety of desert plants.
Paris Botanical Gardens Hôtel à Abeilles
The bee houses (hôtel à abeilles) encourage the approximately 900 types of wild bees in France to repopulate.
Hotel à Abeilles, Bee hotels
This protected area includs many bee hives for honey production that are not visible in the photo.
The Menagerie
The Menagerie is the second oldest zoo in the world. It opened in the 1790s and has some wonderfully old buildings housing its animals. The day was extremely hot and it was the sight of benches in shade that lured me in. Once I discovered the beautiful old buildings I had to explore the zoo in its entirety. It is not just for children and I highly recommend you spend a couple of hours exploring it.
We enjoyed a picnic lunch in front of the lions cage the day we visited with our daughter and her family.
Reptile House at the Menagerie
Up-close and personal at the Menagerie
Paris Botanical Gardens Museum of Natural History
The National Museum of Natural History opened in the late 1700s during the French Revolution. The main façade opens to the Gallery of Paleontology and Comparative Anatomy. Do you see the stegosaurus hiding amongst the trees in the right of the photo below? Along with the Grand Gallery of Evolution, these are just two of 14 sites open to the public across France. Four of which are in Paris. The Menagerie is also a part of the Museum of Natural History.
Grand Gallery of Evolution, Museum of Natural History
Gallery of Paleontology and Comparative Anatomy, Museum of Natural History
The Labyrinth in the Paris Botanical Gardens
Wander your way through the labyrinth and visit the summer house pavilion found at its center. This is the oldest metallic building in the world. It predates Eiffel’s tower by 100 years.
Summer House at the center of the labyrinth
The closest metro stops to the Jardins des Plantes Metro Jussieu (lines 7 and 10) and Metro Gare Austerlitz (lines 5 and 10). I would suggest Metro Jussieu because you could visit the Arènes de Lutèce which is nearby before you go to the Gardens.
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