Tourism: 3 Gardens To Discover In France
You don't have to travel far to discover some of the most beautiful gardens in the world. Some of these heavenly green havens can be found within the borders of France. We have selected for you 3 must-see gardens in France.
1- Les Jardins de la Fontaine in Nîmes
Less well known than the park of the Château de Versailles or the gardens of the Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte, the Jardins de la Fontaine in Nîmes are nonetheless worth a visit!
This 15-hectare green Space located in the heart of the city of Nîmes has been labeled a Remarkable Garden by the Ministry of Culture.
This garden was one of the first public parks in Europe. It consists of an 18th century French garden and a Mediterranean-style landscape garden.
The formal garden is centred on the Fountain Spring which gave the park its name.
It should also be noted that the layout of this garden highlights two major ancient monuments of the city of Nîmes: the Temple of Diana and the Tour Magne (an imposing vestige of the Roman enclosure that dominates this garden from the top of Mount Cavalier).
The 8 marble statues that dot this garden come from the Château de la Mosson in Montpellier and are the work of French sculptor Nicolas Sébastien Adam.
Copyright: Daniel Villafruela
2- Jardins de la Ballue in Brittany
If you like topiaries like those in the famous Marqueyssac gardens in the Perigord, don't miss les Jardins de la Ballue!
These are the gardens of the Château de la Ballue located in Bazouges-la-Pérouse in Brittany.
These gardens nestled between Mont-saint-michel and Saint-Malo are particularly remarkable for their terraced topiaries and their superb panorama, which inspired the writer François-René de Chateaubriand.
The original gardens were recreated in the 1970s by two architects: François Hébert-Stevens and Paul Maymont.
They were labeled Remarkable Garden in 2005 due in particular to their amazing labyrinth of greenery.
Come and lose yourself in these labyrinthine gardens which have many surprises in store for you and are studded with contemporary sculptures that change regularly.
Copyright : Thérèse Gaigé
3- The Gardens of Étretat
In Normandy too, Monet's gardens at Giverny are not the only ones of note.
The Jardins d'Étretat, with views of the cliffs and the famous Aiguille creuse made famous by the adventures of Arsène Lupin, are among the must-see sites to discover.
These recently created gardens were designed by the landscape architect Alexandre Grivko.
They benefit from an exceptional location on the cliff of Amont in Étretat and offer an unobstructed view of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
They also have the particularity of combining landscape art with land art sculptures that surprise the walker and invite contemplation.
Copyright: JR P on Flickr
Note:the gardens mentioned in this article are featured in the book The 150 Most Beautiful Gardens in the World, published by Ulysses Travel Guides (available in bookstores from 21 October 2021).
