The palace itself was built in the 1620s for Marie de Médicis, widow of Henri IV, by Salomon de Brosse on the site of the former mansion of the Duke of Luxembourg. Its...

Although small and slightly dishevelled, the Paris botanical garden - which contains more than 10,000 species and includes tropical greenhouses and rose, winter and Alpine...

Between the Louvre and place de la Concorde, the gravelled alleyways of these gardens have been a chic promenade ever since they opened to the public in the 16th century; and...

Dotted with red pavilions, or folies, the park was designed by Swiss architect Bernard Tschumi and is a postmodern feast (guided tours 08.03.30.63.06, 3pm Sun in summer). The...

With its meandering paths and vertical cliffs, this lovely park was designed by Adolphe Alphand for Haussmann in the 1860s. A bridge (cheerfully named the Pont des Suicides)...

This Roman arena, where wild beasts and gladiators fought, could seat 10,000 people. It was still visible during the reign of Philippe-Auguste in the 12th century, then...

This retail and leisure development housed in old wine warehouses is a relaxed place to shop, with the advantage of late and Sunday opening. Squarely aimed at tourists and...

Covering 865 hectares, the Bois was once the Forêt de Rouvray hunting grounds. It was landscaped in the 1860s, when artificial grottoes and waterfalls were created around the...

Founded in 1860, this amusement park and garden has bears, a Normandy-style farm and an aviary, as well as boat rides, a funfair with Chinese dragon rollercoaster, flying...

The 25-hectare park where an impoverished Ernest Hemingway staved off hunger by catching pigeons is a prized family attraction. Kids come from across the city for its pony...

These romantic glasshouses were opened in 1895 to cultivate plants for Paris parks and public spaces. Today there are seasonal displays of orchids and begonias. Look out for...

This park is a fun, postmodern version of a French formal garden, designed by Gilles Clément and Alain Prévost. It comprises glasshouses, computerised fountains, waterfalls, a...

Created in the 1990s, the Bercy park features a large lawn, a grid with square rose, herb and vegetable plots, an orchard, and gardens laid out to represent the four seasons.

Aside from a children's science museum, a music museum, an IMAX cinema, theatres, various concert and exhibition venues and outdoor seasonal festivals, the city's former...