Gardens at Paris Museums: 4 great spots to enjoy the Indian summer
Here's a rundown on 4 unmissable spots.
Museums :
Dans 4 muséesAvenue Winston Churchill
75008 Paris
France
After the first frosts of autumn, towards the end of October, temperatures ease, the sun sometimes shows its face and the terraces of Paris cafés fill up with people.
It's called the Indian summer. And we would like to suggest 4 sequestered spots where you can enjoy the mild, mid-autumn, summer weather: the gardens of some of the City of Paris museums.
Musée Bourdelle
© Benoît Fougeirol 2015
Spot n° 1: The garden of the Musée Bourdelle
The sculptor's secret garden
Garden of the Musée Bourdelle
18 Rue Antoine Bourdelle
75015 Paris
Nestling in Montparnasse, the Musée Bourdelle is home to the work of sculptor Antoine Bourdelle (1861-1929), who worked with Rodin and taught Giacometti. The museum also has a delightful garden where magnificent bronze sculptures stand in splendour, including a bust of his teacher, Rodin, Bourdelle’s highly acclaimed "Hercules the Archer", and his impressive Monument to General Alvea in the rear courtyard.
The tranquil solemnity and floral setting set up a meaningful dialogue with the works of art. In the Musée Bourdelle garden visitors can get away from the hurly burly of a bustling neighbourhood and lose themselves in thought. This is the spot for a secret break, an opportunity to discover the world of the sculptor and to be admitted into the intimacy of his studio. And what’s more, admission is free (except for temporary exhibitions).
Further information about the Musée Bourdelle
Spot n° 2: The garden of the Petit Palais
Fine art and exoticism
Garden of the Petit Palais
Avenue Winston Churchill
75008 Paris
An oasis of calm in the middle of the Musée des Beaux-arts de Paris. With its palm trees, bananas and various other exotic plants around the three pools, the garden of the Petit Palais is the perfect place for a change of scene with a gourmet snack during a visit to the collections and exhibitions.
Freely accessible during museum opening hours, the café serves drinks and excellent bistro dishes in this enchanted setting, away from the bustle of the Paris streets.
Why go there? It’s a place in the sun, a dream setting, a museum brimming with works of art that date from Antiquity to the 20th century… Do you need more persuading?
Further information about the garden of the Petit Palais
Musée de la Vie Romantique
© Benoît Fougeirol 2014
Spot n° 3: The garden of the Musée de la Vie Romantique
Luxury, peace, and pleasure
Garden of the Musée de la Vie Romantique
16 rue Chaptal
75009
After 8 months of refurbishment, the Musée de la Vie Romantique has re-opened its doors. And the celebrated English patisserie "Rose Bakery" have taken over the tea room of this bucolic museum garden in the Athens district (9th arrondissement). Homemade delicacies and organic teas can be enjoyed while sitting on a wrought iron bench in the shade of the trees, or in the sun, near the rose bushes.
The garden of the Musée de la Vie Romantique is a bucolic expression of the artistic and cultural atmosphere of 19th century Paris. And as such, an invitation to discover the works of Ary Scheffer and his contemporaries.
Further information about the Musée de la Vie Romantique
Musée Zadkine
© Benoît Fougeirol 2014
Spot n° 4: The garden of the Musée Zadkine
Sculptures au vert
Jardin du Musée Zadkine
100bis Rue d'Assas
75006 Paris
Located a mere stone’s throw from the Luxembourg Gardens, the Musée Zadkine was where the artist lived and worked between 1928 and 1967. Although the layout of the permanent exhibition tends to present the most important works of this great sculptor, illustrator, and lithographer, the intimate atmosphere of the artist's studio, which is so conducive to creativity, remains intact. This tranquillity is especially present in the garden where Zadkine's neoclassical sculptures (The Birth of Venus, Melancholy, Orpheus, and his preliminary model for the Sculpture of Theo and Vincent van Gogh) stand in harmony with the changing seasons.