Treat yourself like royalty at Le Jardin du Palais Royal

Historical, photo-worthy, relaxing, trendy: Le Jardin du Palais Royal has it all. Despite being close to Le Louvre, these gorgeous gardens are almost hidden. If you arrive by the metro station and exit Place Colette, you’ll be struck by the fairy-tale-like canopy made out of colourful Murano glass bubbles. 

Once you enter the Jardins, you’ll find the most Instagrammable art installation in the city: Les Colonnes de Buren. These striped black and white columns give a graphic contrast to the Palais behind and even though a lot of Parisians hate them, I actually find them very amusing.

The big yet secluded garden is surrounded by gorgeous arcades, hosting designer shops and trendy cafés such as Café Kitsuné – from the French-Japanese clothing brand. It's one of the most peaceful gardens in Paris, with trees perfectly lined up and plenty of chairs to sit on – just right for settling down with a book by the large fountain. 

The graphic Colonnes de Buren facing the French Ministry of Culture.

 

The garden is dotted with countless chairs and benches around the central fountain or in the shade of the trees, which makes this park an excellent place to settle down with a book.

 

The elegant apartments overlooking the gardens. 

 

The Palais Royal metro station exit, where music bands often gather to perform on weekends.