Autumn in the Parks of Paris

This is a guest post by only-apartments – Autumn is a great time to travel to Paris. The summer crowds have diminished, rates and fares have begun to drop, the nights are crisper and the leaves on the trees are just beginning to show a hint of autumn color.Paris is a beautiful city, especially in this time of the year, when the summer break finishes and the city seems to go back to reality. People come back to work and the cultural season starts all over again with festivals including theatre, art, literature, music and dance. But one of the main activities you can do during this time of the year (and probably the cheapest option), is to discover the parks of the city. Walk around them, relax on their benches, have a picnic on the grass or even enjoy a coffee in one of their many cafés.

Some of the most loved parks for the people in Paris are the following:

Cimetière du Père Lachaise

The Cemetery of Père Lachaise is the largest open green space in Paris and the world’s largest memorial sculpture garden. Many well-known persons rest here, such as Honoré de Balzac, Guillaume Apollinaire, Fréderic Chopin, Molière, Yves Montand, Simone Signoret, Edith Piaf and Oscar Wilde. There are also markers for international celebrities, as Jim Morrison, Maria Callas, Michel Pettuciani, etc. But don’t worry, as there’s nothing depressing about this popular place. You can visit the cemetery without any route, just enjoying the park’s natural beauty, or plan exactly what you want to see. You can pick up a free map in one of the two main entraces so you can follow the maze of celebrity graves and tombs. You can also visit its Garden of Memories, the Holocaust Memorials, the War Memorials and the Communards Wall and columbarium. This park is a calm place that encourages contemplation. Some visitors sit or even read and you may also find artists at work.

Jardin des Tuileries

The Jardin des Tuileries is part of a wide esplanade which extends from the Louvre all the way to La Défense and its Grande Arche. It has has a play park at the north end, several fountains, two large basins, numerous sculptures and two museums, the Galerie Nationale du Jeu de Paume and the Musée de l’Orangerie, which displays Claude Monet’s large water lily paintings. The most visited sculptures are the 18 statues by the French Catalan painter Aristide Maillol.

Only open to royalty before the French Revolution, the Jardin du Luxembourg is today a popular destination for Parisians. Walking or sitting on the grass, cycling and playing ball games are forbidden in much of the garden but there’s a designated area for these type of activities. You will just love this garden with its magnificent trees and perfectly designed and maintained flower beds.