Paris is well known for its secret parks and amazing large and beautiful public gardens. But are the secret parks in Paris really a secret? Well, to Parisians not so much. These parks are the backbone of their everyday life - somewhere to read a book, catch up with friends, have a picnic, or grab some sunshine in the warmer months.
Top 10 Secret Parks in Paris
With so many residents living in apartments, public gardens, parks and squares are essential to balance life indoors with some outdoors. Nestled between buildings frequented by resident neighbours, tucked into hidden locations or on the outskirts of the city, these gardens are a little harder for visitors to stumble upon.
We call our list of parks "secret" because to first-time visitors to Paris, or indeed return visitors, many of these parks will be unknown. Off the tourist track, lesser visited and not frequently included in travel guides, they require a little more effort to find and enjoy. But enjoy you will, I promise.
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Sharing the less travelled side of Paris with you, is a passion of ours. Of course, we also share the iconic and famous places of the City of Light, because after all, Paris is Paris because of its Eiffel Tower, Louvre, Seine River and darling cafés. But a little of the special and "secret" is pretty amazing too!
Related post: 29 Iconic Places to See in Paris
Jardin des Plantes - Jardin Alpin - Alpine Garden, Paris
Jardin Alpin - Secret Park in Paris No. 1
While the Jardin des Plantes is no secret, Jardin Alpin (Alpin Garden), one of the eight gardens within the larger Jardin des Plantes is relatively hidden and can be labeled a secret. People often go searching for the entrance to it, but walk right on by unfortunately not finding it all. The underground pathway into the garden has no obvious entrance or exit and is not open all year round. The garden has been classified as a Historic Monument since 1993.
Jardin Alpin showcases mountain flora from countries around the world including Japan, Morocco, Palestine and the Himalayas in reconstituted mountain environments.
One of the main difficulties is to artificially reconstitute environmental conditions favourable to the life of the plants in the collection. To achieve this, the gardeners have created veritable microclimates around the site, by taking advantage of their locations in the garden. Its design, below the level of the pathways of the Jardin des Plantes, forms a green valley protected from drying winds and extremes of hot and cold weather. Nevertheless, certain natural conditions are difficult to recreate. In winter, for example, mountain plants need a period of rest, without rain, which they find in their natural home environment in the snow covering. In order to recreate these conditions, some plants in the Jardin Alpin are covered with tarpaulins in autumn. - Jardin des Plantes de Paris
How to find Jardin Alpin
To find the Alpine Garden in the Jardin des Plantes in Paris, you'll need to enter through the main entrance and make your way to the centre of the park, specifically to the Botanical School. Once inside the Botanical School, look for an underground path on Allée Cuvier, which will lead you directly to the Alpine Garden.
Useful information
Address - Place Valhubert, Quai Saint-Bernard, 75005, Paris. This park has lots of entry and exit points, so below are all the gates and their closest métro stations.
Nearest métro station to park gate entrance Porte Jussieu - Jussieu Line on 7 or Line 10
Nearest métro station to park gate entrance Porte Monge - Place Monge on Line 7
Nearest métro station to park gate entrance Porte Daubenton - Censier Daubenton on Line 7
Nearest métro station to park gate entrance Porte D'Austerlitz - Gare D'Austerlitz on Line 5 or Line 10
Colannade at Parc Monceau, Paris
Parc Monceau - Secret Park in Paris No. 2
Parc Monceau is an exotic escape in central Paris. Located in the 8th arrondissement the park is the remnants of a much larger property once owned by the Duc de Chartres. It's not one of the most frequented parks by tourists, so we've included it in our secret park list.
It was converted into a "Chinese" garden with winding pathways and "follies" including a pagoda, grottos, a labyrinth and mills - all of which transported the visitor to an exotic land. If you visit this lesser known Parisian park today, you'll only find the modest sized pyramid and the Naumachie, an oval pool surrounded by a colonnade. Still standing is the rotunda at the entrance on Boulevard de Courcelles, which is one of four pavilions that still remain from the forty-seven that once graced this majestic park. Our full post Parc Monceau, Paris has even more information.
Square des Batignolles Park, Paris
Square des Batignolles - Secret Park in Paris No. 3
A tranquil park with a lake, waterfalls, and exotic plants that seems to be larger than it actually is. A small stream emerges from a rocky waterfall and runs through the rocks to end its course in a rounded pool. You might even see ducks paddling amongst the darting goldfish in the pool. The park is one of the largest green spaces in the 17th arrondissement. Created by Alphand during the Second Empire at the request of Napoleon III, the garden is one of twenty-four created by Alphand. Napoleon loved and wanted to establish English-style gardens in the capital and so the beautiful Square des Batignolles was created.
Useful Information
Address: 144 bis, rue Cardinet, 75017, Paris
Closest métro station: Pont Cardinet on Line 14
Jardin Anne-Frank nestled between buildings in the Marais
Jardin Anne-Frank - Secret Park in Paris No. 4
Jardin Anne-Frank is a quiet garden dedicated to Anne Frank, offering a peaceful retreat in the Marais. Owed by the Mairie de Paris, the park was opened in 2007 in honour of Anne Frank, a German teenager who wrote the famous memoir 'The Diary of Anne Frank' whilst in hiding during World War II.
“Our chestnut tree is totally in bloom, from top to bottom, it's packed with leaves and much more beautiful than last year”. - Anne Frank, The Diary of Anne Frank
Remarkably the chestnut tree in Square Anne Frank (or Jardin Anne-Frank) is a graft of the real Anne Frank chestnut tree, and was planted at the inauguration of the Anne Frank garden on June 20, 2007 by Bertrand Delanoë, Mayor of Paris, Pierre Heidenbaum, Mayor of the 3rd arrondissement of Paris and Hans Westra, Director of the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam.
A peaceful and secret park, this is certainly one that is off the well-beaten tourist track.
Useful Information
Address: 14 Impasse Berthaud, 75003, Paris
Closest métro station: Rambuteau on Line 11
Square du Vert-Galant, Île de la Cité
View from Square du Vert-Galant across the Seine
Square du Vert-Galant - Secret Park in Paris No. 5
Square du Vert-Galant is a small, romantic park at the tip of Île de la Cité that has great views of the Seine and bridges. With a quirky history, this park smack in the middle of the city's island, is relatively lesser known to tourists. In the 18th century a bathhouse was built on this island tip with 200 bathtubs. I can't even imagine this to be honest, but according to history, it was a great success! It was then transformed into a garden which hosted a café named Vert-Galant. While the café disappeared in the great flood of 1879, the name stuck.
We visit this romantic park with its awesome views of the Sapeurs Pompiers' barges, Seine bridges and flowing waters whenever in Paris. An oasis of cool breeze and shade on hot days, it's a little secret park that I hesitate to share for fear of it being overrun!
Useful Information
Address: 15 Place du Pont Neuf, 75001, Paris
Closest métro station: Pont Neuf on Line 7
Jardin Catherine-Labour - Secret Park in Paris No. 6
Now this is "my" park, and it's certainly a secret one. When staying in Paris I always stay in the 7th arrondissement on rue Vaneua and I walk past this park a couple of times a day at least. Often stopping to sit on a bench and nibble on a cake, punnet of strawberries, or snack from Le Bon Marche (just down the road at 38 Rue de Sèvres) this is my most often visited garden. I never tire of Jardin Catherine-Labour and used to bring my tour guests here for a luxury picnic when I was offering All Ladies 7 Day Paris Tours. You can read my full guide on hotels I stay in Paris, including Hôtel du Suede on rue Vaneau in my guide Where to Stay in Paris - My Recommendations.
Hidden behind a high stone wall and locked at night, this park usually has a police car standing guard at the entrance gate because of all the embassies in the area. A garden with orchards and vegetable plots, it was named after a young 19th century nun to whom the Virgin Mary was said to have appeared as she tended the kitchen garden. Jardin Catherine-Labour covers approximately 7,000m² with expansive lawns and greenery, fruit trees, a vine-covered pergola and vegetable gardens. It is an attractive spot in summer for a catchup with friends or family. Towards the back of the garden, looked down up by the apartment buildings, you can still see the outline of the convent buildings in the ground.
Useful Information
Address: 29 rue de Babylone - Impasse Oudinot, 75007 Paris
Closest métro station: Vaneau on Line 10
Parc de Belleville - Secret Park in Paris No. 7
Parc de Belleville is a hillside park with panoramic views of Paris and beautiful gardens. Maybe the most 'secretive part' of this park is its vineyard, yes, amazingly, it has a vineyard, and the panoramic view of the city. What famous buildings can you see in the photo's skyline?
Belleville is a little gem of a neighbourhood that lies hidden from the big tourist masses, but if you have a little more time in Paris, it's a great escape from the usual hustle and bustle of the city. The area has plenty of street art to explore, cool bars to grab a refreshing drink and musicians and artists to keep you entertained. I do think this enclosed vineyard, called Clos de Belleville is this leavy park's best kept secret. The last of the urban vineyards to be reinstated, this little vineyard produces pinot meunier and chardonnay grapes.
Useful Information
Address: Parc de Belleville, rue des Couronnes, 75020, Paris
Closest Métro: Couronnes (Line 2)
Jardin des Serres d'Auteuil - Secret Park in Paris No. 8
The Jardin des Serres d'Auteuil is a botanical garden set within a major greenhouse complex located at the southern edge of the Bois de Boulogne in the 16th arrondissement. Opened in 1895, its historical greenhouses with exotic plants and beautiful architecture is its main attraction. Located at 1 Avenue Gordon-Bennett, Paris, the site first served as a botanical garden in 1761 under Louis XV.
The five main glasshouses, with their late 19th-century architecture have been designed to overlook a central space. The garden has collections of rare plants and remarkable trees, a palmarium, a beautiful aviary and reconstructions of ecosystems from every continent. The beauty of this park is that you can take a guided tour with representatives of the Mairie de Paris. The garden has been updated with six modern greenhouses around the Simonne Mathieu court at Roland Garros stadium.
Useful Information
Address: 3 Avenue de la Porte d'Auteuil, 75016 Paris, France
Closest métro station: Porte d'Auteuil on Line 10 or Michel-Ange - Molitor on Line 9 or Line 10
Parc de la Villette - Secret Park in Paris No. 9
A large cultural park with themed gardens, sculptures, and music venues. The Parc de la Villette is the third-largest park in Paris at the northeastern edge of the city in the 19th arrondissement. It's a large cultural park with themed gardens, sculptures, waterslides, music venues and exhibition centres. It covers a whopping 55.5 hectares, so it's not a secret considering it's enjoyed by millions of Parisians each year, but what it offers is lesser known to visitors to the city so we've included it in this post.
The park is alongside a canal so water features in this park alongside fanciful red architecture, wide open green spaces, hidden sculptures in amongst the trees and more. Take in a music show, enjoy the outdoor concerts, cool off in the water slides and enjoy this Parisian park on the fringe of the city.
The official tourist website of Paris describes the park as follows:
The La Villette complex is an unusual spot to explore in Paris, where green spaces and culture intersect. Boasting 35 hectares of greenery and 3,000 m² of ecological gardens promoting biodiversity, the Parc de la Villette is one of the largest and loveliest green spaces in Paris. A multi-disciplinary arts and culture venue, it attracts more than 10 million visitors each year. It is a place to enjoy many forms of art and culture as well as scientific and educational activities, not to mention leisure and games. - Paris je t'aime, Official Paris Tourism website
Useful Information
Address: 211 Avenue Jean Jaurès, 75019, Paris
Closest métro station: Porte de Pantin on Line 5 or Porte de la Villette on Line 7
Jardin des Rosiers Joseph Migneret - Secret Park in Paris No. 10
Hidden behind shops, office buildings and apartments, this secret park honours Joseph Migneret (1888-1949), former director of the Hospitallères Saint Gervais school (a boys school) from 1920 to 1944. Migneret during World War II sheltered many of his former students and helped save fleeing Jews by providing them with false papers. Through his courage dozens of Jewish children were saved from deportation and certain death. Read our related post on the Deportation Memorial Île de la Cité, Paris.
The creation of the garden started in 2007 and was completed in 2014. It was created by merging the private gardens of the mansions that border it - Hôtel de Coulanges, Hôtel Barbes and Hôtel d'Albret. Read our full article, watch our YouTube clip and see more photos in Jardin des Rosiers Joseph - A Small Secret Garden in the Marais
Useful Information
Address: 10 rue des Rosiers, 75004, Paris
Closest métro station: Saint-Paul on Line 1
Secret Parks of Paris
So there you have our round-up of secret parks in Paris with why we love them, what to see and experience in each one, and the closest métro stations to each. Add one or two of these lovely parks to your next visit to Paris, and enjoy the City like a Parisian.
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