Luxembourg park is well known in Paris but we had not spent much time there as many Parisians do on sunny days. Those living in Paris, often use parks as their own backyards because much of the population lives in apartments and many don’t even have balconies. So, on nice days, it is the culture here to bring book, games and picnics and go spend the day at the nearest park. In early May, we went to stroll through Luxembourg and take in the activities going on. It is a beautiful, large, ‘stately’ park, with statues and beautiful fountains scattered throughout.

The park was originally owned by the Duke of Luxembourg, hence the name. The domain was purchased in 1612 by Marie de’ Medici, the widow of King Henry IV.  After the king was murdered in 1610 she decided to move out from the Louvre to a new residence.  Around the pond are nice lawns, paths, and some of Paris’s most beautiful flower beds, all laid out in a geometrical pattern and enclosed by a balustrade. This is also one of the few parks where you can simply get hold of one of the many chairs provided and take it to the spot where you want to sit. The park is popular with chess players and bocci players. There’s also a tennis court, a music pavilion, merry go round, puppet theatre and an orangery in the park. Marie de’ Medici had Luxemburg Palace built there for herself in 1617 in the image of her Italian estate in Florence.   In 1794, during the French Revolution, Luxembourg palace served as a prison, and in World War 2 it was the headquarters for the German airforce. It currently houses the French Senate.

We walked the gardens and sat in our chairs, watching others stroll by and watched the children steering their sailboats with long sticks in the fountain pond. It is really like being at an outdoor museum with all of the statues in this park. What a wonderful backyard.

*Note: Featured photo above is the introduction to the poem written across a wall by Luxembourg garden. It was written by Arthur Rimbaud at age 16, titled “The Drunken Boat.”  It is written from the point of view of a boat that is adrift after all of its passengers have been massacred. The description of the vessel’s erratic course, its assault by storms, and the vast wastes of the ocean reflect the torment of the poet’s soul.