Built in 1783 to resemble a farm in Normandy, the Hameau de la Reine is a lesser-visited site in the Versailles gardens that is well worth the extra hike. With thatched roofs, farm buildings, and a fishing tower around a beautiful pond, [more...]

Created in 1862, just after rural Batignolles became part of the city of Paris, this pleasant green space still offers respite. The Square des Batignolles has a little creek framed by weeping willows, a pond with a fountain, walking [more...]

You'll find superb views on the winding paths of the Buttes-Chaumont park. It's hilly, so bring your hiking shoes. The park is so close and yet feels so natural, poetic, and at times exotic: gypsies lived here for a century, from the [more...]

Pack a picnic and jump on the RER to see the main attraction at Versailles: the vast, geometric, breathtaking gardens. Finding just the right spot is half the fun, as you stroll around the winding paths.

Getting there:
It [more...]

Even if you know nothing about sculpture, a couple of hours at the Rodin Museum Gardens is a valuable respite from routine. The setting can stimulate reflection and discussion as pensive as the Thinker statue, or as light-hearted as [more...]

A walk from Bastille to the "Bois de Vincennes" park. It's a pretty plant-lined walk using the platform for old train tracks so you're above the city. Sadly not for cycling or dogs, but great for a jog or walk. Entrance is at Bastille [more...]

This beautiful, peaceful park seems by a stroke of luck to have been overlooked by most – it’s incredibly peaceful, especially given its prime location. Make it your favorite hiding spot.

Go exploring the Vincennes park to find and odd structure – a Buddhist temple sitting right by the lake. One building, a Cameroun-style pavilion, was built for the 1931 colonial exposition, but saved and reconverted into a place of [more...]

Throughout spring and summer, tons of free concerts (and sometimes plays) take place under the “kioskes,” or covered performance spaces, in Paris’ public parks. Sometimes it’s local chorals, sometimes it’s internationally [more...]

Every summer, the Chopin festival comes to Paris. Whether or not you’re a connaisseur, no matter; discover the composer together through a large offering of concerts at the Bagatelle park throughout June and July. Check the schedule [more...]

Take your date to see a less well-known, but still awesome, view of Paris from up in the Belleville park (in the 20eme). Water pours down the hill in successive fountains, making this a nice place to cool down on hot days. Metro [more...]

Summertime means jazz in Paris. Every weekend in June and July, the Parc Floral puts on free outdoor concerts by a multitude of international artists. Take your date to sit on the grass within earshot. In September, the jazz gives way [more...]

Take a breath of fresh air amidst the 800 different types of trees of the arboretum of the Ecole de Breuil, which is part of the Vincennes woods (though technically still in Paris, you have to take the RER out to Joinville-Le-Pont).

If you’re tired of all the perfectly-trimmed gardens of Paris, try one that’s been left to nature’s whims – the “Jardin Sauvage” (wild garden) of Saint Vincent, in the 18eme. Its quiet, overgrown charm makes it a perfect [more...]

Go stroll the Places des Vosges, one of the most beautiful and regal plazas in Paris. It’s in the Marais area, so there’s plenty of interesting streets (both for shopping and architecture) nearby, if you want to take a walk and [more...]

Pack your lunch bag and bring your date to the beautiful Japanese garden at the Musee Guimet (free access). It’s very quiet and peaceful, and you can take a look inside a little Buddhist pantheon as well. There’s also a tea house [more...]

Take a hike in the mountains. Though Paris might not be that elevated, it does have an Alps garden – the “jardin alpin” hidden in the Jardin des Plantes. Walk up the hill on a small path surrounded by over 2,000 types of mountain [more...]

For one of the most romantic vistas in town, check out the waterfalls at the Bois de Boulogne park. Against the backdrop of a lake, jagged cliffs and woods, it’s a perfect kissing spot if there ever was one!

Forget the Eiffel Tower, Montmartre or even la Tour Montparnasse. Get a real aerial view by taking your date aboard the Parc Citroen’s big yellow hot air balloon, which will take you soaring 150 meters above Paris (safely tied down by [more...]

For a truly lovely Saturday or Sunday, bring your bikes or rollerblades or just yourselves to Joinville-le-Pont to have a picnic on the island/park in the middle of the Marne river. Then spend the afternoon biking/skating/walking down [more...]