In the bustling district of the Sorbonne and the Boulevard Saint-Germain (5th arrondissement), the medieval public garden of Cluny museum is a nice and peaceful green space.
Divided into two main parts, you will see first the way it is laid out with places dedicated to rest and playground for children, decorated of one of the last remains of the Gallo-Roman era (with the “Arènes de Lutèce”) : the “Thermes de Cluny”.
But the most interesting part is at the bottom of the garden, after the playground
Built in 2000, the Medieval garden is inspired from collections of the Museum of the Middle Ages and offers throughout 5000 m² a succession of spaces evoking nature in medieval times. Some terraces have also been recreated through research done on the famous tapestries of The Lady with the Unicorn exhibited in the museum, which is full of plants like pervanches ,the oueillets, mint … herbs you’ll find in the garden.
Stroll among the flowerbeds therefore organized according to their use in the Middle Ages : medicine herb garden (sage, hyssop, rue, wormwood) celestial garden (pink, violet, daisies) love garden (thyme, carnations)… the charm of the medieval garden is to recreate an ancient atmosphere while remaining contemporary. Second major advantage: the magnificent Hôtel de Cluny which is implanted perfectly with the decor and contributes to the beautiful staging general.
Note that in winter, terraces are set off and the garden is planted from April, until about October. The Medieval Garden is a very nice place outside these dates, butit definitely loses its uniqueness.
See more unusual public gardens.
