6 Public Gardens and Parks You Can’t Miss in Orleans, France
Orléans Botanical Garden, France
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You’ll often find people sitting on park benches during their lunch breaks enjoying these beautifully kept outdoor spaces. These gardens are a testament to Orléans’ culture of outside, active living.
Here are a few gardens you shouldn’t miss on your trip to Orléans:
1. Orléans Botanical Garden - Jardin des Plantes
Wow. What a gorgeous property! The spotlight of this space is a large greenhouse housing several tropical plants as well as several floral gardens, hedge mazes, succulent plants, fruit trees, picnic spaces, and much more. It’s a great space to explore and even picnic on a nice, sunny spring or summer day.
Parc Louis Pasteur, Orleans, France
2. Parc Louis Pasteur
I’m so glad I stumbled across this gem! Parc Louis Pasteur is just a short walk north of the Orléans Cathedral and offers a large green space with several art sculptures, benches, trees, playgrounds, and floral arrangements.
The centerpiece of the garden is a large still pond that leads up to a beautiful sculpted scene. During the spring season, tulips and other flowers envelop the space, making it beyond serene. You will often be joining groups of friends or solos eating lunch or meeting up for a chat.
l’évêché Garden, Orleans, France
3. l’évêché Garden
A smaller garden that sits behind the Cathedral offering breathtaking views of not only the gothic architecture giant that is Orléans Cathedral but also the old Bishop’s Palace (Palais épiscopal d’Orléans) which originally housed the bishop overseeing the diocese of Orléans. Now, the building is used for academic purposes and acts as one of the buildings for University of Orléans
4. Hôtel Groslot Garden
Another quiet, small garden tucked away from the hustle and bustle of the city features the Saint-Jacques Chapel, the stunning remnants of the medieval chapel.
Loire River Walk in Orleans, France
5. Walk Along Loire River
This is technically not a park per se but you can’t visit Orléans without walking along the canal. The walk is lovely for miles and you will come across several green spaces to admire and reconnect with nature.
6. Helène Cadou Garden
Not too far from the canal trail near Bords de Loire (Orléans’ promenade) is the quiet Helène Cadou Garden. I stumbled across this well manicured green space one morning while a painter stood in the middle of the impressive topiary garden painting the beautiful city scene of French rooftops that seem to guide your sight to the cathedral in the distance.
