The Tuileries and Carrousel Gardens

Long before becoming a garden, the area was occupied by tile factories, the 'tuileries' that gave the place its name. In 1564, Catherine de Medici built the Tuileries Palace nearby and surrounded it with an Italian-style garden featuring winding paths, a fountain and a decorated grotto. A century later, Louis XIV and Jean-Baptiste Colbert entrusted the redesign to André Le Nôtre, who reshaped and extended the gardens, giving them the perspectival composition that still defines them today. 

These gardens form the heart of the great historic axis running from the Louvre Pyramid through the Concorde, the Champs-Élysées and the Arc de Triomphe, all the way to the Grande Arche de la Défense. They also provide direct access to the Berges de Seine, ideal for visitors wishing to combine cultural visits and quiet strolls. The Tuileries gardens are listed by UNESCO as part of the protected banks of the Seine.

Lawns dotted with ornamental ponds welcome statues by Rodin, Giacometti and Maillol, alongside earlier figures dating from 1716. On the Place du Carrousel side, the round basin is flanked by two smaller pools of the same shape — a quietly elegant ensemble at the gates of the museum. 

• Surface: about 70 acres for the combined gardens
• Access: from the Pyramid via Place du Carrousel; metro line 1 — Tuileries, Concorde, Palais Royal – Musée du Louvre
• Extime Travel tip: arrange a relaxed stroll through the gardens before or after the museum visit, taking advantage of the central axis from Concorde to the Pyramid